When there was no need for urgency, Liu Xian’an would never be urgent. In his opinion, renovating Xiao Wang Palace was not an urgent matter, so he was idle. He would often feel sleepy when he sketched and drew, and immediately dropped his brush and ran to the couch to sleep for the entire afternoon. Such was the case that the slow progress of the whole process made even A-Ning wonder if he would have to wait ten years to see the young master’s new house.

Naturally, Liang Shu would not press him on such a matter. If he didn’t feel like drawing, then he wouldn’t draw. As for the craftsmen, the masters didn’t rush them and everyone was happy to be idle. Thus, the place remained simple and humble, and everyone was quite comfortable.

There was only one thing that was rather annoying when it rained heavily, and it happened to be a very rainy autumn. Liu Xian’an slept comfortably in Liang Shu’s arms all night. When he opened the door the next morning, he was nearly splashed by the muddy water that had accumulated in the courtyard.

A-Ning had to push a cart of bricks, and while building a path in the courtyard, he accidentally fell and lay in bed for three days before being able to get up.

Repairs to the main house were imperative!

The lazy fellow had no choice but to say: “Then let’s get started.”

He was forced once again to work hard, leaving early every day and coming back late every evening, and stayed in the study for more than half a month. At last, all the designs were finalized.

Liang Yu rewarded his younger brother with a batch of good timber, and stone bricks entered the palace cart by cart. Liu Xian’an asked: “Then are we moving to another courtyard?”

Liang Shu said: “Let’s go to the Imperial palace to stay for a while.”

When he was a child, he lived in Zhenxiang Hall, located on the southwest side of the Imperial gardens. Although its appearance was not magnificent and its location was extremely remote, it was still much better than Xiao Wang Palace, which was rustic everywhere. The old steward was busy arranging for the servants to clean. Liu Xian’an walked around and found that the study was small, but there was an extremely large open space in the back courtyard, with many weapon racks piled up randomly. He said: “This does look like the prince’s residence.”

“There are many vacant rooms. I will find the largest and brightest one for you and arrange it as a study.” Liang Shu put an arm around his shoulder. “Do you see anything that is missing?”

Liu Xian’an yawned: “I don’t need anything.”

His requirements for food, clothing, housing, and transportation had always been very low. He often imagined himself wrapped in the roughest cloth, walking barefoot in spring and listening to the endless sea of bamboo in the mountains. When he was hungry, he would bend down to catch white fish, make a campfire and roast it casually, and then eat it without oil or salt.

“That won’t work.” Liang Shu reminded him: “You can’t catch fish.”

Liu Xian’an thought for a moment: “Then I will bring the prince with me next time.”

Liang Shu was in a very good mood, feeling that he was very useful.

Liang Yu was already very experienced, and would always ignore the radiant appearance of his unfortunate brother, so as not to ask a lot of useless questions again. Thus, he could only send the Imperial chef who was proficient in Jiangnan cuisine to serve him. As a result, the chef entered Zhenxiang Hall the first day, and His Royal Highness Xiao Wang failed to attend court in the morning the next day because of abdominal cramps.

Liang Yu was furious, and was about to have the Imperial chef questioned. Fortunately, a palace attendant ran back panting, just in time to report that the Jiangnan Imperial chef had just entered Zhenxiang Hall and had not had time to take charge of the dishes. The meal served to the prince the previous night was cooked by Second Young Master Liu himself.

“……”

The attendant continued: “It seems that the recipe came from some ancient book. He cooked a big bowl, and the prince did not want to give it to anyone else, so he was the only one in the residence who fell ill.”

Liang Yu really didn’t want to hear anymore.

In Zhenxiang Palace, His Royal Highness Xiao Wang was lying in bed with a handkerchief on his head, eating a bowl of noodles with green vegetables and soft meat in a dignified manner. Lieutenant General Gao had returned to the northwest, otherwise he would not be able to stop laughing at this grand scene for three days.

Liu Xian’an analyzed: “Perhaps something was not cooked enough.”

Liang Shu said magnanimously: “It doesn’t matter, I will cook it with you next time.”

Liu Xian’an refused on the spot. After experiencing a spoonful of peach jam, and after this person poured down the “Five Fresh Ingredients with Vinegar Residue,” he no longer intended to believe in the so-called ancient recipes, and decided not to cook them again in his life.

Liang Shu held back a smile: “That is good too. Then just stay home and have a good sleep. When you wake up, take A-Ning around for a walk. There are a lot of fun places in the palace.”

“En.” Liu Xian’an agreed and continued to warm the other’s stomach with a hot medicine bag.

Liang Shu was in good health, and after only lying down for one day, he returned to the court full of energy and continued to busy himself with the talent selection. That afternoon, A-Ning pulled his family’s young master up from bed, coaxing him to take a walk for digestion. He also said: “The First Young Master specifically ordered in the family letter that the young master must walk eight thousand steps every day.”

Eight! Thousand! Steps! When he heard this number, his legs immediately began to ache, so he hugged a big tree to think of an excuse. Suddenly, he remembered that he still had some carpentry work to do.

A-Ning was easier to talk to regarding this matter. In any case, so long as his family’s young master was willing to move instead of sleeping all day long, then anything was fine. Then he asked: “What kind of carpentry work is it?”

“It is fun.” Liu Xian’an tugged on his sleeve and pulled him back to Zhenxiang Hall. After giving up the cookbooks, he had recently read a book called “The Collection of Mortise and Tenon,” which was devoted to various exquisite mechanisms. One of the articles was about a poor scholar in ancient times who couldn’t get a wife, so he carved a peerless beauty out of wood. Not only did it look like a real person, but it could even dance in the wind like a graceful willow. When it was released, all the men in the village were charmed.

The scholar named the wooden figure “Charm.”

A-Ning felt that this legend was boring. Why did these scholars not study to gain renown, but instead recruited vixens, fairies, or beautiful wooden figures all day long?

“Although the story is bad, the mechanism is interesting. Let’s give it a try.” Liu Xian’an said, “It doesn’t seem to require much material, and it happens to be windy in late autumn.”

He did as he said, because if he didn’t, he would have to walk eight thousand steps every day. Eight thousand steps was truly frightening!

The guards of Zhenxiang Hall obeyed Second Young Master Liu and quickly found the wood, nails, and leather bands he listed. Liu Xian’an sat on a small bench, put a piece of cowhide over his knees, and sawed the wood in a professional-looking manner. A-Ning stood nearby and sighed with the vague feeling that he had been deceived, because the lazy fellow still wasn’t moving much.

Later, Liang Shu also heard about Liu Xian’an’s intention to restore an ancient mechanism, so he went to the back courtyard to see him in person, asking: “Is it the Wind Wing you saw in a book a couple of days ago?”

“No, that Wind Wing is too big. This material is not even enough to make a tip of its wing.” Liu Xian’an handed him the drawing. “It is a wooden figure who can dance in the wind.”

Liang Shu was amazed: “It can really dance?”

“Really. I also made a small improvement and stretched strings in its belly, so that when the wind blows, there will be music.” Liu Xian’an said, “The prince can just wait and see.”

Liang Shu nodded in agreement: “Okay. You make it slowly, and I’ll wait to see it. But just stop here for today. Let’s go eat first.”

Liu Xian’an stretched hard and stood up, patting the wood residue off his body. While walking back slowly with him, he asked casually: “How was the prince’s day in court?”

“I met a stubborn old man,” Liang Shu said. “His name is Zhang Xu. I told you about this person before, right? He is not pedantic or dogmatic, but stingy. This isn’t allowed and that isn’t allowed. He holds onto money and is reluctant to spend it, and feels that prudence must be of the utmost importance in everything.”

As for what was prudent, in Zhang-daren’s eyes, all plans put forward by His Royal Highness Xiao Wang could not be considered prudent. Therefore, after listening to each answer, he would give a lot of vehement justifications. After hearing this, Liang Shu felt like his head was going to explode. When it came to political opinions, there was never an absolute right or wrong answer. It all depended on everyone seeking common ground while reserving their differences on various opinions. So Liang Shu actually had no objections to Zhang-daren, but having no objections didn’t mean that he wasn’t angry.

Liang Shu said: “Coax me.”

Liu Xian’an patted his chest: “Do not work without knowing how to rest. Can you live forever? Just relax your mind a bit and ignore him.”

“Kiss me.”

“Okay.”

Perhaps kissing a couple more times was also fine.

. . . . . . 

Liu Xian’an made a plan to do the left arm today and the right arm tomorrow. He was very active and diligent at the beginning, but later became lazy again. A-Ning assisted him and commented by the way: “The legs are just two wooden stakes? Why don’t you carve them in detail?”

“The mechanisms. The important thing is the mechanisms. Appearance doesn’t matter.” Liu Xian’an assembled the piles of wood and asked, “Where is the head?”

A-Ning brought over a wooden ball covered with a simple adhesive. He had pinched this face all afternoon, and finally managed to get an outline. He said: “I’m going to get some oil paint. Young Master, let’s paint a beautiful face!”

“You paint it, I still have some work to do.” Liu Xian’an was busy knocking wooden wedges.

“Me?” A-Ning was embarrassed. “But I can’t paint.”

“There is nothing impossible about painting eyes and a nose. We are not the scholar in that story. We don’t need it to look alluring. Just paint casually and make it look roughly like a human being.”

Look roughly like a human being. This seemed to be a fairly low requirement. A-Ning thought he could give it a try. He picked up the wooden figure’s head and painted carefully with breathless concentration, trying hard to carve out a great beauty. It was a pity that his skills were very limited. After painting for half a shichen, it still didn’t look good. He said with a downcast expression: “Young Master, I feel like what I painted doesn’t look like a human being, but more like a ghost.”

Although the features were very straight and were in the locations they should be, there was no aura at all. The face was pale, with black eyes and bright red lips, as if it had just eaten someone. When placed in a courtyard on a cloudy day, the horror effect was doubled.

Liu Xian’an looked it over a couple of times and said: “This is fine.”

A-Ning: “…..Where is it fine? Young Master, this requirement is really too low.”

“It mainly looks odd because it is bald and has no clothes,” Liu Xian’an said. “I can finish these strings in an hour. Is the prince back?”

“Not yet. The prince is staying in the palace for dinner tonight.” A-Ning said, “Then I will get the clothes and hair. Young Master, take your time. We will definitely be able to adjust the wooden figure before the prince returns.”

Presently, the sky was growing dark. A-Ning lit the lanterns hanging in the courtyard one by one. Looking back, mommy, it was even scarier!

He quickly picked up the wig cover and dress he bought specially outside. After dressing the wooden figure, he stammered as he asked: “Y-Y-Young Master, do you really think this is better? I think it would be better bald.”

“Aiya, don’t worry about it. It’s fine if it has long, flowing sleeves and is able to dance.”

Liu Xian’an brought a wooden leg over and asked A-Ning to hold the torch closer so that he could assemble the wooden figure more easily. A small hammer struck with a clang, clang, clang. When he was done hammering, Second Young Master Liu took two steps back with satisfaction to appreciate it carefully. A-Ning couldn’t bear to look at it, and covered his eyes. Like this, it would really scare a scholar to death.

Liu Xian’an suddenly said: “The wind is coming!”

The north wind in late autumn could penetrate tens of thousands of li of deep forest and easily blow a thin wooden figure. Among the fallen leaves in the courtyard, one could see its two pink sleeves rising instantly, entwining with one another in the air. The stout wooden legs also stepped forward, the shoulders leaned back with a crack, and the strings in the belly instantly began to tremble with a long, drawn-out sound. The neck swayed, the waist twisted, and it actually began to dance in the wind!

Liu Xian’an was very satisfied, and felt that the woodworking book was indeed more credible than the cookbook. Although it looked a little strange, the current wooden figure was just a rough prototype. If he had time to modify it in the future, it would definitely dance very gracefully.

The wind whistled and the wooden figure danced more and more wildly, which even amused A-Ning. Just when he was about to call the other people in the palace over to watch the fun, the wooden man changed its behavior all of a sudden and, whoosh, unexpectedly jumped up to the roof!

“Ai!” He was given a shock.

Liu Xian’an was also shocked, mainly because when “Charm” flew up, its wooden arm nearly slapped him in the face. He took two steps back and looked again. The wooden future was already flying away in the air with its head held high and chest out, driven by the force of the mechanisms and the wind!

“Quickly, get it back!”

“Okay!” A-Ning hurriedly ran out the back door to chase after it. Liu Xian’an was worried, and called a few guards to quickly follow along with him.

The master and servant were out of breath, but the wind was very strong at this time, and there was only a pale full moon in the sky, so the wooden figure vanished from sight in the blink of an eye.

“……”

On the other side, Zhang-daren, who had just finished handling the official business at hand and was preparing to return home in a sedan chair, happened to pass by the Imperial Gardens — he wanted to take a side road to save some time.

As a result, there was a knocking sound, and something unknown suddenly flew in front of the sedan chair and plunged heavily into the mud!

“Ah!” The two bearers fell to the ground in fright. Zhang Xu was shocked by the jolting, and reached out to open the sedan curtain: “What happened—”

Before he could finish his sentence, he saw two black eyes looking directly at him. Its grass-like hair flew everywhere, its lips were bright red, and it had a strange smile. Its long sleeves were wrapped around its neck, and mournful sounds came not from its mouth, but from its belly!

Ca-clack!

Under the influence of the wind, the wooden figure danced stiffly again, its head spinning in a full circle.

Zhang-daren’s eyes rolled back, and he fainted!

“There’s a ghost, ah!” As soon as the bearers shouted, they each received a blow to the neck, and their voices were completely strangled in their throats.

The guards of Xiao Wang Palace lowered the hands they had raised to knock them unconscious, picked up the wooden figure, and turned around to flee. At the same time, they did not forget to pick up their own family’s lazy young master who was very slow. Finally, before a large number of Imperial troops arrived, the door of Zhenxiang Hall was successfully locked with a bang!

The years are peaceful, there is nothing to see here.

The unlucky Zhang-daren was carried to the Imperial Hospital with great commotion.

Liang Shu was passing by on horseback. Hearing the noise in the distance, he was puzzled. He sent someone to ask, but they said that Zhang Xu seemed to have bumped into a ghost in the Imperial Gardens.

Liang Shu had always taken things like gods and ghosts as a joke. Upon hearing this, he was quite happy, and felt that he had probably mistaken some shabby clothes and a torn kite for a female ghost. Therefore, he returned to Zhenxiang Hall with this interesting story, wanting to laugh about it with his family’s lazy egg.

As a result, when he opened the door, he saw Liu Xian’an standing in the middle of the courtyard, staring back at a strange wooden figure.

“Ga!” The wind blew the wooden figure and it twisted again.

Liang Shu sucked in a cold breath of air: “Hiss!”

Liu Xian’an was very depressed. It seemed that the mechanism was too flexible, and would just float away.

Liang Shu laughed for nearly half a shichen after hearing the whole story.

Liu Xian’an was unwilling to pay attention to him at first, but then he couldn’t stand it anymore and raised a leg to kick him with a rare bit of anger: “You are not allowed to laugh!”

“Okay, okay, okay, I won’t laugh.” Liang Shu cleared his throat and controlled his face. “There is no need for you to make an announcement about this matter. I will report to Emperor Brother in the morning.” So that he could also laugh.

Liu Xian’an was unaware of the second half of the sentence and didn’t intend to ask about it, let alone see the wood figure again. Liang Shu sat on a chair, hugging and teasing him. During this time, he glanced at the female ghost standing by the table now and then. No, the wooden figure standing by the table. Then he thought again of the scene where this thing suddenly landed in front of Zhang Xu…..pfft!

Liu Xian’an: “……”

Liang Shu: “Not laughing, not laughing.”

Then he went to the palace the next day to report and laughed almost ten times in twenty sentences. Liang Yu also wanted to laugh, but at the same time, he had a headache. Then he pointed at him and cursed: “You’re still laughing, I think it is you who is making mischief.”

Liang Shu was scolded unjustly. I didn’t, I’m not.

Fortunately, Zhang-daren was not seriously injured. Liang Yu said: “Let it pass, the matter ends here. Don’t be in a hurry to confess. He has been displeased with you recently and is very petty. If he knew that the wooden figure was made by Second Young Master Liu, there are eight or nine chances out of ten that he will think you are the mastermind behind this. Then he would have to cry and scream for justice, which would be really troublesome.”

Liang Shu: “Yes.”

Liang Yu continued: “But it will not happen again! Who is going to be frightened next? I am asking only you. Tell me, apart from that wooden figure, are there any other strange things piled up in your back courtyard?”

“There are no more.” Liang Shu said, “Apart from the wooden figure, the remaining designs only have a Wind Wing. The Wind Wing is not frightening, just a bit larger. Hm…..perhaps half the size of Muyang Palace.”

Liang Yu: “That big?”

Liang Shu stretched out his hands and gestured. So big.

A Wind Wing half the size of Muyang Palace. Liang Yu felt his eyes darken at just the thought. He had no doubts about Liu Xian’an’s hands-on ability. After all, the other party had successfully created Wind Wings twice, to attack the rebels and to find the dense forest tribe, but those two times were in the boundless mountains and wilderness. If there was such a large vessel in his palace that would sway everywhere with the wind…..

Liang Shu explained: “It hasn’t been built yet.”

In the end, he was kicked out by his frightened brother.

Liu Xian’an asked: “We can’t continue to live in the palace?”

Liang Shu said: “En, the emperor ordered me to handle my official duties here as soon as possible and then move out.”

Liu Xian’an hesitated for a moment. “Then I won’t make the Wind Wing.”

“That won’t work, I know you want to do it.” Liang Shu picked him up from the waist and said with a smile, “So after we move out of the palace, we won’t go back to Xiao Wang Palace for a moment. Emperor Brother allowed me half a month’s leave. I will take you to stay somewhere good!”

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Extra Two << Table of Contents >> Extra Four

The wind picked up at night, and it was getting a little cold, so the outdoor barbeque came to an end. Mu Chuanbai was tired, and took the car back directly. Lu Qi blushed and patted his belly, expressing that he wanted to walk back in order to digest.

Two people walked back along a small road that was different from the traffic lane. This trampled path had a different kind of wild charm. Small, unknown wildflowers were blooming in the last remaining warmth of summer, and the fluffy dog’s tail grass were like natural cat teasers.

Lu Qi plucked them as he walked, holding small handfuls of the fluffy things in his hands to take back to Xiao Sanhua and the little black pig.

“Okay, that’s it.” Lu Qi clapped his hands. “They will dry up in a couple of days. If the cats scratch them and drop seeds all over the ground, it won’t be fun.”

Mu Nanqiao saw that he had stopped plucking grass. Bending down, he motioned for him to come up, and carried him safely on his back.

“I told you I want to digest, ah.” Lu Qi rubbed Mu Nanqiao’s ear with the dogtail grass. “How can I digest with you carrying me?”

Mu Nanqiao hefted him, and Lu Qi hurried to hold him tightly.

“Your foot isn’t healed yet, so you can’t walk back.” Mu Nanqiao laughed and hefted him again. “Does this count as digestion?”

“Isn’t this for your digestion?” Lu Qi grasped Mu Nanqiao’s shoulders in surprise. “I’ve gained some weight, but you still have no trouble carrying me, ah.”

Lu Qi had indeed gained some weight, but it was hard to tell because of his height. It was just that he was finally not so thin anymore. His cheeks had gained some flesh, and his overall complexion had improved visibly to the naked eye.

Mu Nanqiao was very satisfied with the results of his feeding. He placed his hand at the bend of Lu Qi’s knee and squeezed his calf.

Plop—

A drop of rain fell and Lu Qi touched his hair. “Ah…..Mu Nanqiao, it’s raining, run quickly!”

Mu Nanqiao: ……

If he must run quickly, he would run quickly, but something didn’t feel right.

The rain came quickly and heavily, and there was no shelter from the rain on the path. When the two people entered the house, they were soaked by the rain. Auntie quickly put blankets on the two of them, and Mu Chuanbai urged them to go upstairs and take a hot bath. Mainly, he urged Lu Qi.

Mu Nanqiao seemed to be accustomed to this fatherly kindness and filial piety, and took Lu Qi up to his room. 

Lu Qi thought that since Mu Nanqiao didn’t come home often, there wouldn’t be many things in his room. But unexpectedly, the room was full of traces of life. There were comics and novels on a bookshelf, a big white goose pillow on the bedside, and on the windowsill was a small villa model made of glued chopsticks……

As if time was frozen here, Lu Qi suddenly saw a young boy walking around the room.

He turned his head curiously, and his vision was blocked by a goose-yellow towel. Mu Nanqiao rubbed his head and stuffed him into the bathroom.

“Take a shower first, don’t catch a cold. Then come out and look again.”

What replied to him was a loud sneeze that echoed throughout the bathroom.

Mu Nanqiao went to a guest room to shower. When he returned, Lu Qi had not yet come out. There was the gurgling sound of water in the bathroom, along with the faint sounds of fighting and dialogue.

Lu Qi liked to listen to a radio drama recently. He listened to it while showering and hummed along with the ending song.

Mu Nanqiao sat on the chair in front of the table, listening to the rustling sounds in the bathroom. The corners of his lips curled up uncontrollably.

The things here were all used by him before he entered high school. The previous house was sold for Mu Chuanbai’s medical treatment, but Talia stored all these things away and put them in the new house later on.

He almost never stayed here. The warmth of this bedroom gave him a sense of separation, and he sometimes felt that time was strange.

But tonight seemed different. Wind and rain howled outside the window and the world was dark, but bright light shone from the window and the person he liked was bathing comfortably and humming a song.

After a while, he would come out enveloped in hot and humid moisture and softly ask for a kiss or a hug.

Everything was beautiful, as if those two years never existed. He studied, worked, lived beside his parents, and fell in love. Now he took his little boyfriend back to the room where he had stayed for many years.

For the first time in many years, he relaxed in this room. His eyes fell on those old things again, but his thoughts were on how to introduce these things to the curious little deer so that he wouldn’t be bored.

The bathroom door opened a crack and the little deer stuck out his wet head. His cheeks were a pinkish white from the steam, and his moist lips were slightly open as he looked out.

Mu Nanqiao stood up. “What is it?”

“It feels so hot.” Lu Qi hid behind the door, revealing half of his pink-white shoulders. “I don’t have a change of clothes.”

Mu Nanqiao understood. He turned around and went to the dresser to get some for him.

He had changes of clothes here, so when he took a set and handed them through the crack in the door, he said purposely: “They’re new.”

Lu Qi held the dark blue pajamas in the bathroom, thinking that it didn’t matter if they were new or not. When he opened it, he found a piece of black fabric, and almost threw the clothes away.

When he changed clothes and came out, Mu Nanqiao was crouching by the window sill, holding small tweezers to repair the small house. He turned around when he heard the sound of the door opening.

His clothes were too big for Lu Qi, and the trouser legs and sleeves had to be rolled up. The neckline was also large, and his collarbones were distinct and beautiful, his cool white skin like porcelain against the dark blue stain.

Mu Nanqiao’s Adam’s apple rolled, and he lowered his gaze with restraint.

But Lu Qi came over and crouched with him, looking at the small house. “Is something broken?”

“No.” Mu Nanqiao coughed, but his voice still sounded hoarse. “The glue has opened in some places. I’ll just re-glue them and it will be fine.”

“Oh.” Lu Qi asked, “Did you make it? I know this, it’s a manual homework assignment from kindergarten.”

Mu Nanqiao gave an “en” and smiled. “Does your foot still hurt? Don’t crouch down, I’ll pick it up and show it to you.”

Lu Qi said “oh” and got out of the way obediently.

Mu Nanqiao picked up the small house and placed it on a taller cabinet nearby. He didn’t need to bend down, and Lu Qi could just see it when sitting on the edge of the bed.

But Mu Nanqiao had more important things to do now. He went to the bathroom to get a towel and came back to wipe Lu Qi’s hair.

Lu Qi raised his head in an agreeable manner and looked at Mu Nanqiao’s waist through the swaying gap in the towel.

Mu Nanqiao was wearing pajamas of the same style, but black in color. It seemed that because he put them on his body before wiping off, the clothes stuck to his waist and abdomen from time to time. Lu Qi looked for a while and couldn’t help but stretch out his finger to poke it.

Before the finger could retreat, it was caught by Mu Nanqiao.

“Are you teasing me?” Mu Nanqiao lowered his eyes and looked at him.

“I’m not.” Lu Qi said earnestly: “I’m just curious. You seem to not have exercised for a few days, but you still have eight-pack abs?”

Mu Nanqiao laughed in spite of himself.

“That little abacus is clacking. In the end, it turns out you are greedy for my body.” He tossed away the towel and lowered his head, hooking Lu Qi’s chin. “You can look, but there is a charge.”

He kissed Lu Qi, but on his palm.

Across the palm of his hand, Lu Qi’s round deer eyes curved with a smile. “I’m looking at my boyfriend, why are there conditions being put forward? No kiss for you.”

“No kiss?” Mu Nanqiao raised an eyebrow.

Lu Qi regarded him warily. “What are you going to do?”

Mu Nanqiao smiled, his fox-like eyes gleaming. His arm around Lu Qi’s waist suddenly exerted force, and he picked him up and placed him on the cabinet. Wedging his waist between the other’s legs, he lowered his body.

Behind him was a wallpaper-covered wall, and there was no way for Lu Qi to evade. Mu Nanqiao’s kiss was a little fierce today. He struggled and pushed a couple of times, and his lips were bitten fiercely. He couldn’t help but groan in grievance.

Then the kiss became restrained and gentle, like a wild beast retracting its fangs. The tip of a tongue soothed that bitten place and then lingered, deep and entangled.

Lu Qi liked when Mu Nanqiao kissed him like this. He hooked his hands around the back of Mu Nanqiao’s neck and chased him with some eagerness, unknowingly hanging in his arms.

Their breaths were mixed and heated. Mu Nanqiao became fierce again. Lu Qi couldn’t breathe, and turned his head to shy away, but Mu Nanqiao simply changed his target and brushed Lu Qi’s earlobe with his teeth, sliding down little by little to linger on the side of his neck.

“Hot…..” Lu Qi moaned dizzily, feeling a little oxygen-starved. Something seemed not quite right. The heat made him dizzy, and an indescribable hotness spread along his spine.

“Wu…..” His eyes widened in a panic, and he reached out to push Mu Nanqiao.

But it was already too late. They were so close that the change was clearly noticed. Mu Nanqiao stopped kissing and raised his head. His lips were slightly open as he panted a little. With crimson eyes, he lowered his head.

“Don’t look!” Lu Qi grasped his chin to prevent him from looking down. He was really embarrassed and said, “I…..I…..”

Although he usually felt this way while kissing him, this was the first time he had a direct reaction. Lu Qi pulled his legs back a little and pressed his knees against Mu Nanqiao’s waist and abdomen.

“You move away…..” Mu Nanqiao refused to move, and even pushed his knees away.

“Be good, it’s okay…..” Mu Nanqiao coaxed softly, his voice low and seductive, his desire suppressed to the extreme. “You like me, right? Lu baby? You like me…..so this is normal…..”

Lu Qi buried his head between the other’s shoulder and neck and whispered: “I know…..but it’s so embarrassing. ah…..”

“There’s nothing to be ashamed of.” Mu Nanqiao tilted his head to kiss his earlobe, and moved his waist. “I like you too. I like you the most.”

That shocked Lu Qi into forgetting his embarrassment, and he looked at Mu Nanqiao blankly for a moment, his lips trembling. “Why are you so…..”

Mu Nanqiao kissed him and didn’t let him say a word, otherwise the night wouldn’t end. He kissed Lu Qi, took him off the high cabinet, and sank onto a soft quilt instead.

What happened next was hot and chaotic. Dark hair was creased from being kneaded. Lu Qi tried to push that hand away, but another hand grasped his wrists and pressed them above his head gently but unyieldingly. The tips of his eyes were red, and his temples were wet with physiological tears. His legs bent uncomfortably and were pinched by the waistband of his trousers, creating red marks.

Mu Nanqiao kissed his tears away and coaxed him in a low voice.

It actually felt really good, but he felt like he could drown in it. 

Lu Qi tried to curl up, but the big fox pressed forward forcefully and held down his wrists.

“Детка…..” His kisses fell lightly, and he begged movingly, but his movements were very forceful. “Help me.”

His deep features, immersed in desire, were astonishingly handsome. Lu Qi was dazzled by his beauty and blinked his wet eyelashes in a daze with a soft nod. “Okay, hurry up.”

Mu Nanqiao acquiesced ambiguously.

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

He Lan’s words didn’t bother Liu Zhenqing, but when he went back, he saw that they had not finished talking and could only wait outside in the courtyard.

After a while, He Lan came over. He probably felt that their conversation was almost done and he could come over and speak to Young Master Yue in detail. When he saw Liu Zhenqing outside alone, he said: “What, they’re not done reminiscing yet?”

Liu Zhenqing shook his head, and He Lan said in surprise: “This is really rare. Is Zhanyuan a person who can chat alone with someone for such a long time?”

Liu Zhenqing didn’t find it strange at all. After all, the two of them got along quite well when they were young.

Just as they were talking, the door opened and Yue Xuqian walked out.

When the two saw this, they stepped forward. In the end, it was Liu Zhenqing who lent a hand and conveyed that He Lan wanted to help. Yue Xuqian nodded and said: “I also had this thought in mind. Since He-daren’s body can handle it, this is the most efficient way.” 

He Lan cupped his hands and said: “This is our case, and I’m sorry for the trouble. Let’s discuss it in detail.”

“En.” Yue Xuqian was about to leave with He Lan when he saw that Liu Zhenqing seemed to intend to go directly to accompany Huo Fenglie, and his eyes suddenly skewed. He said with a smile: “By the way, Young Master Liu, the doctor told me before that he hopes someone will look after Brother Huo these days and nights to prevent him from falling ill again.”

Liu Zhenqing also had this intention. Just as he was about to nod, he heard Yue Xuqian say: “So I will come to stay with Fenglie in the evening, then accompany him for his medicinal baths and everything else, and not bother Young Master Liu.”

Liu Zhenqing was stunned, and didn’t know how to react for a moment.

He Lan’s eyes lit up. He glanced between the two of them and said: “Young Master Yue, you want to do this kind of thing yourself?”

“This kind of thing? Is there anyone more suitable than me? I have a deep relationship with Fenglie. We haven’t seen each other for a long time, and won’t be able to finish talking for several nights. I want to be with him day and night and have long conversations.” When Yue Xuqian spoke, his eyes were full of emotion. “I’m not afraid of your jokes, I just want to be by his side now. If I don’t see him getting better with my own eyes, I will really not be able to sleep at night.”

The corners of Liu Zhenqing’s mouth began to twitch, and He Lan was even more surprised by Yue Xuqian’s boldness. His feelings were so obvious that it was indescribable. After all, a real brother wouldn’t say this, ah.

“Perhaps Brother Huo doesn’t want to trouble you.” Liu Zhenqing still understood Huo Fenglie. Under normal circumstances, he would definitely refuse, and there was still an opportunity for him to speak.

Yue Xuqian narrowed his eyes and said: “With our relationship, must I still get his consent to take care of him? Young Master Liu underestimates the friendship between us.”

Liu Zhenqing was instantly embarrassed, and said: “I didn’t mean that.”

Yue Xuqian said with something hidden in his words: “There is no need for Young Master Liu to take the extra trouble. After all, you are a guest, so it’s better for you to take good care of your injuries. Fenglie would be too embarrassed to trouble you.”

Liu Zhenqing’s expression gradually became abnormal.

Yue Xuqian was satisfied with what he saw. After speaking, he made a gesture of invitation to He Lan, who covertly gave Liu Zhenqing an encouraging look before following him away.

Liu Zhenqing stood alone in the courtyard for a while, thinking about some things in the past.

The Huo family and Yue family really liked to intermarry. If Li Xingruo hadn’t followed Huo Feihan at that time, there would have obviously been someone else. Back then, the Yue family had the idea to get Yue Xuqian’s aunt and Huo Feihan engaged. After all, the two of them were about the same age, and when they stayed in Lanling, the young people often went out to play together. It was just that neither of the two parties involved had that intention, so the matter was settled.

Liu Zhenqing thought of Yue Xuqian’s attitude just now and felt a little uncomfortable for some reason. He walked toward Huo Fenglie’s room and saw that he was already meditating and adjusting his breathing with his eyes closed, so he didn’t disturb him, and only sat aside to watch.

Soon after, Huo Fenglie noticed that someone was there. He instinctively felt that Qing-ge must be back, so he came out of his trance state and opened his eyes, looking over. “Qing-ge.”

Liu Zhenqing blinked, then explained He Lan’s arrangements and said: “By the way, the doctor said you need someone to look after you at night.”

“I feel fine, there’s no need. I can’t rest well if someone is around.” Huo Fenglie refused. 

Liu Zhenqing said strangely: “Then when I slept next to you before, weren’t you…..”

“Qing-ge is different.” Huo Fenglie said, “I’m more familiar with your presence.”

Liu Zhenqing was a little embarrassed. Could this be considered speaking love talk to him?

He thought for a moment before saying: “It would be better for someone to keep an eye on you. I wanted to say that I would, but Young Master Yue seems to be very worried about you. He plans to stay with you starting tonight.”

Huo Fenglie was a little surprised. Although they had a good relationship, Yue Xuqian would not do such a sticky thing. Could it be that he still had something to say?

“He also said that he would take care of your medicinal baths. In fact, I think it would be better for me to do it. You know I have some medical skills.” Liu Zhenqing spoke naturally.

Huo Fenglie  suddenly recalled the tattoo on his body and said at once: “No need. Qing-ge, you should rest well since you’re injured. Since Xuqian said so, let him do it.”

A thought instantly came to Liu Zhenqing. He had just said that he couldn’t rest well when other people were around him, and wasn’t Yue Xuqian ‘other people?’ Didn’t Er-gou like him? If he did this, wasn’t he afraid that he would misunderstand and be unhappy?

No, this child hadn’t expressed his feelings yet, so it was not clear what he knew. Perhaps he was simply worried about his injury.

Liu Zhenqing couldn’t help being tangled for a moment, and suddenly felt his hand being pulled. He looked up and saw Huo Fenglie with a solemn expression: “Qing-ge, I just heard from Xuqian that you took me through the mountain roads to find this place. You fainted from exhaustion as soon as you saw him, and your wound was very serious. I’m sorry, I didn’t protect you well. I should have protected you well and prevented you from getting hurt again.”

Liu Zhenqing was taken aback, then suddenly smiled and raised his hand to rub Huo Fenglie’s wrinkled brow, saying: “Compared to you, I’m really nothing. It’s my lack of martial arts that is holding you back. As expected, I should be good at both martial arts and medicine, but I’m just too lazy.”

Huo Fenglie said: “No, I dragged you into this whirlpool. I’m at fault. I clearly wanted…..” Huo Fenglie’s tone was a little agitated as he spoke, and his eyes gradually changed.

He thought of what he spoke of with Yue Xuqian. Right, ah, Liu Zhenqing was a wealthy young master now, and there was no need to suffer such hardships with him.

It was his despicableness and selfishness. Qing-ge could obviously leave.

This time, Liu Zhenqing saw the change clearly. Sure enough, his condition was getting out of control. Even if he had mood swings in the past, he would not be so easily affected.

Liu Zhenqing said hastily: “Er-gou, calm down.”

Huo Fenglie was distracted, but his eyes still flickered uncontrollably.

Liu Zhenqing sat directly on the bed and hugged Huo Fenglie, patting his head and back like he was soothing a restless puppy. “Er-gou, be good.”

Huo Fenglie gradually calmed down, and couldn’t help but hug him back.

Liu Zhenqing felt that he was stable and breathed a sigh of relief, saying with a smile: “Shouldn’t General Huo be calm and steady? Why did you get so emotional now? Your condition obviously doesn’t allow it. Don’t scare me, okay?”

Liu Zhenqing let go and looked into Huo Fenglie’s dark eyes, only to find that the other person was looking directly at him with a look of great struggle.

Huo Fenglie opened his mouth to say, “Qing-ge, let me send you away.” It kept swirling around in his mouth, but in the end he couldn’t make a sound. He could only stare at the person in front of him with an unconcealable struggle in his eyes.

This kind of struggle had a different meaning from Liu Zhenqing’s point of view. Could it be that when he took the initiative to hug him just now, he caused this child to be unable to suppress his feelings?

Cough, cough, if that was the case, why not let him stay? Why bother Yue Xuqian?

In the end, when the medicinal bath was started, Liu Zhenqing was driven away by Yue Xuqian for various reasons.

This was someone else’s territory, and Liu Zhenqing had no autonomy at all when using someone else’s doctor. Moreover, that brat Er-gou had turned to Yue Xuqian and asked Liu Zhenqing to go back and recover from his injury.

And Yue Xuqian’s private provocation became increasingly intense, causing Liu Zhenqing to realize that even if Huo Fenglie didn’t have intentions, that didn’t mean that Yue Xuqian did not.

This was treating him as a love rival.

Yue Xuqian had forcibly occupied Huo Fenglie, so Liu Zhenqing could only run to find He Lan and Qin Yu.

“What, you were kicked out by your love rival?” He Lan laughed and said, “I told you so.”

Qin Yu lay on the bed and silently looked at the two fellows who had come in uninvited. But upon hearing this, he sent Liu Zhenqing a glance.

Liu Zhenqing said with an indifferent expression: “We won’t be able to stay here long anyway.”

“I think Young Master Yue is quite willing to help. What if he decides to go with Zhanyuan?”

Liu Zhenqing felt ill at ease for a moment, but still said: “Young Master Yue is very resourceful. If he is willing to help, it is a good thing for everyone.”

“Wow, Brother Liu is really magnanimous.” He Lan took joy in calamity and delight in disaster.

Liu Zhenqing took this as a matter of course. Why would he not be magnanimous? Anyway, Er-gou liked him, so it was useless even if Yue Xuqian had other ideas.

“What are they doing now?”

“A medicinal bath.”

Upon hearing this, He Lan immediately let out a strange noise. It sounded like something was wrong with Liu Zhenqing.

“Aiya, at nighttime, bathing, taking care of him with his own hands…..” In fact, when He Lan was talking, he looked more at Qin Yu on the bed out of the corner of his eye, who seemed to be deep in thought, and his words became even more merciless.

Some inappropriate images flashed through his mind, and Liu Zhenqing’s expression froze. Did that idiot Er-gou not know that Yue Xuqian might be interested in him, ah? Helping him bathe, he didn’t know how to avoid suspicion!

Liu Zhenqing turned and saw He Lan looking at him with interest. Liu Zhenqing wasn’t stupid. How could he continue getting teased by this person? He stood up and said: “I won’t disturb you anymore, Brother He. You shouldn’t say that Brother Qin is difficult to take care of. Didn’t you say that he must be given medicine tonight? I won’t stop you.”

As soon as these words came out, He Lan’s expression instantly changed. He jumped up at once and said, “When did I…..”

Before he finished speaking, he felt something coming toward him and reached out his hand to catch it. As expected, it turned out to be the bowl from which medicine had just been drunk, and the force was quite strong.

He Lan turned to see Qin Yu’s cold face, and said quickly: “He’s talking nonsense.”

As a result, Liu Zhenqing had already run away.

He Lan was instantly gloomy. Then he heard Qin Yu say: “Scram.”

“You’re telling me to scram again?” He Lan pointed at himself and said: “I want to stay because I’m worried about you. You see, Zhanyuan is so strong, but doesn’t he also need someone to care for him when he’s sick?”

Qin Yu narrowed his eyes and said directly: “So you’re saying you need to sleep here at night.”

He Lan was startled. He was originally shameless, but felt a little uncomfortable when Qin Yu said it so directly. “En…..en.”

“But I don’t want to be in the same room with a man who has been with me,” Qin Yu said without mercy.

He Lan’s face turned every color under the sun at this moment. “You…..you said you didn’t care.”

“I don’t care, but I’m also afraid that I won’t be able to sleep well.” Qin Yu scoffed coldly and turned around, lying down. “Get out.”

Stifled, He Lan gritted his teeth and recalled that when Liu Zhenqing was talking about Huo Fenglie, Qin Yu was quiet and meek, and didn’t chase that person away. But now he showed his fangs and targeted him, chasing him out.

Soon after, He Lan regained his composure and chuckled: “Not sleep well? Why, are you afraid that I will attack you in the night?”

Qin Yu instantly glanced over with sharp eyes, but only saw the silhouette of a person passing by. Before he could react, He Lan descended from above. When Qin Yu tried to fight back, He Lan had already used his hands and feet to press down his limbs.

He Lan did not put weight on Qin Yu, but lowered his head to Qin Yu’s ear, almost rubbing it as he said: “Then you can sleep peacefully. Even if you crawl into my arms in your sleep, it is impossible for me to have a reaction. Do you think that a drug could change my preferences? You’re not a great beauty in a pleasure house.”

Qin Yu’s eyes were already flashing with murderous intent. Especially when He Lan’s hot breath gusted against his ear, making his body tense even more.

He Lan seemed to have won the game. “Aren’t you a bit narcissistic for resisting me so much? In fact, you are the one who cares the most, right? I’ve already said that if you are angry and aggrieved, you can take whatever revenge you want. I even said it was fine for me to take responsibility, but you didn’t want it, so between us brothers, don’t be so coy! I want to take care of you. Can you just let me take care of you?”

Qin Yu almost laughed out of anger. His beautiful eyes narrowed slightly, and for a moment, He Lan felt a seductive charm.

Suddenly, He Lan’s body stiffened. He felt Qin Yu’s leg rubbing against him…..was it an illusion?

He Lan couldn’t help but look back, and in the next second, he heard a soft snort. Raising his head, he saw Qin Yu’s icy arrogance and raised eyebrows. “Is that so? That’s not what your body says.”

He Lan’s face turned red at once, and his eyes became panicked.

“Who is the one that cares?” Qin Yu asked, but his leg stopped, leaving He Lan panting.

“You!” He Lan glared at Qin Yu.

“Get out of here.” Qin Yu seemed tired, and couldn’t be bothered to say more.

But in an instant, He Lan’s eyes sharpened, and his entire aura changed accordingly. The memories from that day and night emerged like the tide, but in the next second, Qin Yu kicked him out of bed.

“If you’re in heat, go find a great beauty and give it to her.”

He Lan was once again driven out of the room in frustration. This time, he stopped guarding the stairs. He returned to his room and rushed angrily to rest in bed, but the excitement in his body was indelible.

Soon, a sigh sounded from the bed.

“Qin Zichuan!”

Qin Yu was in his room, tightly wrapped in a quilt. Even though he drove the person away, the room still had that person’s scent, so he was not able to sleep easily.

On the other side, Liu Zhenqing stood in the courtyard for a while, staring at Huo Fenglie’s closed door in a daze.

The door suddenly opened, and Liu Zhenqing, feeling guilty for no apparent reason, hid behind the rockery in the courtyard and peeked over.

Yue Xuqian and Huo Fenglie came to the door.

Liu Zhenqing was puzzled. What were they doing? So leisurely and carefree, were they going out to watch the moon together?

Just as he was thinking, Yue Xuqian suddenly called out, “Fenglie.” Liu Zhenqing looked over and watched as under the bright moonlight, beside the wooden door, Yue Xuqian placed his hands on Huo Fenglie’s shoulders, stood on tiptoe, leaned over, and seemed to kiss Huo Fenglie’s cheek!!

But  Huo Fenglie didn’t push him away yet, and just…..held onto him!

Liu Zhenqing: ……

The moonlight was a bit green tonight.

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

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He grabbed Liu Zhenqing’s shoulder at this time, causing him to let out a low cry of pain. Huo Fenglie’s face paled, and he quickly let go.

“Qing-ge, your shoulder…..” Huo Fenglie said anxiously.

Hearing Huo Fenglie’s question, Liu Zhenqing was a little puzzled. Had this guy forgotten that his shoulder was injured?

Liu Zhenqing was momentarily embarrassed. Huo Fenglie thought there was something wrong with the wound, so he got up to go find the doctor.

But he was stopped by Liu Zhenqing.

“I’m fine, Er-gou. Do you still remember what happened before you fell unconscious?”

Huo Fenglie wore a blank look. “I saw you jump into the water, and I went to save you…..” He frowned slightly at this point, as if his memory ended there.

The corners of Liu Zhenqing’s mouth twitched. “You can’t remember what happened after that?”

Huo Fenglie said with a serious expression: “What happened after that? Was it me who caused Qing-ge to get hurt? Let me see your injury……”

Seeing Huo Fenglie’s appearance, he didn’t seem to be lying. Liu Zhenqing suddenly felt depressed. How could he dare let him see his wound? There was a bite mark left by Huo Fenglie next to it.

Liu Zhenqing had no choice but to say that Huo Fenglie had lost control and killed two of the villains, then fainted and was brought here by him, where they encountered Yue Xuqian.

“Yue Xuqian?!” Huo Fenglie was very surprised.

At this moment, someone pushed open the door and said: “You’re awake? That’s good, otherwise I really don’t know how I would feed you the medicine. You’re still so defensive. When you took a medicinal bath just now, the doctor wanted to feed you ginseng, but you wouldn’t open your mouth.”

Following these teasing words, Yue Xuqian appeared at the door dressed in white, and walked in personally holding the medicine.

Liu Zhenqing couldn’t help feeling embarrassed upon hearing this. Why should this…..this kind of memory be left to him alone, ah! It was irritating to death!

Huo Fenglie had a rare change of expression when he saw his long-lost childhood friend.

“Drink the medicine first.” Yue Xuqian walked to the bed and handed over the medicine bowl.

Huo Fenglie took the bowl, but didn’t drink it right away. Instead, he said first: “Xuqian, can you call the doctor?”

As soon as these words came out, Liu Zhenqing and Yue Xuqian were instantly worried that Huo Fenglie might be feeling uncomfortable.

Just as Yue Xuqian was about to send someone to find the doctor, he saw Huo Fenglie turn his head and look straight at Liu Zhenqing beside him. “Let the doctor take another look at your injury.”

Yue Xuqian was stunned, and looked at the equally stunned Liu Zhenqing.

Liu Zhenqing quickly waved his hands and said: “No need, no need. It doesn’t hurt now, it’s fine.”

Huo Fenglie frowned, looking at Liu Zhenqing as if he didn’t agree, while Yue Xuqian regarded his brother with interest. According to his understanding of Huo Fenglie, if it was his own wound that hurt a little but he said he didn’t need a doctor, Huo Fenglie would let it go. That level of concern was enough, but his current concern for Liu Zhenqing seemed to be excessive.

He had kept calling for Qing-ge when he was unconscious before. Naturally, he knew which person Huo Fenglie was calling, but now he was worried about another young master from the Liu family. What was this?

Seeing that Huo Fenglie still looked like he wanted to persuade him, Liu Zhenqing lost his temper.

He had originally wanted to wait until he felt better before questioning him slowly, but now Liu Zhenqing said with a cold face: “Compared to Brother Huo, I certainly have no problems. If a famous doctor hadn’t come to take a good look, I wouldn’t have known that Brother Huo’s old illness was so severe. I definitely never heard Brother Huo mention it at all.”

Huo Fenglie froze, and saw Liu Zhenqing narrow his eyes slightly. He was obviously holding a grudge. Suddenly at a loss, he could only be obedient and lower his head to drink the medicine while trying to defend himself: “I brought the medicine made by Sister-in-law. It’s fine.”

He naturally knew what an ordinary doctor would probably say upon seeing his condition, and knew that Liu Zhenqing would be angry once he heard about it.

But he didn’t want Liu Zhenqing to worry. He knew this person very well. This person liked to take responsibility for him the most. If he knew about his condition, Liu Zhenqing would definitely be distressed and blame himself for not learning medical skills well, and then keep it in his heart every day. He didn’t want to increase Liu Zhenqing’s inner burden.

“If it’s fine, would it have become like it is now?” Liu Zhenqing said with displeasure.

Yue Xuqian also became serious and said: “Fenglie, don’t hide it from us. The doctor examined your body and told us all about your situation. Your condition has worsened due to your injuries, and the situation is really not optimistic. This is no joke.”

Facing the two of them, Huo Fenglie could only say calmly: “Actually, when I went south this time, I planned to meet my sister-in-law’s master on the way.” Huo Fenglie looked at Liu Zhenqing as he spoke.

Liu Zhenqing couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief. As expected.

“That legendary doctor?” Yue Xuqian asked.

Huo Fenglie nodded. “My current condition is relatively under control, and there won’t be any problems in the short term. This time was just because I unexpectedly encountered a strange martial arts master. So…..don’t worry.”

When Huo Fenglie said not to worry, Yue Xuqian thought he was the one being talked to, but when he looked up, this person wasn’t looking at him.

He only saw his brother looking at Liu Zhenqing with innocent eyes, as if with a slight intention to please.

He was initially worried about Huo Fenglie’s physical problems, but now his attention was diverted by the way the two of them got along. This was really becoming more and more incomprehensible.

Liu Zhenqing lowered his eyes and thought for a moment before saying, “Then let’s postpone the investigation and go get you treated first.”

Huo Fenglie said with a frown: “We can do both at the same time. We’re being hunted now, which proves that the other party is anxious. This case cannot be delayed, as you should know.”

Liu Zhenqing shook his head firmly. Of course he knew. In the past, he never would have been so emotional, but this was Er-gou’s life and safety. He was no longer Prime Minister Liu, and nothing was as important as the people he cared about.

Seeing the stalemate between the two, Yue Xuqian said: “How about you give me his location and I’ll send someone to invite him over. In any case, you happen to be recovering here.”

“Senior Miracle Doctor will not easily go out for a consultation. Even I can only seek medical treatment at home,” Huo Fenglie explained.

Liu Zhenqing thought for a moment and said: “I’ll write a letter to the miracle doctor. He might come after reading it.”

Yue Xuqian glanced at Liu Zhenqing in surprise, feeling that his tone was a little too confident. Huo Fenglie couldn’t even invite this person, but he could invite him with just one letter? He couldn’t help but give Huo Fenglie a meaningful look.

Huo Fenglie hesitated and said: “Could it be that you want to……”

Liu Zhenqing knew that Huo Fenglie must be guessing whether he wanted to reveal his identity to his master. He just said with a smile: “Although Senior Miracle Doctor hates worldliness, he is obsessed with medical skills, and I have some novel treatment methods. I can write them for the master, and he will naturally come if he’s interested.”

Although he had not inherited his master’s mantle, he could still deceive him. Liu Zhenqing had a relatively clear understanding of him. The matter of treatment had been decided for the time being.

Yue Xuqian said: “By the way, what is the case you spoke of? Is it related to the several major cases that have been circulating recently?”

There had been many major cases in a row for two consecutive months, causing the common people to talk about them and praise the current emperor.

The two exchanged glances, and Huo Fenglie was the first to ask: “Xuqian, why did you come here?”

Yu Xuqian said: “I’m visiting relatives. This is their manor.”

“Then are you familiar with this place?”

“The fresh food from the river here is pretty good, and I come here often, so I’m pretty familiar with it. Why?”

Huo Fenglie began to explain what they were investigating here.

He only spoke about the missing money, but didn’t mention the rebels.

But Yue Xuqian suddenly said: “What a coincidence. I couldn’t be…..that they want to rebel.”

The two people were taken aback, and asked Yue Xuqian why he said such a thing.

A cold light flashed in Yue Xuqian’s eyes, and he said: “There is nothing much in Yangkun Prefecture, but there are quite a few mines. Mining, transporting ore, blacksmithing, and making weapons require a lot of money. In the past two years, there has been a person in Yangkun Prefecture who suddenly became ostentatious, and most of the carriages coming and going have been related to Tongmao Prefecture. Going back and forth, using embezzled money to build weapons privately, what is that if not rebellion?”

“Which person?” Huo Fenglie asked.

Yue Xuqian said with a sneer: “A relative of the emperor whose family has been in decline for several generations. There was a princess among their ancestors, and his title is now the Lord of Qi.”

Neither of them had heard of the Lord of Qi, so his family was indeed in decline.

“This person is lustful and greedy for money, with no ability or patience. His monthly salary is not enough for him to spend. He had no power and no way to make money, and was just very ambitious, dreaming all day long. About a year or two ago, he suddenly started buying mines and hiring blacksmiths, spending money like it was water. No finished products emerged, but the lord’s family lived increasingly extravagantly. I had socialized with him at the entertainment houses, and he is able to do a few simple things, but in fact, he is a fool. He doesn’t seem like a cunning person who could determine your route and arrange assassins.” Yue Xuqian made a simple analysis and said: “Therefore, there should be someone behind him.”

Liu Zhenqing thought as fast as Yue Xuqian and said at once: “We need to find out where the forged weapons are being transported to.”

And that place must be the most likely gathering place for the rebels.

“Okay, since you two are injured, I will handle this for you. You take good care of your injuries.” Yue Xuqian said casually: “And since someone wants to kill you, it’s best to take this opportunity to hide your whereabouts. Don’t show up in public, and if possible, don’t leave the courtyard until your injuries are healed.”

From their few simple interactions and chats, Liu Zhenqing could tell that the child Yue Xuqian had grown up well. He was methodical, quick, and clever, so he had no objection to leaving things to him.

“Then we’ll leave it to you.” Seeing that Liu Zhenqing hadn’t responded, Huo Fenglie nodded in agreement. He clearly trusted Yue Xuqian’s ability.

Yue Xuqian smiled and said: “Young Master Liu, I would like to speak with Fenglie alone.”

Just when Huo Fenglie was about to say that there was no need to hide anything, Liu Zhenqing stood up first and said: “Just right. I’ll go explain our plan to Brother He and Brother Qin.”

Huo Fenglie heard this and nodded.

It wasn’t until he left that Yue Xuqian began to talk about serious matters, asking about Huo Fenglie’s situation in the capital and the emperor’s current attitude toward him. He was the great general of the country, so why was he sent south to take over such a thankless case? Were there really rebels?

Huo Fenglie naturally spoke of what could be spoken of, but he would definitely not disclose the emperor’s secret order to the outside world. Yue Xiqian looked at Huo Fenglie and said with a puzzled look: “Your Huo family is really…..forget it, let’s not talk about this. Let’s talk about Young Master Liu.”

“Why?”

“You’re still asking me why? There is suddenly such a person at your side, so close to you, and this person’s surname is Liu. In terms of seniority in the clan…..he and Liu Zhenqing should be cousins.” Yue Xuqian touched his chin and said, “What is the relationship between the two of you?”

Huo Fenglie looked at Yue Xuqian expressionlessly. Yue Xuqian still knew Huo Fenglie. Whenever he looked at a person in this way with the corners of his mouth turned down, he didn’t want to say more.

However, Yue Xuqian was not a person who could be dismissed easily. “You’ve been alone for so many years. Others don’t know the reason for this, but I do. There is suddenly a young master at your side who admires you. This isn’t something you would do unless you…..”

“Who says he admires me?” Huo Fenglie interrupted directly.

Yue Xuqian was taken aback, saying: “The rumors in the capital…..”

“He lost his memory. He isn’t who he used to be, and he doesn’t admire me,” Huo Fenglie said straightforwardly.

Yue Xuqian raised his eyebrows slightly. His judgment was not as simple as hearsay.

But since Huo Fenglie spoke so firmly, Yue Xuqian became increasingly curious about their relationship. He said probingly: “Then if he doesn’t like you, why is a wealthy young master like him working so hard and taking risks with you?”

“He was originally planning to go south. His family affairs were involved in a case, and…..I forced him to go.” Huo Fenglie’s face darkened a little when he said this. If he had known it would be so dangerous…..

Huo Fenglie’s words corroborated some of Yue Xuqian’s speculations. How could a person like Huo Fenglie force someone to stay by his side?

Although he hadn’t spent much time with him, Young Master Liu did seem quite similar to Liu Zhenqing. So, Huo Fenglie finally couldn’t bear the pain and found a little substitute?

This was not quite like something Huo Fenglie would do, but Yue Xuqian really had no other suitable guesses. However, Yue Xuqian didn’t believe it when Huo Fenglie said that the man didn’t like him.

Yue Xuqian’s thoughts were similar to Bai Su’s. No matter what the reason was, it was a good thing that Huo Fenglie was no longer alone.

As Yue Xuqian was thinking wildly, Huo Fenglie suddenly said: “Right, which relatives were you talking about? I’ll go greet them tomorrow.”

After all, there were many marriages between the Yue and Huo families, so many of them were distant relatives. It was definitely inappropriate to come and occupy someone’s place to recuperate without saying hello.

Yue Xuqian suddenly raised his eyebrows and said with a smile: “It’s fine, she’s an acquaintance of yours. She’ll definitely come visit you once she learns about your situation.”

“Acquaintance?”

Yue Xuqian narrowed his eyes slightly and said: “She’s my aunt. You met her when you were children.”

Huo Fenglie’s expression instantly became uncomfortable upon hearing this. “It turns out to be your aunt.”

Yue Xuqian finally couldn’t help but laugh out loud. “Look at your face. Are you still jealous about back then?”

Huo Fenglie’s expression stiffened. “I’m not.”

Yue Xuqian almost split his sides laughing. If Huo Fenglie hadn’t been so obvious during the days they spent together when they were children, Yue Xuqian wouldn’t have discovered that his childhood friend was so ambitious.

“It’s not like you don’t know that Auntie has long been married. That person didn’t respond to her at the outset, and she wouldn’t wait for years like some foolish and helpless person.”

Yue Xuqian glanced at Huo Fenglie and saw that his expression hadn’t changed much. It seemed that his mental state had indeed improved a lot, and he was no longer so obsessive. Perhaps he really had found a good substitute.

“Uncle passed away a few years ago, and Auntie lives here alone with her children, so I often come to visit. Right, Madam Huo seemed to have passed by here not long ago, and they met before. But I didn’t expect you to be here in the blink of an eye. When you are nearly recovered, I’ll ask her to come over.”

“No, I’ll just go and visit her.”

“That’s fine too. But there are other guests here, and it would be inconvenient if they saw you.”

On the other side, Liu Zhenqing went to the courtyard next door again and saw the same scene. If He Lan’s handsome face hadn’t been bruised and swollen, Liu Zhenqing would have suspected that he was seeing an illusion.

“How did this happen? Did you fight with Brother Qin?” After all, it was impossible for someone else to have taken action against He Lan here.

Sitting on the steps, He Lan sighed: “Tell me, haven’t I been wronged? I just wanted to help him apply medicine, but he actually beat me. Lao Qin has no conscience.”

As soon as he finished saying this, there was a bang on the door behind him, as if something had hit it in anger. It seemed that Qin Yu was awake and heard them talking.

The corners of Liu Zhenqing’s mouth twitched. He felt that they had returned to their original relationship, but He Lan was kind-hearted to help with the medicine, so why was Qin Yu so angry? Could it be that…..he was forced to do that kind of thing, so he was still mentally disturbed?

If the two of them didn’t have that kind of relationship and were only brothers, then…..it would be unimaginably embarrassing.

“I advise you to avoid annoying him during this period,” Liu Zhenqing said with a smile.

“I was wronged, ah. You didn’t see, I protected him like a son, but he beat me like a grandson when he was unhappy.”

“With your figure of speech, it was not unfair for him to beat you.” Liu Zhenqing was truly made speechless by He Lan’s brain circuit. Was he deliberately making Qin Yu angry, ah?

Sure enough, there was another bang on the door.

“Don’t break it, this is someone else’s door. If you break it, you’ll have to pay for it,” He Lan said foolishly. Then he asked Liu Zhenqing: “Didn’t you go back to guard Zhanyuan? Why are you here?”

Liu Zhenqing said: “Oh, Brother Huo is awake.”

When he finished speaking, He Lan was about to ask a surprised question when he heard the door behind him suddenly open. Qin Yu was standing in the doorway.

He Lan was startled. He jumped up and said: “Why did you get out of bed? The doctor said you shouldn’t move around.”

He had beaten him out before, but since then, he had been keeping Qin Yu company outside by bickering with him. Qin Yu wasn’t angry enough to get out of bed and beat him, so why had he come out now?

Qin Yu didn’t even look at He Lan, and asked directly: “Zhanyuan is awake? How is his injury?”

This concerned tone instantly made He Lan feel uncomfortable. So he rushed out as soon as he heard the news about Zhanyuan? Couldn’t he still hear this while lying inside?

Liu Zhenqing explained the plan to treat the illness and asking Yue Xuqian to help with the investigation.

“Zhanyuan’s body is important. Everything else can wait,” Qin Yu said.

He Lan, who had been about to say this, suddenly had a bad taste in his mouth when he heard Qin Yu say the same thing.

Qin Yu and He Lan said what they should say when things got serious.

Qin Yu said with a frown: “Forging weapons…..if it is true, it does seem like a rebellion, but can it be completely left to the Yue family?”

It sounded bad to say this, but Qin Yu was born in the Dongchang. Other than the people he approved of, he would instinctively be more vigilant against others, no matter their identity.

He Lan naturally understood Qin Yu’s thoughts. “My injuries are minor, so it’s no problem for me to accompany them. Moreover, they need someone who knows the details, otherwise they won’t know what to pay attention to when encountering an unexpected situation.”

Qin Yu nodded upon hearing He Lan’s idea.

When He Lan suddenly saw Qin Yu responding to him, he felt a little happy for no reason and said right away: “Lao Qin, go back to bed and lie down. You’ve been standing for too long. I will go find Young Master Yue now to finalize the plan.”

Qin Yu was taken aback. He moved his mouth, wanting to say that He Lan’s injury would heal in another two days, so there was no need to rush.

Liu Zhenqing said: “Young Master Yue is reminiscing with Brother Huo right now. It’s better to wait for a while.”

“That’s right. They’ve been friends for many years. With such a chance encounter, they will definitely take a while.” Having said this, He Lan at once said jokingly to Liu Zhenqing: “By the way, do you know about the relationship between the Huo and Yue families?”

Liu Zhenqing nodded. Of course he knew.

“Let me tell you a little secret. There was once an elder from the Huo family who wanted to marry Yue Xuqian and Zhanyuan together,” He Lan gossiped.

Surprised, Liu Zhenqing said: “Yue Xuqian is a man.”

“Of course I know that, but wasn’t the Huo family helpless at that time? They didn’t care that he was a man either.” He Lan said with a smile, “So you need to keep an eye on Zhanyuan, lest he is taken away. After all, they still have their childhood friendship.”

Liu Zhenqing gave He Lan a blank look. “Rest assured, that is absolutely impossible.”

Er-gou liked him. How could he have a relationship with Yue Xuqian? It was just brotherly love.

He Lan smiled and said: “Why didn’t you say you’re no longer interested in Zhanyuan this time?”

Liu Zhenqing instantly choked. “I’m not!” After saying so, he said goodbye and left in embarrassment.

He Lan couldn’t stop laughing. He turned around to see Qin Yu looking at him coldly, and immediately stepped forward to help him. “I’ll send you back.”

However, Qin Yu still avoided contact. “Using hearsay to provoke people again.”

He Lan raised his eyebrows and said: “I call it promoting other people’s feelings.” After saying this, he couldn’t help but turn his face a bit and sweep his eyes across Qin Yu’s face inquiringly. “Are you fighting on Brother Liu’s side, or are you not happy to hear that Zhanyuan may have a relationship with Young Master Yue?”

Qin Yu glanced at He Lan in confusion. “Stupid.” He went to leave after saying this, but He Lan grabbed his wrist.

Qin Yu paused and looked back at this person. He Lan’s expression seemed unresponsive. When he noticed Qin Yu’s glare, he turned to help as if still wanting to assist him. However, Qin Yu opened and closed the door mercilessly in front of him.

Outside the door, He Lan looked blankly at his hand. Qin Yu’s wrists were so thin…..really thin. Before, he was able to capture Qin Yu’s two wrists with one hand.

Inside the door, Qin Yu walked toward the bed. Every step hurt, but Qin Yu just frowned slightly. He walked to the bed and lay down, feeling a little better. Raising his hand, he looked at his wrist. There were still bruises on it that hadn’t faded. These were not left by that simple grab just now.

“Brute!” Qin Yu gave a light curse, then closed his eyes tiredly. Suddenly, there was the sound of flapping wings outside the window. It was a homing pigeon used by the Dongchang for communication.

Qin Yu instantly opened his eyes, and a solemn look flashed through them.

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Chapter Sixty-One << Table of Contents >> Chapter Sixty-Three

Liu Zhenqing awoke suddenly. His dreams were full of Huo Fenglie’s blood-red eyes, and the scene of him vomiting blood and falling unconscious.

Full of fear and uneasiness, he quickly got out of bed. As soon as he opened the door, he saw a boy standing guard. Without waiting for him to say anything, Liu Zhenqing hurriedly said: “Where is the person who came with me?”

“In the next room.”

Liu Zhenqing followed the boy’s directions at once and rushed to the next room.

Only, he saw two other people in the room, an old man and Yue Xuqian.

Yue Xuqian watched Liu Zhenqing barge in, and was a little surprised by this man’s gaffe.

Just as he was about to speak, he saw Liu Zhenqing pass him and jump directly toward the bed.

Liu Zhenqing breathed a sigh of relief at last when he saw Huo Fenglie lying down well.

He instinctively reached out to feel Huo Fenglie’s pulse. The situation seemed to be improving, but it was still very complicated.

“Young Master?” Yue Xuqian asked.

Liu Zhenqing then turned around to look at the two of them.

Having seen Liu Zhenqing’s expression toward Huo Fenglie just now, Yue Xuqian raised his eyebrows slightly and said: “I invited this well-known doctor to treat Fenglie. How about we listen together?”

Liu Zhenqing quickly said to the old doctor: “Sorry to trouble you, thank you so much.”

Curiosity flashed across Yue Xuqian’s face. Logically speaking, it was reasonable for him to save Huo Fenglie. Why was it this young master’s responsibility to thank the doctor profusely on Huo Fenglie’s behalf? This made it seem as if they were closer.

“There is no need to thank me, because I can’t cure it at all,” the old doctor said directly. “This person seems to have lost control of his internal force a few years ago. It stands to reason that with such a serious illness, to put it bluntly, he should have died a long time ago. He has been able to survive until now only because people with great medical skills have tried to find ways to prolong his life and suppress his illness. He should not have too many mood swings or compete with his internal force in battle. Internal injuries and the like can trigger the old illness and cause it to break out, and an accident could happen if he’s not careful. I see that in addition to the old injury, he has a few new injuries. It seems he was in a life or death fight, is that right?”

Yue Xuqian looked at Liu Zhenqing and saw that his face was pale and expressionless, his thoughts unknown. Yue Xuqian hadn’t expected Huo Fenglie’s situation to be so dire, but he remembered that the Huo family sister-in-law was the disciple of a miracle doctor. Although the old doctor in front of him was also famous, he was not as good as Madam Huo.  So after hearing this, he was not too impatient for the time being.

“Then now…..”

“The internal injuries are easy to recover from, and he will wake up soon, but the old injury has worsened, and the effects of this bottle of medicine are also decreasing. This old doctor can’t do anything. You must find a more capable doctor. There are only two or three people in the world who can save him. It’s best if you take him for treatment as soon as possible, otherwise, if he has a few more outbreaks, he won’t be able to survive.”

When the old doctor finished explaining, he gave Huo Fenglie acupuncture and then prepared a medicinal bath.

Yue Xuqian paid a lot of money and asked the old doctor to stay and take care of Huo Fenglie until he recovered.

Then he took the silent Liu Zhenqing out.

“I haven’t asked yet, who is this young master? What is your relationship with Fenglie?” Yue Xuqian took the initiative to ask.

Liu Zhenqing returned to his senses and said: “I’m Liu Xiaozhu, of the Imperial merchant Liu family in the capital. I came south to investigate a case with Brother Huo.”

Yue Xuqian was instantly surprised, and asked, “Liu?”

“Yes, it’s the one you’re thinking of.” Liu Zhenqing knew that Yue Xuqian didn’t hate him, so he admitted it openly.

But how could Yue Xuqian not know of him, this descendant of the Liu family who had been pursuing his good brother for a long time and caused a stir in the capital. He was happily eating melons at that time.

He didn’t expect that in the blink of an eye, his good brother would be on the road with someone who loved him madly. It was too incredible.

Liu Zhenqing didn’t see Yue Xuqian’s changing expression. He just said: “It was during this process that we were hunted down and Brother Huo was injured.”

Yue Xuqian was still amazed over Liu Zhenqing’s identity. Upon hearing this, he said: “By the way, your other two companions have arrived and are recuperating in the courtyard next door. You can relax.”

“Thank you very much. They are Brother Huo’s good brothers.” Liu Zhenqing briefly introduced them.

Although Yue Xuqian had never met them, Huo Fenglie did mention them in his letters. Seeing Liu Zhenqing’s solemn expression after he spoke, he knew he was concerned about Huo Fenglie’s condition and said: “Young Master Liu, don’t worry. If it doesn’t work out, we’ll quickly send him to the capital where Sister-in-law Huo is.”

Liu Zhenqing couldn’t relax his furrowed brow. If Li Xingruo could treat him, why would she only use medicine to relieve the symptoms? He must still go to his master. His master was in the south. Before Huo Fenglie went south this time, Li Xingruo seemed to have told him something. Maybe it was for Huo Fenglie to see the doctor, so Huo Fenglie should know where his master was. Even if he didn’t know, he could just write a letter to Li Xingruo once Huo Fenglie woke up.

Thinking of this, Liu Zhenqing couldn’t help but feel a little angry. They had known each other for so long, but Huo Fenglie never even mentioned such an important matter.

Liu Zhenqing had previously felt that Huo Fenglie’s pulse was strange, but he never expected that it would be this serious. Hearing that he could have died long ago, Liu Zhenqing felt as if his heart was about to burst.

This was the first time Liu Zhenqing blamed himself for not being good at studying, and failing to understand Huo Fenglie’s condition. Now he could only plead to others. This feeling was extremely uncomfortable.

“By the way, how is your injury?” Yue Xuqian asked.

Liu Zhenqing was taken aback and touched his injured shoulder, which still hurt a little. “I’m fine. I’ll go check on the other two first and then come back to take care of Brother Huo.”

Yue Xuqian advised: “It’s okay to go and see them, but you had better rest more afterward. I will certainly arrange for someone to look after Fenglie.”

Liu Zhenqing smiled helplessly and said: “No, I have to stay by him. He’ll be anxious if he doesn’t see me when he wakes up.”

After saying this, Liu Zhenqing left Yue Xuqian scratching his head. Why had he said that so confidently? Wasn’t Liu Zhenqing pursuing Huo Fenglie? It sounded like Huo Fenglie couldn’t live without Liu Zhenqing. Were they already in love?

Yue Xuqian lamented the delay in news, turning around to enter the room. Seeing that the medicine boy had prepared a medicinal bath, he helped Huo Fenglie sit in the bathtub.

Because he was only wearing his inner robes and the collar was a little loose, he could clearly see the tattoo inside spreading due to the heat of his body.

Yue Xuqian was very astute, and understood something at a glance. He shook his head helplessly and chuckled. Suddenly, the person sitting in the bathtub frowned.

Yue Xuqian was about to step forward to take a look when he heard a low voice call, “Qing-ge.”

Pausing in his steps, Yue Xuqian raised his eyebrows helplessly. This…..fortunately Young Master Liu didn’t hear it, otherwise what would he think?

At this time, Liu Zhenqing had arrived at the courtyard next door. As soon as he entered, he saw He Lan sitting alone on the steps, holding his chin in his hand and looking at a loss.

“Brother He?”

It wasn’t until Liu Zhenqing approached that He Lan returned to his senses.

“Oh, you’re awake. You’re okay.”

“I’m fine, Brother Huo is still unconscious. But you guys, how are you?”

Liu Zhenqing’s simple inquiry caused the sensitive He Lan to say nervously: “What could we have done? Nothing, ah!”

There was a question mark on Liu Zhenqing’s face. He asked: “Really? I heard Young Master Yue say that you’re injured too.”

He Lan was distracted for a moment before reacting, and said: “I was slightly injured in the beginning, but Lao Qin was hurt worse and is still unconscious now.”

Liu Zhenqing nodded and said: “Fortunately the poison woman’s drug only had that effect, and there were antidote pills. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have just been slightly injured.”

He Lan instantly looked embarrassed.

When Liu Zhenqing finished speaking, he asked for the remaining antidote pills.

He Lan could only grit his teeth and say: “I accidentally threw them into the river.”

Liu Zhenqing didn’t think too much of it, and just assumed that He Lan had an accident after taking the medicine. Then he spoke of the fact that the assassins had all been killed by Huo Fenglie. Since there were no survivors, there was no way to track down their origins. They could only admit that they were unlucky and take care in the future.

While the two were talking, there was sudden movement in the room. He Lan ducked in instantly, and Liu Zhenqing, who was also concerned about Qin Yu’s situation, followed him in.

As soon as he entered, he saw that Qin Yu seemed to have woken up and tried to get out of bed, but suddenly fell to the ground as if his limbs had no strength.

He Lan quickly stepped forward and seemed to try to pick him up, but Qin Yu evaded him.

Qin Yu regarded He Lan with an unkind gaze and said coldly: “I can do it myself.”

He Lan could only stand aside awkwardly, as if he didn’t know where to put his hands or feet.

Liu Zhenqing naturally knew that the two of them got along at normal times, but it was very strange at this moment.

He watched for a moment, and saw the ambiguous marks on Qin Yu’s neck. He suddenly remembered that when they were separated, Qin Yu had no problem moving even though he had internal injuries. Why had he become semi-disabled now?

Looking at the embarrassment on He Lan’s face, Liu Zhenqing suddenly had an odd suspicion.

It couldn’t be that he didn’t take the medicine and just…..lost it.

And therefore He Lan’s antidote became a person?

Liu Zhenqing was shocked on the spot by this supposition.

His eyes continued to linger on the two until the moment Qin Yu sat down. His expression looked as ugly as if he had been stabbed, and Liu Zhenqing didn’t dare to look any longer.

After briefly explaining the situation, Liu Zhenqing quickly left this awkward and suffocating environment.

Watching Liu Zhenqing flee, He Lan really wanted to say, take me away too! He really didn’t dare to face the awake Qin Yu, ah!

The room fell into an eerie silence, and Qin Yu said abruptly: “You…..”

But before Qin Yu could finish speaking, He Lan’s heart collapsed and he said directly, “I’ll get you some food.” After saying this, he vanished in an instant.

Qin Yu frowned slightly, but quickly regained his composure and began to meditate.

When there was subsequent movement in the room, Qin Yu knew who was coming without opening his eyes.

Qin Yu kept his eyes closed and continued to meditate, but said bluntly, “You don’t need to have any hang-ups. It was just the situation.”

He Lan, who had just adjusted his mental state, felt uncomfortable hearing this familiar tone and expected words. How could he not mind? But the other party was so magnanimous, so what else could he say? After all, he had still taken advantage. After scratching his head and ears for a while, he took a step forward and said, “This matter is all my fault. You are my savior. If your anger isn’t enough, you can kill me or cut me to pieces.”

Qin Yu sneered and opened his eyes, which held a coldness that seemed to have never changed: “Are you stupid? If you were killed or cut to pieces, how would I save you? We are brothers, so there is no need to be so pretentious.”

Qin Yu had never admitted that they were brothers, and only acquiesced in his heart. But now that he suddenly heard Qin Yu say this, He Lan felt that the sound of  “brother” was extremely harsh.

Was it okay if they were brothers? He Lan couldn’t help but think of the scene at that time, and held a question in his heart: why didn’t Qin Yu resist? Although he was severely bullied later on and indeed resisted, in the beginning, he really sacrificed himself. Even if it was to save him, how could he accept it so easily?

What if it hadn’t been him? What if it was Zhanyuan or Brother Liu, what if…..He Lan truly couldn’t imagine that Qin Zichuan, whom only he had seen like that, would save his other brothers in such a manner.

He Lan felt that something wasn’t right, and couldn’t help but ask: “Lao Qin, you have such a big heart. Would you be willing to save our other brothers like that?”

After asking, He Lan regretted it. He didn’t know where this resentment had come from. He was obviously the one who was rescued, but everything was awkward.

Qin Yu looked at He Lan’s tangled appearance. After he saved him, this person even made derisive remarks, making him laugh in anger: “Are you out of your mind? Big-hearted? What does it mean to be big-hearted? Are you seeking death, wanting me to take responsibility? What do you think I am?”

Although he was used to Qin Yu’s sarcastic words, He Lan felt panicked in this moment, as if he was the one who was thrown away after being eaten.

“If you want me to take responsibility, I’ll take responsibility, ah!” He Lan couldn’t help but retort.

Qin Yu was instantly enraged. He raised his hand and threw something at He Lan. “Get out. Don’t make me regret saving you.”

He Lan easily caught it, and the awkward mood seemed to vanish after such a tit-for-tat confrontation. When he looked up, Qin Yu’s angry appearance became very vivid in He Lan’s eyes. The beauty seemed to have glared at him angrily like this back at that time.

He Lan felt inexplicably happy. “I’m not going out. The doctor told me to apply medicine for you every day.”

When Qin Yu heard the words ‘apply medicine,’ he couldn’t react at first. When he did, murderous intent accumulated in his eyes. 

Naturally, he had no regrets about saving this person, and had no intention of making a fuss or pursuing revenge afterwards. He just treated it as a normal detoxification process, and when it was over, it was over.

In the end, he didn’t know why He Lan had lost his mind. He was usually very eloquent. Forget about resolving the embarrassment, now he was being irritating again and saying such things. Was this something that could be said considering the awkward relationship between the two of them?

Qin Yu was full of pent up anger, and now it had been completely ignited by He Lan. It must be said that He Lan had a unique talent for angering Qin Yu.

Regardless of his internal injuries, Qin Yu promptly jumped up and attacked He Lan.

In the past, He Lan would tuck his tail between his legs and run away if he angered Qin Yu, but this time, He Lan didn’t run away, and instead faced him head-on. He barely gave Qin Yu a chance to take action. Grabbing his wrist, he said: “Don’t use your internal force, you still have internal injuries!”

“Get away!” Qin Yu couldn’t stand He Lan’s touch now. It reminded him of those scenes.

However, He Lan did not go away. He said with an innocent expression: “I will naturally take care of the injuries I caused. Why are you reacting so much? Who just said he has no grudges? Good brother, don’t be pretentious.” After saying this, he even slapped Qin Yu on the back.

Qin Yu looked at He Lan in disbelief. He Lan drew closer and said: “The wound there is serious. Stop moving, I’ll give you some medicine.”

Qin Yu’s face gradually turned from green to black. There was a bam, boom, slam, and He Lan was kicked out of the room.

He Lan rubbed his aching waist and sat down on the steps by the door again, proceeding to sigh incessantly.

Although he absolutely didn’t want to admit it, it seemed that after Qin Yu woke up, his own situation had not improved, but instead became more serious. The more icily arrogant Qin Yu looked now, the more he remembered the way he looked with tears in his eyes, which really made him…..excited.

He had a moment of silence for his body’s unscrupulous reaction. It was really too dreadful.

On the other side, Liu Zhenqing originally wanted to stand guard for Huo Fenglie, but Yue Xuqian felt that it was unsuitable for Liu Zhenqing to see Huo Fenglie’s tattoo, so he made excuses to delay time. It wasn’t until Huo Fenglie was returned to bed that Yue Xuqian left.

Liu Zhenqing remained by the bedside and helped dry his wet hair little by little. While wiping, he thought about the situation with He Lan and Qin Yu that he had just accidentally learned about. The more he thought about it, the more outrageous it felt. And seeing Qin Yu’s appearance, he must be in a great deal of pain. Liu Zhenqing’s thoughts were a mess, and he really couldn’t help but want to complain to Huo Fenglie. But when he glanced over, he saw that Huo Fenglie’s lips were particularly red due to his soak.

He suddenly recalled that time when he gave him medicine.

Liu Zhenqing pursed his lips in embarrassment. The more he remembered it, the redder his face became. Unknowingly, he reached out and touched those two lips.

In the next second, he heard a deep voice. “Qing-ge?”

Liu Zhenqing was instantly startled. He raised his eyes to look over and saw that Huo Fenglie had woken up at some point. A pair of dark eyes reflected his crime like clear obsidian. He didn’t know whether his rosy cheeks were caused by illness or embarrassment. Because Liu Zhenqing’s index finger was still between Huo Fenglie’s lips, when Huo Fenglie opened his mouth, it poked inside.

His finger was warm, and Liu Zhenqing was so frightened that he quickly retracted it, looking at Huo Fenglie at a loss. There was an embarrassment much like being caught red-handed doing something bad.

Huo Fenglie just stared at him blankly for a moment, then suddenly got up and grabbed Liu Zhenqing, saying: “Qing-ge, how are you? Are you hurt?”

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

The fruits in the basket were washed and cut into pieces by Mu Nanqiao, put into boxes, packed together with many other exquisite snacks made by the Mu family chef, and taken out for a picnic.

It was just a picnic, and only to the small lake behind the house. When Lu Qi proposed this idea, he was worried that Mu Chuanbai would refuse, but Mu Chuanbai was very pleased. He also told Mu Nanqiao to bring a charcoal grill and marinated meat, and they simply had dinner by the lake, mainly for the sake of the rustic appeal.

So in the end, Mu Nanqiao had to drive. The auntie at home asked if they wanted to bring the chef, and Mu Chuanbai waved his hand. “No need, Nanqiao’s barbeque is very good. You can have a few people skewer the meat. What else does Xiao Lu like to eat? Go and see what is missing, and tell Auntie Sun to go purchase it.”

Lu Qi was a little embarrassed by his enthusiasm to mobilize the troops. Mu Nanqiao took him to the kitchen to look at the ingredients, and asked the chef waiting inside: “When was the meat marinated?”

The chubby chef said with a smile: “Someone gave Chairman Mu a piece of venison last night, and he marinated it when it was delivered to him. It is still fresh.”

Mu Nanqiao frowned. “Is there any other meat?”

“There is also wagyu and lamb…..”

Lu Qi grabbed his arm and used him as a crutch to keep his weak foot from touching the ground hard. He whispered: “Why not eat venison? I haven’t eaten venison before.”

Mu Nanqiao raised his eyebrows and smiled meaningfully: “You really want to eat venison?”

He really looked good when he smiled like this, and the small red mole at the tip of his eye was very attractive. But it just revealed a cunning wickedness, like a beautiful and clever fox.

Lu Qi’s crisis radar beeped, and he said: “Then never mind…..”

“It’s quite delicious,” Mu Nanqiao said. “It’s more tender than beef. The ones my dad ordered from the deer farm were all young deer and didn’t have much gaminess. We’ll bring some to try.”

“Okay, ah.” Lu Qi smiled. “Do you have any lemons? I’ll make a drink to take with us.”

“We do.” Auntie smiled and said to Lu Qi, “Come with me.”

After he made the drink, Auntie found him crutches. Lu Qi blushed and said that it wasn’t that serious anymore. His feet stepped with no problems. In the end, Auntie stuffed them under his arms, and he used the crutches to find Mu Nanqiao, who was putting things in the truck. He lay softly against Mu Nanqiao’s back and hugged his narrow waist with both hands. Both crutches fell to the side with a clank.

Mu Nanqiao stopped what he was doing and turned his head slightly, looking at the crutches. “What? Did you find that I’m more useful as a human crutch?”

“En.” Lu Qi nodded, rubbing his cheek against Mu Nanqiao’s back with a sigh. “I feel like everyone is very enthusiastic toward me, and I’m a little flattered…..”

“I thought you were used to it.” Mu Nanqiao also put his dad’s fishing rod in and then turned around and embraced Lu Qi, swinging him. “After all, my boyfriend is handsome and has a good personality. He has many friends wherever he goes…..”

“Not really…..” Lu Qi’s face went hot as he spoke. Thinking of something, he felt a little sad. “I don’t know when my family will accept my sexuality. I really want my mom to see how good my boyfriend is, but she can’t figure it out. I can’t take you back there. I don’t want you to be wronged.”

Mu Nanqiao felt that it didn’t matter if he got a few supercilious looks. Lu Qi’s parents had raised him so well. He was only grateful to them.

“You suddenly came over and asked for a hug. It turns out you’re homesick.” Mu Nanqiao lowered his head and kissed his forehead. “It’s okay. I won’t be busy for a while. I’ll accompany you to Yuncheng, and if Auntie gets angry when she sees me, I’ll just wait for you in a hotel.”

Lu Qi looked around and saw that the vehicle was blocking the two of them, so he stood on tiptoe and kissed Mu Nanqiao on the lips.

“I will work hard.” He said with a smile and curved eyes, “I’ll work hard to give you a status!”

Mu Nanqiao lowered his eyelashes, and his Adam’s apple bobbed. He raised a hand to clasp the back of Lu Qi’s neck, and deepened the kiss with no intention of finishing it.

. . . . . . .

It was said that Mu Nanqiao would cook alone, but in fact, two people came over to help.

When they arrived at the open space by the lake, several people set up tables and took out the barbeque ingredients. Mu Nanqiao rolled up his sleeves and took the meat skewers from the box. Lu Qi rolled up his sleeves and was preparing to help when Mu Chuanbai stuffed a fishing rod into his hands and pulled him farther away to the lake for fishing.

Mu Chuanbai’s fishing gear was all professional equipment. Lu Qi had never fished before, so he was inevitably anxious. This influential figure in the business world was unexpectedly patient. After Lu Qi finally got into position, he praised him with a smile: “What a smart kid.”

Lu Qi, who was treated as a child, coughed in embarrassment. He wiped his hands with a wet wipe, took out the fruit, inserted a small fork, and pushed it toward Mu Chuanbai. “Uncle Mu, please eat some fruit.”

Mu Chuanbai forked a piece of peach.

A gentle breeze blew over the lake, bringing with it moist water vapor. Lu Qi feared that Mu Chuanbai would be cold, so he took a blanket out of the bag beside him and covered Mu Chuanbai’s legs.

Mu Chuanbai smiled and thanked him. He gazed at the lake and chatted with Lu Qi at a leisurely pace, and the topic naturally revolved around Mu Nanqiao.

“Does it feel difficult to be with Nanqiao?” Mu Chuanbai asked gently: “He has a past that he can’t escape. Will you feel tired pulling him along all the time?”

Lu Qi shook his head, holding his chin as he asked: “Why do you think so? I’ll just pull him gently, and he will try to walk forward on his own. When he’s tired of walking, I will pull him again…..”

Mu Chuanbai smiled, and his eyes, which were similar to Mu Nanqiao’s, flashed with relief. His child’s relationship was going well, which gave him the happiness of an ordinary father.

“Besides, why would it feel so difficult…..” Lu Qi’s face felt hot, and he said with embarrassment, “He makes delicious food every day. Since I started dating him, the cat and I have gained weight…..”

“His cooking is very delicious.” As long as he was not in front of his son, he did not hesitate to praise him. “He should have told you that after that night in the warehouse, he left the Mu family to rent an apartment. It was at that time that he developed his cooking skills.”

Lu Qi nodded, but felt that something wasn’t right. After thinking about it, he didn’t know what “that night in the warehouse” was referring to. He always had an infinite curiosity about Mu Nanqiao, so he asked cautiously: “That night in the warehouse?”

Mu Chuanbai seemed a little surprised, and raised his brows, asking: “He hasn’t told you?”

“No, ah, does it have something to do with me?” Lu Qi blinked his eyes in confusion, then suddenly thought of something. 

Warehouse…..that night…..he was…..

Looking back farther, Mu Nanqiao had once tentatively asked about his high school days, and if he had ever been to Shanghai. And that competition…..

He stood abruptly and gave Mu Chuanbai an apologetic look. “Uncle Mu, I have something to tell Mu Nanqiao. I will go over for a while and come back to fish with you later.”

When he finished speaking, he ran away in a hurry. The fish that was about to bite the hook flicked its tail in shock and slipped back into the water.

. . . . . . .

Mu Nanqiao was about to ask someone to call that person over when he looked up and saw Lu Qi trotting toward him. Because his foot was still swollen, his movements were rather comical. Mu Nanqiao frowned and stepped forward to catch him with open hands. 

“Why are you running?” He lightly patted Lu Qi’s butt, intending to scold him, but his tone was uncontrollably soft as he spoke. “Your foot doesn’t hurt anymore? If you’re in a hurry, you can use my dad’s wheelchair and just let him sit on the ground.”

Lu Qi: ……

A kind father and a filial son. Your dad should really hit you with his wheelchair.

Half-supported and half-carried, he was pushed into a chair and his sock and shoe were removed. Mu Nanqiao grasped his calf, placed his foot on his knee, and carefully applied medicinal spray to his ankle.

The medicine was cool and smelled slightly bitter. Lu Qi also felt bitter in his heart.

“I remember that old warehouse.” Looking at Mu Nanqiao, he spoke slowly and clearly. “You asked me if the competition had gone well at that time. In fact, it didn’t. I made several mistakes because I couldn’t help thinking of that boy who was locked up in that old warehouse.”

Mu Nanqiao’s spraying hand paused.

When that boy was carried out by the ambulance, Lu Qi was still at the scene. The other party’s face was bruised and deformed from his beating, and his actual appearance could not be seen at all. He looked as embarrassed as a little stray dog that had lost its protection.

“I remember.” Lu Qi’s eyelashes lowered, and he reached out to touch Mu Nanqiao’s hair. It was not that soft, but was very smooth, nothing like the blood-stuck strands at that time. “But I didn’t know it was you, ah. No one wants to be seen in such disarray by another person, so when you asked me, I subconsciously concealed it for the sake of ‘that boy.’”

When he finished explaining, he blinked uncertainly. “Did you always remember me?”

“Yes, ah.” Mu Nanqiao grasped his hand with a smile and lowered his head, kissing his fingertips. “That is to say, I have liked you for a long time. It was love at first sight.”

Lu Qi felt lost again.

If liking someone had a weight, then his seemed to be lighter than Mu Nanqiao’s.

He said with a guilty conscience: “At that time…..I really couldn’t fall in love with you at first sight…..”

Mu Nanqiao laughed in spite of himself. “Baby, you don’t have to be so sincere…..”

“But every day from now on, when I open my eyes, I will fall in love with you at first sight.” Lu Qi said very earnestly: “I will try my best to catch up with your progress!”

Mu Nanqiao: ……

Sincerity was simply the most beautiful quality in the world.

If no one else was around, he would really want to hold Lu Qi in his arms and kiss him to tears, the tip of his tongue brushing against his back molars. His fox-like eyes gave Lu Qi a deep look and he unconsciously rubbed Lu Qi’s cool white wrist with his thumb.

This aggressive gaze was intense, and Lu Qi’s face felt hot as he was looked at. He whispered, “I’m going to try the roasted venison,” then put on his shoes and ran away.

Mu Chuanbai was also pushed over by the bodyguard.

It was obviously not appropriate to continue the topic from just now. Mu Nanqiao gathered his emotions and walked toward the barbeque grill, picked out two skewers of venison on the side, and handed them to Lu Qi.

Lu Qi ate gracefully, finishing the two skewers in small bites. After eating, he licked the corners of his lips with satisfaction and then remembered to ask Mu Nanqiao: “Aren’t you going to eat?”

His pale lips were stained a light crimson after eating something hot. The red tip of his tongue flicked between his lips, and his eyes were as clear as a reflection of the sky. When he looked at a person with such eager eyes, he was much like a bewitching spirit in a forest, who didn’t know much about the world.

Mu Nanqiao took a deep breath. Indeed, he wanted to eat a little deer.

After handing him two roasted beef skewers, Mu Naniqao said: “Go sit over there and eat. Don’t tease me.”

Lu Qi: ? ? ? 

He didn’t do anything…..

Lu Qi found a small stool and sat down, taking a bite of the beef skewers. The top-grade wagyu beef was rich in fat, the meat fresh and tender, but he felt that the venison skewers were still tastier.

En, he would eat two more skewers later. Mu-shifu’s craftsmanship was really good!

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

Liu Zhenqing rode Shen Jiangyue with Huo Fenglie along the water, but the river soon branched off, and Liu Zhenqing could only give up looking for the others. Since the assassins were dead, he believed that nothing would happen to He Lan with Qin Yu there.

In the distance, Liu Zhenqing saw a city, but he couldn’t tell which one it was. After all, they had drifted along the river very far.

It wasn’t until he came to the city gate that Liu Zhenqing clearly saw that something good had finally happened. It turned out to be the Yangkun Prefecture they had been looking for.

Liu Zhenqing dismounted and left Huo Fenglie on the horse. He dealt with the city guards, then walked through the city holding the reins. At this moment, Liu Zhenqing felt that he had reached a safe place, and his body couldn’t hold on any longer. The water in early spring was freezing when he fell in, and his wound was only treated simply out in the wild, so he needed to rest as soon as possible.

First, he found a nearby inn and sent an attendant with some silver to find the best doctor in the city.

When the attendant saw Liu Zhenqing carrying the unconscious Huo Fenglie on his back, both of them with blood on them, he was somewhat afraid to accept such customers.

“Guest, it won’t be convenient here. Why don’t you take him directly to the medical clinic?”

Liu Zhenqing was already very tired, and was about to become angry when he suddenly heard the sound of tables and chairs being smashed nearby. It seemed that a guest was making a ruckus.

“Fuck, pretty boy, say that again if you have the guts! Everyone is listening, see if the officials don’t come and arrest you!”

The attendant immediately had no time to talk to Liu Zhenqing and hurriedly went to break up the fight.

Liu Zhenqing frowned and looked over to see a young man in white playing with a teacup. He was dressed as an elegant young master, handsome and vibrant. He looked like a scholar, but was filled with an understated luxurious nobility, and his clothing and accessories were not ordinary. He seemed like someone from a family with deep roots.

His features looked gentle, but they revealed a bit of cool contempt. Although there were only two servants following behind him, they seemed to be capable of martial arts, so the young man looked calm when facing the threat of three strong men holding swords.

This person gave a faint smile and said, “I just heard your fantastical words and thought we could discuss it. Why can you say such a thing but others can’t? It’s just a matter of words. Being angry is harmful to your health.”

Although there was nothing wrong with these words, the tone seemed somewhat anger-inducing.

Liu Zhenqing naturally had no patience to listen to their quarrel. In fact, he didn’t have to stay at this place, but he physically couldn’t hold on any longer. The wound on his body was probably infected, and his body also felt hot. He was already a little dizzy, and would probably faint if he took a few more steps. Right now, he just wanted to take Er-gou and quickly lie down and wait for the doctor to save him. Since the attendant wasn’t paying attention to him, he would just call the innkeeper and throw money at him.

But when he looked around, he didn’t see an innkeeper present, and he heard the argument behind him getting more and more intense.

“Everyone knows that Liu Zhenqing is a great traitor and sinner who brought harm to our Great Zhou Dynasty. It is wrong of you to speak up for him! I think you have a rebellious heart!”

Liu Zhenqing’s body stiffened, and he was speechless. He had been dead for so many years. How could he meet people fighting about him in such a place?

However, there were very few people who would speak up for him.

Liu Zhenqing couldn’t help but glance at the young master again, and there suddenly seemed to be some familiarity in his features.

What was interesting was that whenever there were some dissenters, they would inevitably shrink back when faced with the accusation of speaking up for the treacherous minister. However, the young master in white didn’t feel guilty at all, and refuted casually instead.

“Sure enough, people in the world are this stupid, ah. Was Liu Zhenqing treacherous and evil, or a person with unrecognized wisdom? Whether he had ulterior motives, whether he caused trouble, whether he was a disaster to the world, or whether it was a matter of life and death, how can those of us in the world judge? After all, everything he did is viewed with our personal interests in mind. If you want to know whether a person was useful or harmful to the current world and current dynasty, you’ll have to see the evaluation of future generations a hundred years later, right?”

Liu Zhenqing couldn’t help being stunned when he heard these remarks. This young master’s argument was unique and very rare.

The troublemaker said angrily: “What nonsense are you speaking?”

“It’s not nonsense. You would know if you read more books. The most obvious and recent example is the period in the history of our Great Zhou Dynasty called the Eternal Kingdom of the Gods, because the emperor of that generation was the wisest and mightiest emperor in the Zhou Dynasty. However, historical records show that the common people at the time were very critical of the emperor who only married a male empress and left no biological heirs. Various unfavorable rumors remained among the people at that time, and they said that the Great Zhou Dynasty would be destroyed because of him.”

As he spoke, the man gave a refined smile: “But a hundred years later, how do you and I, several generations later, evaluate him? The emperor and empress ruled together, and times were prosperous. From then on, there would never be another emperor in the Yuan family of Great Zhou whose achievements could be compared with that one. Not to mention the capable male empress who continued the Yuan family. Nowadays, thinking about the strident comments made by the common people at that time, don’t they seem stupid? Isn’t it easier to see things in hindsight? So, ah, what do the common people know, and what qualifications do they have to speak nonsense about a person of his generation?”

After the young man in white said what he said, everyone around him was dumbfounded. They felt that there was truth to his words, but also felt a reluctance to agree.

At this moment, the innkeeper came out of the back kitchen, carrying what seemed to be a food box.

The young master in white stood up and raised his eyebrows, saying: “It is very disrespectful behavior to show off how capable and decent you are by scorning a person you don’t know or understand at all. In the future, be less unethical.”

When he came to the counter, he left silver behind and took the food box, passing Liu Zhenqing as he went to leave. Probably because Liu Zhenqing was looking at him with such shock, and because the young master in white thought the two of them were in a rather embarrassed state, he merely gave them a curious glance, but stopped in an instant.

He stared closely at the sword hanging on Liu Zhenqing’s waist, then raised his eyes as if to take a closer look at the person on Liu Zhenqing’s back. He didn’t recognize Liu Zhenqing, but the face of the person lying lifeless on his back couldn’t be seen clearly.

“This…..brother, your sword looks familiar.”

Liu Zhenqing’s expression changed slightly, and just as he was about to be vigilant, he heard the innkeeper call out: “Yue-daren, if the food is to your liking, send someone over and we will deliver it to your door.”

Yue Xuqian gave a vague reply, and just as he was about to say something, the unkempt man in front of him suddenly reached out and grabbed his sleeve.

Because he was so close and moved so fast, Yue Xuqian couldn’t dodge, and the two servants behind him were instantly ready to take action.

However, Yue Xuqian immediately raised his hand to stop them. Due to the action of grabbing him just now, the person on Liu Zhenqing’s back shifted and half of his face was exposed, which instantly made Yue Xuqian’s eyes quiver.

“Fenglie?!”

Liu Zhenqing breathed a sigh of relief at once, and as soon as he did so, he gradually couldn’t hold on any longer. With difficulty, he took out Huo Fenglie’s bottle of life-saving medicine.

“Save him…..we still have two companions…..”

After giving these instructions, Liu Zhenqing collapsed with Huo Fenglie and was hurriedly held up by Yue Xuqian.

The Lanling Yue family, once one of the major clans, also began to die out during the era when the emperor and empress ruled together. The Lanling Yue family had the best outcome, because their generation produced the most powerful prime minister in history, who was loyal to the emperor and empress, so they asked to split up and disband the clan. The Yue family and the Huo family had been family friends since long ago, and it was also in that generation that the marriage between the prime minister and a general made the relationship between the two families even closer.

It was only that they gradually moved away from the center of power in the capital to their hometown of Lanling, and either became local officials or engaged in business. This could be regarded as not seeking power, but only seeking peace. However, they still had a good relationship with the Huo family. After all, there were many marriages in subsequent generations, and the relatives of the two families were somewhat mixed. Whenever the Huo family went back to their hometown to visit relatives, they always passed by Lanling to visit.

Because Liu Zhenqing once went to visit relatives with the Huo family, he met Yue Xuqian when he was a child.

He was the same age as Huo Fenglie. When he was a child, he looked gentle, quiet, and reserved, and when he played together with Huo Fenglie, one would practice martial arts while the other read, occasionally exchanging a few words. Their relationship was very harmonious, and they were reluctant to part. He was one of the few people who could play well with Huo Fenglie, who had a somewhat introverted personality when he was a child.

The few days Liu Zhenqing and Yue Xuqian spent together were also very pleasant. After all, only Liu Zhenqing among them was good at scholarly pursuits. When he accompanied them, Yue Xuqian practically worshiped him and wanted him to become his teacher.

Because the time they spent together was limited, and occurred when he was five or six years old, it was no wonder Liu Zhenqing couldn’t recognize him now.

Fortunately, Liu Zhenqing thought of him as soon as the word “Yue” came out. Now that they were being chased by assassins and both of them were sick and injured, there was naturally no one more trustworthy than the Yue family.

Meeting Yue Xuqian here was a blessing from the gods.

. . . . . . .

One the second day, just as it was growing dark, a shout sounded in the dense forest.

“Brother Yundu, Brother Zichuan…..”

He Lan awoke faintly, feeling warmth under his body. Instantly, countless images popped into his mind, and He Lan was so frightened that he practically leaped up like a carp.

When his eyes focused and he saw the person next to him, it was like he had been hit by a thunderbolt, and he was shocked on the spot.

This time, he clearly saw the snake-shaped tattoo he had always wanted to see, but his attention was no longer on the tattoo.

Almost no part of the cold white skin that had not been exposed to light in many years was intact.

Was he a beast? Gnawing and biting?

The marks in some places looked to have blood oozing out.

Even the tattooed snake seemed to have been bullied. Not only was it covered in marks, but there was also some white…..as if he had specifically tried to pollute the cold, proud snake.

Not to mention the coagulated blood on those straight legs, which was terrible to see.

He Lan couldn’t believe that he was responsible for such a miserable scene of abuse.

He Lan was short of breath, and felt that he was not far from death. He looked again at Qin Yu, who was almost lifeless. It could be said that He Lan had never seen him so weak before. Clearly, this was the person who was constantly vigilant and was the first to wake up amongst them. But at this moment, even though someone was searching for them not far away, there was no movement at all. He simply lay motionless.

Right! Somebody was coming!

When He Lan heard the noise, he panicked for a moment and tried to find some clothes to cover himself. But he couldn’t find a complete piece of cloth at all, and most of it had even floated away with the current.

There was already sweat on He Lan’s forehead. If the others saw the two of them like this…..He Lan didn’t even dare think about it.

Just as the footsteps approached, He Lan picked up Qin Yu, whose body was piping hot, and jumped into the river beside him. Lying on the shore with the person in his arms, he looked up and saw a mess on the stone where the two had just been lying.

He Lan covered his face. Day and night, he hadn’t stopped. How many times, ah! He quickly poured water on it to destroy the evidence.

Soon, He Lan caught sight of figures. From the moment those people called them by their first names instead of their courtesy names, He Lan felt that something was fishy. It didn’t seem like something the assassins chasing them would do, and the assassins would only know their courtesy names at most, not even the characters. Especially Qin Zichuan. He seldom used that name in the Dongchang, so not many people knew about it.

“Who are you?” He Lan was the first to speak.

The four people heard this and rushed over immediately. When they saw the two people at the water’s edge, they anxiously went to save them.

“Don’t move!” He Lan warned.

“Young master, don’t worry, we are servants of the Yue family. We encountered two guests in distress before, and one of them said that as long as we call these two names to find you, and then tell you that the Yue family is looking for you, you’ll believe us.”

When they mentioned the Yue family, Huo Fenglie naturally came to mind. He Lan immediately breathed a sigh of relief and said: “All right. Our clothes were torn by the rocks underwater, and we’re undressed. Please keep your distance for now. Do you have any clothing?”

“Yes, I’ll set it down for you two.” The Yue family really thought this out comprehensively. Naturally, they would need to change into clean clothes after falling into the water.

The servants left the clothing and lit a campfire nearby, waiting for the two of them to come and keep warm. It wasn’t until this moment that He Lan was relieved.

But when he realized that he was hugging Qin Yu naked in the water, his entire body froze. Because he was hiding in the water, He Lan had Qin Yu pressed against the shore with one arm around his waist as he held onto the shore with the other.

This posture and soft touch immediately reminded He Lan of some wild scenes under the moon.

His mind felt as if it had received an electric shock. In the next moment, He Lan’s eyes widened in disbelief, and he tried to move his hips away.

It must be fake. The effects of the drug must not have worn off yet, yes, how could he treat his brother, Qin Zichuan…..

He Lan immediately gritted his teeth and helped wipe Qin Yu’s body with a guilty conscience. He blushed even more the farther he cleaned, and when he actually touched the torn wound, it was absolutely miserable. He Lan saw the person in his arms frown, perhaps because of the pain.

It felt like if Qin Yu woke up at this moment, He Lan would probably die on the shore.

But even though his face had turned pale from the pain, Qin Yu still didn’t respond. The abnormal heat of his body proved that his condition was very bad.

He Lan felt simultaneously guilty, hot, and worried. It seemed he had been tortured too much by him while he had an internal injury, which was why he was so weak and allowed himself to be slaughtered like this.

He Lan cleaned up numbly, and couldn’t help but focus on Qin Yu’s face.

Some of the blurry images in his mind from being under the influence of the drug gradually became clearer. He remembered being poisoned, and when Qin Yu took him ashore with difficulty, he knocked over the medicine bottle. Unable to control himself at that time, he had jumped on the other person.

The wound on his lip seemed to have been bitten by Qin Yu in anger when he was struggling, and the redness at the ends of his eyes seemed to have been caused by him causing the other person to cry.

Right, Qin Yu actually cried. He Lan was dumbfounded. He couldn’t even believe that the image in his memory was real. That such a cold-blooded, cold-hearted fellow could actually be made to cry by him. A person who would never shed a tear even under pain of death could actually cry.

He Lan inexplicably thought about it more and more, and his heart swelled further. A very subtle feeling caused his body to get a little out of control.

“Wu.” Qin Yu finally let out a cry of pain, and the frightened He Lan stopped his hand at once. He had obviously cleaned him up, but what was he doing just now?

He Lan’s face darkened. He quickly carried Qin Yu ashore, dried and dressed him, then checked his injuries and went back with the Yue family.

When they arrived at the Yue family home, they were quickly met by Yue Xuqian. After getting to know each others’ identities, Yue Xuqian shook his head helplessly: “It seems that the doctors we invited are not enough. You, go and invite a few more.”

He Lan had to send Qin Yu to a room first, and then he asked about the situation of the other two people.

“The young master accompanying Fenglie had a simple external injury that was easy to treat, but what happened to Fenglie? Other doctors came and said that his condition was too complicated to treat, and some simply said there was no hope. I could only send someone to Lanling to ask the most capable local doctor to come over. He should arrive soon.”

He Lan understood after hearing this that it was Huo Fenglie’s old problem, which most doctors couldn’t treat.

“He should have medicine with him. Taking that will relieve his situation.”

“He did take it, but he’s still unconscious. You look like you’re seriously injured. Go and get treated first, don’t worry about the rest. As Fenglie’s friend, I will naturally take care of it,” Yue Xuqian said.

He Lan was exhausted physically and mentally, and wanted to rest, but when he saw that the doctor was going to treat Qin Yu, he followed him in. After all, it was more appropriate for him to handle the injury in a certain place.

The doctor took his pulse, used acupuncture, and wrote a prescription to treat internal injuries. When He Lan said that there was an external injury, the old doctor was about to look at the wound when He Lan stopped him. After a hint of description, the old doctor regarded He Lan with narrowed eyes.

“Young people don’t know how to exercise restraint.” After writing down the treatment methods and ointments, the old doctor warned: “Apply it every day, and no sexual intercourse is allowed for three months!”

He Lan was astonished. “Three months!”

It was that severe? Getting injured in that place was so difficult to heal?

The old doctor blew his beard and glared: “You’re not stingy. Your lover has been tormented like this by you, why not have some compassion instead of only caring about the bed? Even though you are young and full of energy, you can’t handle it for three months?!”

He Lan instantly blushed. H-h-he didn’t mean it like that. This was an accident. How could he be with Qin Yu again…..he was only worried about the wound.

He was given a severe lesson by the old doctor, and then the medicine boy gave him the ointment. Because the two of them were a couple by default, they left the ointment and went away.

Naturally, He Lan couldn’t let others give Qin Yu the medicine, yet he felt that it was not appropriate to apply the medicine himself, ah. But now that Qin Yu was unconscious, he couldn’t ignore the wound.

He Lan had no choice but to grit his teeth and do it. Now that he was wearing clothes and covered by a quilt, He Lan really didn’t have the guts to peel it off and look. He could only apply the ointment on it by sneaking it under the quilt and clothing, feeling his way forward bit by bit. In order to facilitate this movement, he had to lie face to face with Qin Yu.

He Lan recited the Great Compassion Mantra silently in his mind and gingerly applied the medicine.

But the wound was still too serious.

He heard a muffled groan, and Qin Yu frowned. His eyelashes trembled, and he was about to open his eyes.

He Lan’s movements froze. His heart beat like a drum, and his mind went blank as he faced the violent storm of Qin Yu waking up.

As a result, he saw that those eyes that had been so cold in the past were moist due to fever, and his penetrating gaze was replaced by a blank look, as if he wasn’t aware of his current state at all. He just felt the condition of his body, painful, exhausted, and drained.

Qin Yu only saw He Lan, who was close at hand. He frowned slightly, and then with a face of numb compromise, he tried to say coldly with his hoarse voice: “Are you done?”

But Qin Yu like this made He Lan lose his mind for a moment. The knot of his throat rolled, and he breathed out a “no.”

Qin Yu’s eyes were filled with ire, as if he was trying to glare. But in the next second, he saw that familiar face approaching again. Just like many times in the past, Qin Yu instinctively put away his fangs and numbly accepted the kiss like a tamed venomous snake.

As the kiss grew heavier, Qin Yu fainted again.

And He Lan suddenly raised his head as if waking up with a start, looking at the wet mark on his lips in disbelief, the evidence of his crime.

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Chapter Fifty-Nine << Table of Contents >> Chapter Sixty-One

Lu Qi, who had seen through the scheme, pursed his lips and smiled, deliberately misinterpreting Mu Nanqiao’s meaning. “Why move to your place? Do you think that I can’t afford a house, or that my apartment is small?”

Mu Nanqiao laughed, and the low, melodious laughter came from the phone as if his lips were touching Lu Qi’s ears. Lu Qi’s cheeks felt a bit hot. He wanted to move the phone farther away, but couldn’t bear to. 

“Детка…..” He sighed. “There are three main reasons to move. The first is to give Xiao Sanhua and I more living space and reduce unnecessary conflicts.”

“Second, the location of Prosperous Cloud is close to my company and your school. If I am unable to pick you up from school in the future, it will be very convenient for you to come back by yourself.” 

These two things sounded reasonable. Lu Qi said “huh” and asked again, “What is the third reason?”

This time, Mu Nanqiao was silent for a moment.

When he spoke again, his voice was a little hoarse. “Also, I’m in a very good mood when I see you sleeping unguarded next to me every morning.”

Lu Qi: ? ? ? 

“In a good mood?” Lu Qi blinked in confusion. “Then isn’t that great?”

Mu Nanqiao took a deep breath and said directly: “Baby, the physical reaction is hard and uncomfortable.”

This sentence revealed a bit of despair and frustration, falling into Lu Qi’s ears crudely and directly. But his voice sounded so nice, with a savage tension. Lu Qi’s face turned red, and he suddenly realized why Mu Nanqiao lingered in bed for a while every morning.

Not knowing how to respond, he could only hold his mobile phone and whisper: “Don’t say such things in front of Xiao Hei. It will hurt the cat too much…..”

Mu Nanqiao laughed when the chief culprit said this, but he was sensible enough not to cause trouble and continued to coax: “That apartment is a loft, with two guest bedrooms and two master bedrooms. If you move over, you can have a room to yourself.”

It sounded very tempting.

But Lu Qi felt that it didn’t seem like Mu Nanqiao would let him sleep by himself…..

Wu, maybe he was overthinking it.

“Then let me think about it…..” Lu Qi paused for a moment, then suddenly said in a low voice that was like a hum: “En…..after all, there is a physiological reaction. Cough, I have it too, ah…..”

Mu Nanqiao was momentarily stunned. By the time he could react, Lu Qi had already quickly hung up the phone.

He held the mobile phone and continuously made calls. The glass of the floor-to-ceiling windows reflected his tall, straight profile, and just leaning against a table, he looked like he was doing a photo shoot for a fashion magazine. Anyone who took a look from outside the door would think that Boss Mu was talking business with someone. They would never guess that his ear was red under the phone, the heat still spreading.

Lu Qi’s shy and awkward words were actually very easy to understand.

He also desired Mu Nanqiao, just like Mu Nanqiao desired him.

Like a spark falling into a haystack, it burst into flames with a loud boom, burning Mu Nanqiao’s heart and making his throat dry.

His little deer was so warm and straightforward. If he liked someone, he would respond clearly. Like a small meteor trailing flames, rushing straight toward him, so that in the magnificent light, he could only hear his own heart beating up and down due to that blazing love.

Mu Nanqiao felt that he couldn’t wait until he clocked out of work. He wanted to leave early and go back to the den as soon as possible to embrace Lu Qi and kiss him until his lips were swollen.

He walked out of the lounge covered in cat hair, walking so fast that he almost bumped into a woman at the corner, and reached out to steady her.

The other person was none other than his dad’s secretary. She had been his father’s right-hand person all these years, and Mu Nanqiao respected her very much. He lowered his head and called her “Aunt Yuan.”

But in the company, Aunt Yuan was very formal. She observed propriety, and had no intention of playing up her old age just because she had the boss’s respect. As an elder, she was very curious as to why Mu Nanqiao, who had always been steady, was suddenly so reckless. But as a subordinate, she just shook her head to indicate that she was fine, and then explained her purpose for coming to him. 

He expression was filled with unconcealable excitement as she grabbed Mu Nanqiao’s arm and said: “Boss Mu, I wanted to tell you that Chairman Mu just stood up!”

. . . . . . .

Mu Nanqiao walked quickly and listened all the way, getting a rough understanding of the situation just now.

Today was the day for the doctor’s examination, and Secretary Yuan said that when the doctor was examining Mu Chuanbai, it was said that Lin Yuan’s second trial still upheld the original verdict.

Mu Chuanbai laughed.

Secretary Yuan couldn’t understand his laugh, and only thought that it was complicated. At that moment, Mu Chuanbai seemed to have put something down and picked something up again. 

He held the edge of the table and suddenly exerted force with his arms. Even though his two long legs were in a comical posture, shaking and tottering, and although he only lasted less than five seconds, he did indeed stand up.

Then he fell heavily back into the wheelchair, smiling with reddened eyes.

When Mu Nanqiao arrived, Mu Chuanbai had already completed his examination. His doctor’s face was full of excitement, and he was discussing with Mu Chuanbai about going to the hospital for a checkup.

Naturally, Mu Nanqiao had to accompany him. He walked over quickly and half-crouched in front of Mu Chuanbai. He helped pick up the fallen blanket and then looked at his dad.

“Dad, you stood up?” His voice was still steady, and one could only hear him choking up if they listened carefully.

“Yes, ah.” Mu Chuanbai rubbed his hair, just like when his son would lie on his lap and listen to stories when he was a child. He laughed with tears in his eyes. “It’s a pity you didn’t see it.”

“It doesn’t matter.” Mu Chuanbai pushed him out. “There will be many opportunities to see it in the future.”

The examination results were predictably good. There were no major problems with Mu Chuanbai’s legs. It was just that several years of inactivity had caused muscle atrophy, and full recovery would require a period of rehabilitation.

After a series of examinations were completed, Secretary Yuan found an empty ward for the father and son and closed the door to give them some space.

Mu Nanqiao had known for a long while that the reason Mu Chuanbai couldn’t stand up and walk again was not because of the serious injury to his legs, but because of a mental disorder.

Subconsciously, he had been punishing himself.

But today, when Lin Yuan’s matter became a foregone conclusion, and those who had hurt his child had either died in accidents or were imprisoned, he finally decided to let himself off.

Neither father nor son smoked, but this time they each asked for one from the bodyguards. This was the Mu private hospital. If they occasionally took the prerogative, no one would stop them.

The two of them lit the flame in an unfamiliar manner, and after taking a drag, they both coughed together.

Mu Chuanbai coughed and laughed at the same time. “Cough, cough, if your mother knew what were are doing, she would definitely hit us with her fists…..coughcoughcough…..she hates the smell of cigarettes the most…..”

“Cough…..” Mu Nanqiao said, “Lu Qi, cough, doesn’t like it either…..”

Neither of them touched the cigarettes again until they burned out and the ward was filled with the pungent smell of nicotine.

Mu Nanqiao’s body felt numb from sitting. He crushed the cigarette butt and stood up first, looking at his dad.

Their similar faces silently told of the connection between them. He was the blood of Mu Chuanbai and Talia, the person destined to be loved by them since birth.

Because of this love, he felt guilty, and it hurt so much that he had to punish himself in the most severe way.

He leaned over and hugged Mu Chuanbai, whispering: “Dad, thank you for everything you have done for me.”

It turned out that there really were gods in this world.

. . . . . . .

After receiving the news from Mu Nanqiao, Lu Qi was so excited that he couldn’t sit still. But the current state of his sprained ankle forced him to sit still, so he looked at his phone for a while, feeling unbearably itchy, and waited for more news from Mu Nanqiao.

Uncle Mu had stood up…..

What good news this was! He always remembered that when he first met Mu Chuanbai, he was impressed by the elder’s demeanor. He had also thought many times about how great it would be if Uncle Mu could stand up.

Now that the miracle had happened, he didn’t know how happy Mu Nanqiao must be.

So when he heard the door unlock, he immediately hopped over like a one-legged rabbit and asked expectantly, “Uncle, he…..”

Before he could finish his question, he was hugged by Mu Nanqiao.

“What’s wrong?” He patted Mu Nanqiao on the shoulder.

“Nothing.” Mu Nanqiao’s nose gently nuzzled the side of his neck, drawing indescribable comfort from his warm scent. “I’m happy for my dad and for myself.”

Even though those wounds objectively still existed, he was always loved. And because he was loved, he knew how to love.

Lu Qi heard something in his tone.

Mu Nanqiao told him that Mu Chuanbai’s legs were not caused by a physical reason, but a psychological obstacle. There was only one reason that he could stand up again, and that was because the psychological obstacle had disappeared.

Lu Qi didn’t know much about Mu Chuanbai, but he was undoubtedly a mentally strong person, and the reason for a psychological disorder in such a person was obvious. Perhaps it was only his lover and his child.

But he felt that Mu Chuanbai didn’t want this matter to become a psychological burden on Mu Nanqiao. The two of them were indeed a father and son connected by blood. They both cared about each other and loved to dwell on their problems.

“Then do you want to go home for the next couple of days, ah?” Lu Qi suggested earnestly: “I know you didn’t go home often because there were some things you didn’t want Uncle and Auntie to know, but now that you and Uncle have taken a big step forward, maybe you can change the way you spend time together? En…..how about you go home and visit more often?”

Mu Naqiao gave him a hesitant look, his ears slowly turning red.

He was at a rare loss, and his fox-like eyes looked a little helpless because of this feeling. “Sometimes I don’t know what to say to my dad. It seems that we talk more about business when we’re together…..”

Suddenly, his eyes lit up. He looked at Lu Qi and said: “There is still you.”

Lu Qi: “Ah?”

The next day when he and Mu Nanchiao returned home, he was still a little confused and didn’t know what he was doing.

When they arrived, Mu Chuanbai was recuperating. He stood up with assistive equipment, stood for a while, and then sat down to rest. Mu Chuanbai looked surprised when he saw Mu Nanqiao coming in with a fruit basket.

“What are you doing here today?” Mu Chuanbai looked at the fruit basket with some disgust. “And you brought such a tacky thing…..”

“Uncle.” Lu Qi poked his head out from behind Mu Nanqiao. “That…..I brought it…..”

“This fruit basket is rich in color and balanced in nutrition. Every fruit is so fresh and perfect.” Mu Chuanbai smiled and nodded. “Thank you, Xiao Lu. I like it very much.”

Lu Qi: …..

Mu Nanqiao: …..

Lu Qi seemed to know why he had appeared here.

---

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

What non-serious illness required such a long diagnosis and treatment process? Liang Shu had been sitting there for half a day. His back hurt, and he became increasingly bored. He wanted to go into the courtyard and play with the bird, but feared that this would lead to the next piece of admonishment, “Be prepared for danger in times of peace, abstain from extravagance and be frugal.” He called to the little maid in front of him and asked: “Is your Old Master actually seriously ill?”

The little maid replied respectfully: “The illness is not serious, but he is old, so the treatment process is a bit more troublesome. The last time Doctor Zhang came to see him, he needed to do acupuncture for three hours.”

Liang Shu knew that Doctor Zhang was well-known for his speed in treating patients. He had fixed his dislocated arm when he was a child, and his technique was nearly comparable to that of a shadowless swordsman. Since even he had to examine him for three hours, wouldn’t it be necessary for his own family’s slow, lazy person to stay for three days?

At this thought, His Royal Highness Xiao Wang immediately had a severe headache. It was fine for that old man to talk a lot when he was a court official, but now that he had resigned, he could still go around causing him trouble. It was simply baffling to death.

But in fact, Old Master Lu was not in an agreeable mood at this time. He believed that he was loyal, benevolent, righteous and upright, and indeed used this as his motto. He had stood upright in the court hall for decades, his soul burning for Dayan, and now that he was old, he was asked by a young man, what have you done in your life for the common people?

He was half stunned and half dumbfounded. Liu Xian’an was not deliberately going against the old man, but besides diagnosing him, he also wanted to explain the truth clearly. A dynasty should naturally have loyal and devoted ministers, but there was no tolerance for any so called “deviant” people to make casual suggestions here and there, which was really troublesome.

Old Master Lu wanted to retort, but at the moment, he didn’t know where to start. In addition, being treated so rudely by a junior, there was even more irritability in his ill heart, so he simply closed his eyes indignantly. He immediately said: “Miracle Doctor Liu, it is getting late. Why don’t I send the doctor back home first?”

Liu Xian’an shook his head. “There is no rush. The acupuncture has not been finished yet.”

Old Master Lu flicked his sleeves and said: “I am in good health these days. There is only a slight pain in my ribs. I will not trouble the miracle doctor.”

A-Ning covertly tugged on his young master’s clothes from behind, indicating that it was best to persuade him. Liu Xian’an said: “Old Master Lu’s lower ribs are swollen and painful, and his diet is reduced, which is caused by long-term depression and anger. Acupuncture can only provide temporary relief, but cannot cure the root case. You still must change your temperament, otherwise, in the long run, you may have poor blood circulation and blocked meridians, and the five internal organs may be affected. By then it would be difficult for the gods to heal you, not to mention a miracle doctor.”

Old Master Liu asked rhetorically: “Could it be that I still fear death?”

These sounded generous and calm to others, but he happened to meet the immortal who was the most indifferent to life and death in this world. Liu Xian’an nodded: “Death is also fine.”

Young Master Lu: “Cough, cough, cough, cough.”

A-Ning patted him on the back sympathetically.

Old Master Lu said coldly: “The miracle doctor seems to dislike this old man very much.”

“The Old Master worries too much.” Liu Xian’an said, “When you are alive, you have dreams but do not understand them. Sometimes you think you have awakened from a dream, not knowing that you have entered another big dream. Life and death in dreams are nothing more than closing your eyes and opening them, so I will never force a patient to live. If the Old Master thinks that death is better, then he can die. This dream will end and another dream will come to life. Isn’t everything in the universe repeated like this?”

Old Master Lu’s lips trembled for a long time, and he spoke a pent-up sentence: “Sophistry!”

“It is the Heavenly Dao,” Liu Xian’an said. “If we insist on talking about the difference between this dream and that dream, it may be that in the next dream, the Old Master might not see his little granddaughter. When I came in just now, I saw her wearing a colorful silk skirt. She was extremely loveable and cute, five years old?”

“Nearly seven years old.” Young Master Liu finally found a chance to interrupt, and stepped forward quickly.

“Seven years old, ah. Then in ten years, she will find someone she likes” Liu Xian’an packed the medicine bag. “If the Old Master wants to drink wedding wine, he must learn to relax his mind and appreciate the beauty in all things. The sunset in the northeast, the vast Eastern Sea, the Baihe River like the mother of the earth, nourishing thousands of acres of fertile plains. There is also the prince, who is brave, resourceful, and has the world in his heart. At a young age, his pacified the northwest and settled the southwest, and is single-handedly responsible for the stable livelihoods of tens of millions of people on the border. The Old Master can take leave to recuperate when he is ill, but when the prince is injured, he can only take a handful of medicine in the trenches. The Old Master turns a blind eye to all his hard work, and only notices his arrogant character, accusing him of being unwilling to be a loyal, obedient, and honest person. How could there be such an absurd truth in the world?”

Young Master Lu looked at his grandfather, scared out of his wits.

Breathing heavily, Old Master Lu said: “His Royal Highness Xiao Wang has outstanding military exploits. Of course I know that, but as a minister, one should…..one should…..cough, cough.”

Liu Xian’an deftly injected a needle to stop his coughing. Old Master Liu wanted to faint, but failed, so he had to continue sitting. Liu Xian’an said: “There should be many rules for being a minister, but the prince was not born to follow rules, so if the country was stable and the common people were prosperous, I would have taken him away long ago to roam freely around the world. And the reason he is currently staying in Wangcheng, the reason he is willing to continue staying in a palace full of rules, what do you think that is?

Young Master Lu answered the question to smooth things over. That is naturally because the prince attaches great importance to the country and its people. Admirable, admirable.

“I like the prince’s temperament very much. If the Old Master doesn’t like it, he doesn’t have to see it. Simply find someone to carry the burden of the military for the prince and allow him to be free in the world.” Liu Xian’an stood up and said, “If you cannot do these two things, I am afraid you can only continue to be angry. Because the prince must continue to stand in court, and the Old Master can only suffer from pain in the ribs to the five organs. In the end, you will collapse in a mixture of pus and blood, and it will be difficult for the gods to save you.”

Old Master Lu thought in a daze, look for another person? But where was there such a person in the world?

Liu Xian’an’s heart said, you won’t find one. He didn’t know if he could convince this pedantic white-bearded old man, but at least he tried. Death was death. Everything died and everything was born. There was nothing wrong with that.

He left a prescription and walked out like an immortal.

A-Ning followed behind with the small medicine box and thought with admiration, ah, no wonder the young master had to eat cold fruit to moisten his throat this afternoon!

Seeing that the master and servant had finally left, the guards in the courtyard all breathed sighs of relief. As for the servants of Lu Manor, they were only able to raise their hands to wipe their sweat after the courtyard door closed with a squeak and look at each other, not daring to say anything out loud.

Liang Shu in the front hall had almost fallen asleep waiting. He was sitting in the Eight Immortals chair, holding his forehead with one hand and closing his eyes tightly. The summer breeze blew a few strands of his hair slightly up, his facial features were deep, and his robes were like water. His entire person looked like the beautiful statue of a war god from the western regions. The little maid blushed and her heart skipped a beat. She thought to herself that if she got married in the future, she would definitely marry such a good-looking man, and definitely not marry someone bad-looking.

As she looked, she suddenly saw the corners of His Royal Highness Xiao Wang’s mouth rise slightly. The little maid was startled, thinking that she had been caught secretly observing him, and quickly lowered her head.

The next moment, another white shadow passed in front of her eyes. Liang Shu smiled and stretched out his arms, pulling in the person in front of him. “Finished taking a look?”

“Finished.” Liu Xian’an intertwined their fingers. “Let’s go home.”

Seeing that Young Master Lu was still standing outside the door, waiting to see the guests off, Liang Shu didn’t ask any more questions. It wasn’t until they went out and boarded the carriage that he said: “How is the old man?”

“If he does as I said, he will have no problem living for another seven or eight years. If he does not listen, it is hard to say.”

“See, I said that old man is troublesome but looks like he’ll live a long time.”

“En.”

Liu Xian’an had just talked a lot, and was thirsty and tired. When they returned home, he drank two large cups of water in one breath. Liang Shu watched for a long time and then reached out and poked his gurgling stomach, asking in confusion: “The Lu family wouldn’t even give you a cup of water?”

“I didn’t want it, and had no time.” Liu Xian’an breathed out. “I’m going to bathe first.”

When Liang Shu went out, he gestured to the two Imperial guards: “Speak.”

“Answering Your Highness, Second Young Master Liu reprimanded the Old Master.”

Liang Shu seemed to have gone deaf: “What?”

The Imperial guards were all children of noble families and had studied a lot, so their ability to memorize words was much better than that of Lieutenant General Gao. The two said: “Old Master Lu is still up to his old ways, giving the prince’s ears callouses. Second Young Master Liu is not accustomed to it. He first asked the old man what practical things he had done for the common people in his life and also enumerated the prince’s achievements, saying that if he really couldn’t stand the prince, he could…..die? Or find someone to take over the prince’s position.”

Liang Shu: “Pfft!”

“Also, the Second Young Master said that he likes the prince’s arrogant character and wants to elope with him.”

“What elopement, it was just to run away with him.”

“Running away with him is nothing less than elopement.”

“……”

“Ahem.” The Imperial guard continued, “In short, Second Young Master Liu made an impassioned speech, and his words were not outdone. We listened outside the window. The old man didn’t say ten sentences in total, and he even stuttered at the end.”

Liang Shu was in a very good mood, so he tossed them pieces of silver as a reward and went to the bathing room to find a certain person with his hands behind his back, not forgetting to tidy up his clothes before going inside. After all, they were going to elope, so he naturally had to look handsome and charming.

Liu Xian’an was not in the mood to admire him carefully, so sleepy from soaking in the hot water that he didn’t want to talk or even open his eyes. Liang Shu tied his wet hair up and took a cloth to wipe his shoulders, saying with a sigh: “I originally came here to be a frivolous beauty, but now I’ve found hard labor in the bathhouse scrubbing someone’s back.”

Liu Xian’an laughed. He leaned on the edge of the tub and exposed his back to him. A slender waist emerged from the bathwater, and Liang Shu’s hand descended smoothly. His palm slid over two pieces of soft, smooth jade as he drew closer and said: “Shall I come in to accompany you?”

“It can’t fit two people.”

“I’ll hold you.”

Liu Xian’an frowned slightly and felt that bathing in such a way would be too cumbersome. Just when he was about to refuse, the water in the tub was already surging. Liang Shu held his waist and suddenly lifted the person on top of him. Liu Xian’an had nowhere to balance, so he could only place his arms around the other’s shoulders. When he looked down in a daze, his lips were wet and red from the water.

Before Liang Shu could be scolded, he rushed to take a bite of this flash of color.

Although the peaches boiled in sugar water were sweet, they were not sweet enough to enter His Royal Highness Xiao Wang’s heart. Now, he was truly marinated in honey and sugar, making his bones soft and tender.

The water in the bathtub rippled all over the floor, and the cold fruit eaten in the afternoon had no effect on soothing his throat. Liu Xian’an buried his head in the other person’s shoulder. He couldn’t take it anymore and begged, but he couldn’t tell the difference between reality and dreams.

Because in his dreams, there was also some slightly hot water and the same mighty person.

In the end, he couldn’t even remember which time and space he fell asleep in.

Liang Shu picked this person up and placed him on the soft wool rug in the bathroom.

He was far from satisfied, and the night was still very long.

. . . . . . .

Dragging his aching body, he moved with difficulty to the table in broad daylight, drank two cups of tea, and lay back in bed. Almost as soon as he closed his eyes, he fell back to sleep. This time, he didn’t even see His Royal Highness Xiao Wang in the Three Thousand Worlds. He found a cabin, locked the door, and had a crane carry the cabin to the end of the sky. Wrapped up in a quilt, he slept in such a big dream that he didn’t know how to return…..and he also didn’t want to return, because he would be tired if he returned.

And lazy eggs hated being tired the most.

But Liang Shu was not tired at all. Even Liang Yu felt that the man looked radiant today as he stood among a bunch of officials that morning, simply outstanding and unparalleled. After asking around the court, he found out that Second Young Master Liu was going to elope with his unfortunate younger brother.

“……”

Liang Yu’s brain ached, and he felt that he might as well not have asked. He was happy just because of this feckless thing?

An Imperial guard hurriedly said: “Although Old Master Lu didn’t say a word last night, when I heard Doctor Wang talk about it this morning, he really seemed to have cheered up a bit. Although he still sighs once or twice from time to time, it is much better than his deeply worried appearance before. Doctor Wang took the opportunity to suggest that he go to Beiyang City to rest for a while, and the Old Master seemed to agree.”

“Really?” Liang Yu thought for a moment. “Bah, since he agreed, let us arrange for him to leave as soon as possible, so that my ears will be clean quicker.”

Three days later, the Lu family’s contingent drove out of the city at dusk. As they left, various rumors began to spread throughout Wangcheng. One of the most widely-circulated stories was that Second Young Master Liu had fought three hundred rounds with him and forced that person to leave.

Many court officials were also shocked. After all, Old Master Lu had been an official for many years, and had always been the one to scold others. How could anyone scold him back? What’s more, they scolded him out of the royal city. Did he have such an eloquent tongue?

Therefore, there were some meddlesome people who went around to find out what exactly Second Young Master Liu said.

“What did Second Young Master Liu say?” The female entertainers also gathered around and asked curiously.

A junior official lowered his voice and said: “It is said that Second Young Master Liu told Old Master Lu that if he dared to scold His Royal Highness Xiao Wang again in the future, he would die immediately!”

The female entertainers said: “…..Sir, listen to yourself, is this human speech?”

The official said: “It was something like that. Anyway, that is what is said outside.”

“We don’t believe it.” The female entertainers sat back in their respective seats and continued to drink tea and eat melon seeds. What kind of person was Second Young Master Liu? He had passed by on horseback yesterday on the main street, wearing an unknown rare material. His whole body sparkled, and his appearance was like that of an immortal. How could an immortal say such words to scold someone?

Moreover, Old Master Lu was known for being a stubborn person. He would bang his head against a pillar to remonstrate with his blood at every turn. How could he have the temperament to run away with his entire family just after being scolded by others to go die? Fake, extremely fake.

Therefore, rumors continued to circulate indiscriminately. Although the common people knew that their credibility was worrisome, they did not hesitate to seize them and discuss them in the streets and alleys for fun. 

Liang Shu sent people to scout the city for several days, but they found no harsh rumors, so he stopped searching and asked: “Where is Xiao An? Still in the ancient book tower?”

“Answering Your Highness, Second Young Master Liu has returned.” The servant said, “He should be in the study now, discussing the renovation drawings with the craftsmen.”

Liang Shu then stood up to seek him out. Before he entered the door, he saw a group of craftsmen gathered together in the courtyard with troubled expressions. It was unknown what they were whispering about, so he asked, “What, can it not be repaired?”

“Your Royal Highness.” Everyone saluted, and then someone said hesitantly, Second Young Master Liu has not expressed his thoughts yet, but just now we took a look at the diagram spread out on the table and it seemed…..it seemed to be a house that could fly.

Heavens, who could create this?

Liang Shu raised his eyebrows slightly, then pushed the door open and entered the study. Liu Xian’an was still lying on the table, drawing a diagram carefully without looking up. Liang Shu stood behind him and looked to the side to see an exquisite pavilion floating above the layers of clouds, the moon and the sun hanging not far away. It really could fly. He said with a smile: “Can it be built?”

“It is not possible now, but perhaps in the future.” Liu Xian’an explained all the detailed parts. It was not too troublesome.

Liang Shu nodded and kept him company for a while, watching. There were tables, chairs, a qin, and snacks in the flying pavilion. It was comfortable and leisurely, pleasing to an immortal. Naturally, it did not lack the most important thing, a bed. Liu Xian’an drew the bed according to the style of his waterside pavilion. Liang Shu was dissatisfied, and pointed out: “This is too small, make it a little bigger.”

Liu Xian’an agreed perfunctorily with an “En, en,” but his drawing did not change. It was still a narrow bed. One person could feel comfortable lying on it, but two people would find it too cramped.

Liang Shu grabbed his hair tie: “Then where should I sleep?”

Liu Xian’an muttered something unclearly.

Liang Shu frowned, thought for a moment, and then realized: “You don’t intend to leave me alone on the floor, do you?”

Liu Xian’an responded unclearly: “Wu.” It is fine for you to stay here for a while. Anyway, I won’t be flying in the sky forever.

Liang Shu was very dissatisfied: “Why!”

Liu Xian’an replied: “No reason.”

Since they were always together in this world and in the Three Thousand Worlds, then by building a pavilion in this world that could only be found in the Three Thousand Worlds, couldn’t he take a vacation? Liu Xian’an felt very tired when he thought about his backache that night. And it was foreseeable that there would be many nights like this, so he refused to make the bed bigger. Without you, I can sleep alone.

Liang Shu asked: “Then if your pavilion is blown away by the wind, where should I go to chase it?”

Liu Xian’an thought for a while and made a concession: “Then let me draw you a rope.”

“Good, you draw it.”

Liu Xian’an really drew a line as thin as a kite string.

“It’s too thin!”

“It won’t break.”

“Who says it won’t break.”

“I say it won’t!”

Liang Shu: “…..Okay, okay, okay. You have the final say.”

Being able to annoy the all-capable Sleeping Immortal to this level was indeed His Royal Highness Xiao Wang’s unique ability.

Liu Xian’an traced the length of the line and drew a dashing man on the ground, holding the other end of the line in his hand.

Liang Shu gave a soft light and said in his ear: “Then I must hold on tighter.”

Liu Xian’an warned: “Don’t always pull me down.”

“I won’t pull you.” Liang Shu said, “You can sleep up there, but if I really want to, I can just climb up along the line and look at you. I will only look from a distance and leave when I’ve seen enough, and never bother you, okay?”

Liu Xian’an gave an “En.” Okay.

But I won’t sleep for long. I will take a short nap and then go home.

The two of them simply leaned together and drew a flying pavilion, speaking of things that others would not know or comprehend, until they finally filled up the entire paper. Liu Xian’an dried the ink and carefully placed the drawing into a box. It didn’t matter if it could not be built. In any case, in his mind, the pavilion was already swaying amongst the clouds, floating very freely.

When Liang Shu left the study, the circle of craftsmen outside hurriedly gathered around and asked: “Did the prince revise the drawing with Second Young Master Liu?”

“Yes, the changes have been completed,” Liang Shu said. “But you don’t need to build that pavilion.”

What a joke. Even if they were asked to build it, would they be able to? The craftsmen all laughed together and inquired: “Then…..I wonder which skilled craftsman should be invited to build it?”

Liang Shu said, calm and relaxed: “Me.”

---

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Extra 1 << Table of Contents >> Extra Three

Huo Fenglie was also very fast, and when he saw the incoming palm, he directly raised his palm to meet it. 

At the moment their internal forces collided, Huo Fenglie’s face paled and blood overflowed from the corners of his mouth.

Huo Fenglie was in disbelief. How could the dwarf before him have such abnormal internal force? In terms of martial arts, Huo Fenglie was definitely among the top. He could handle any number of powerful masters, but the one in front of him was simply superior to all of them, just like a legendary hermit master.

Huo Fenglie knew that his internal force couldn’t last long, but upon careful inspection, he found that this person was also very strange. His body twitched, and blood began to ooze from under the mask, but there was no sound of being hurt, only a steady stream of internal force.

At this moment, Qin Yu abruptly leaped out of the water and struck the dwarf with a palm. He Lan also jumped over at nearly the same time.

Three against one, they still couldn’t shake the dwarf at all. With a burst of internal force, Qin Yu and He Lan were struck away again. Huo Fenglie’s eyes gradually turned red, indicating that his internal force was beginning to go out of control, and increasing at the same time.

The man and woman began to besiege He Lan and Qin Yu, causing them to be unable to assist Huo Fenglie.

Such an unfavorable situation made Liu Zhenqing anxious. At this moment, he noticed something flash past the dwarf’s messy head.

He suddenly recalled that there was a twisted method of controlling people recorded in some medical tome. It used silver needles to stimulate the brain and the body’s potential, but after using them once, that person would be useless.

Liu Zhenqing didn’t dare to make a random guess, but there was no other way at the moment.

“There’s something wrong with the top of his head,” Liu Zhenqing called out at once.

This time, except for the unreacting dwarf, everyone else was startled.

Especially the remaining three villains, whose expressions changed drastically.

The old man stopped secretly releasing his hidden weapons and attacked Liu Zhenqing directly.

When Huo Fenglie witnessed this scene, he immediately lost control and raised his other hand to slap the dwarf on the head. Even though the dwarf dodged, the silver needle on his head was still knocked off.

In an instant, the dwarf twitched even more violently and fell to the ground. He soon became stiff, dying just like that.

Although it was a great victory, no one cared. Huo Fenglie flew wildly toward Liu Zhenqing, while He Lan and Qin Yu continued to deal with the other two Evils.

Liu Zhenqing saw the old man close by and looked at the hidden weapon hidden in his hand with a deep understanding. If he couldn’t dodge in the next moment, he would certainly die, but he didn’t know martial arts and couldn’t evade at any speed.

At the critical moment, the sound of rushing water gave Liu Zhenqing inspiration. He happened to be standing on the edge of the stone bridge, and jumped backwards. The old man’s hands froze before they could take action.

He seemed to have avoided the flying hidden weapons, but during the fall, he heard Huo Fenglie’s roar. Liu Zhenqing anxiously wanted to call out, but could only grunt as he entered the water.

Liu Zhenqing was good in the water, and even though the current was strong, he was able to suddenly poke his head out and call, “I’m okay!”

But when he looked up, he saw a red-eyed Huo Fenglie break the old man’s neck with one hand and then fly toward him.

Huo Fenglie’s hard strike and fierce demeanor was so unfamiliar that it startled Liu Zhenqing as he drifted in the water. But soon after, he was embraced by Huo Fenglie. He thought that Huo Fenglie would use qinggong to fly them out, but all he did was hug him. Huo Fenglie fainted on the spot, and Liu Zhenqing had to keep him afloat.

Liu Zhenqing awkwardly assisted him, and looked to the side to seek help. The moment he glimpsed the stone bridge, he saw He Lan confronting the two in order to save Qin Yu, who had suffered internal injuries.

The man’s palm was blocked by He Lan, but then the woman threw a handful of white powder, and He Lan’s eyes were instantly blinded. Both sides were at the end of their fight. Qin Yu regained his breath and grabbed He Lan, jumping into the river to escape in the current.

This was good, all four people had entered the water.

Because Qin Yu accelerated them through the water, he quickly caught up with Liu Zhenqing and Huo Fenglie. They were currently far away from the stone bridge. If the two villains wanted to catch up, they would have to dive into the water, but this was also disadvantageous for them. They could only stand on the bridge and watch them fade away.

Everyone was knocked around by the current that swiftly carried them away. Soon, a horizontal branch appeared and saved the lives of the four of them.

Qin Yu and He Lan lay on one end, while Liu Zhenqing and Huo Fenglie lay on the other.

“How are you?” Qin Yu quickly asked Liu Zhenqing.

“I’m fine, but he…..” Liu Zhenqing gestured to Huo Fenglie, whose face gradually became pained. He checked his pulse, and it was so chaotic that he couldn’t tell whether his internal force was out of control or not.

“It’s probably his old illness. He has the medicine on him, see if he’ll take it,” Qin Yu quickly explained.

Liu Zhenqing tried to feel around for the medicine, but the flow of the water was too fast, making it difficult. Even if he got it, it may fall into the water and be swept away if he wasn’t careful.

Just when Liu Zhenqing raised his head to look for a way to get ashore, he heard Qin Yu say in a rare panic: “Yundu!”

Qin Yu rarely called out He Lan’s name, and almost never called his first name. Something must have happened for him to call out like this.

At this time, Liu Zhenqing saw that He Lan had fallen unconscious at some point, his expression gradually becoming abnormal.

Recalling the lady’s poison powder at the end, Liu Zhenqing hurriedly raised a hand and reached over just enough to grab He Lan’s wrist.

Qin Yu was calling out to He Lan, and couldn’t help being confused when he saw Liu Zhenqing’s brows go from frowning to twitching. He cursed inwardly, she deserved to be called lecherous.

“Hurry up and get ashore. I have antidote pills here.”

“He’s poisoned? What kind of poison?”

Liu Zhenqing didn’t talk nonsense at this time. “The woman used poison to force him to submit. Just give him the medicine later.”

Rage flashed across Qin Yu’s face. “I won’t have mercy on them.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Liu Zhenqing spotted a vine hanging down in the water from the corner of his eye. Qin Yu also saw it, and the two of them quickly grabbed hold.

Qin Yu said: “Take Zhanyuan up first.”

“You fly up first and pull us, it’ll be faster,” Liu Zhenqing said.

“I can’t, I’m injured and can’t use my internal force at the moment,” Qin Yu explained.

Liu Zhenqing gritted his teeth, and could only quickly drag Huo Fenglie with one hand and grab the vine with the other. Finally, he touched ashore and pulled Huo Fenglie up. He turned around to grab He Lan, but as soon as he took his hand, there was a snap as the vine broke. Liu Zhenqing tried to hold onto He Lan, but his hand slipped due to the force of the water.

In the blink of an eye, Qin Yu was once again holding He Lan as they drifted away.

Liu Zhenqing was greatly alarmed. He chased a few steps but found that it was impossible. Then he thought of something and quickly took out the bottle of detoxification pills, throwing it toward the two people in the distance. Fortunately, Qin Yu caught it accurately.

Liu Zhenqing could only shout out the important part: “Detoxify him within an hour, or else he’ll die!” In an instant, the two of them vanished from sight.

He had no choice but to take care of Huo Fenglie first.

According to Qin Yu’s words, he patted Huo Fenglie down for a long moment before finding a special medicine bottle. The mark on it belonged to his senior sister.

He opened it and took a sniff. It should be good for the body. Liu Zhenqing poured out a pill unthinkingly and tried to feed it to Huo Fenglie.

But Huo Fenglie seemed to be in great pain, and clenched his teeth tightly. No matter how hard Liu Zhenqing tried, he couldn’t pry them open.

Liu Zhenqing suddenly recalled a modern TV plot. At this time, the heroine would be feeding the hero medicine with her mouth, but Liu Zhenqing thought that was laughable. She couldn’t open his mouth with her hands, but she could open it with her tongue?

With this in mind, Liu Zhenqing leaned directly toward Huo Fenglie’s ear and threatened: “Er-gou, open your mouth and take the medicine, otherwise Qing-ge won’t like you. If you take the medicine obediently, Qing-ge will kiss you.”

It was originally said as a joke, but it seemed that the unconscious person could really hear him. As soon as Liu Zhenqing finished speaking, although Huo Fenglie’s expression was still very pained and his whole body was tense, his mouth opened tremblingly.

Liu Zhenqing was dumbfounded, and then he hurriedly administered the medicine. After achieving success, he felt a little inexplicably proud.

He didn’t expect that Er-gou liked him enough to be obedient even while unconscious.

Liu Zhenqing looked at Huo Fenglie’s lips, which were still wet with water. They seemed very soft, as if they were waiting for something, and Liu Zhenqing’s face felt hot for no reason.

Thinking of the joke he had made, he darted his eyes around guiltily and finally coughed. “Anyway, this isn’t the first time I’ve deceived you. No begging allowed!”

After saying this, he quickly stood up and carried the unconscious Huo Fenglie on his back, heading in the direction of the water flow to look for traces of Qin Yu and He Lan.

But Huo Fenglie was too heavy, and Liu Zhenqing couldn’t bear it. When his legs became weak, he fell heavily to the ground with Huo Fenglie.

Liu Zhenqing grimaced in pain, but still got up quickly. After checking on Huo Fenglie behind him and making sure he was okay, he had just breathed a sigh of relief when he felt a chill come over him.

Liu Zhenqing instinctively hugged Huo Fenglie and dodged aside. When he got up in disarray, he saw a throwing knife where he had just been sitting, and two people descended in front of him.

His expression instantly became extremely ugly, and he took out a dagger, holding it in front of him.

Even though he took a posture of resistance, the two villains knew he had no martial arts skills and didn’t show any vigilance, saying scornfully: “Why only two?”

“One is unconscious and the other is useless. Let’s just kill them and then go after the other two.”

As he spoke, the man among them tried to rush over, but was hindered by the dagger Liu Zhenqing wielded.

Liu Zhenqing knew he had no choice but to use the water to escape again, but the timing…..

Just as the other party was about to rush up, Liu Zhenqing raised his hand and pushed Huo Fenglie into the river. He tried to jump in, but it was too late. 

There was pain in his shoulder as a sharp object penetrated it, and Liu Zhenqing screamed.

“Little mouse, where are you running?”

The man stabbed him with a knife in one hand and tried to pierce Liu Zhenqing’s heart with the other, but there was a sudden splash and something appeared above his field of vision.

The speed was so fast that the man only had time to raise his eyes, and his pupils instantly shrank. He only saw the black sword blade passing above Liu Zhenqing, and because the man stood a head taller than Liu Zhenqing, the black sword passed directly through his field of vision, pierced between his eyebrows, and passed through his head.

A pair of red eyes that were practically dripping blood and a face as primeval and murderous as a demon’s was the last horrific image the man saw.

The man fell down, and so did Liu Zhenqing, but this time there was no embrace. Even though Huo Fenglie was standing beside him, he didn’t pay attention to him at all.

Liu Zhenqing raised his eyes and looked over. “Er-gou?”

Before Liu Zhenqing called out, he only saw Huo Fenglie’s cold back as he walked step by step in front of him. It seemed that he was shielding Liu Zhenqing behind him.

But Liu Zhenqing felt inexplicably uneasy.

The only remaining Evil was the furious woman. She didn’t think she was unable to handle Huo Fenglie on her own, and felt that the man had made a mistake just now. After all, Huo Fenglie had previously fought against the dwarf, and under normal circumstances, he should have died from internal injuries. This was probably his last surge of strength before death. But when she looked at Huo Fenglie’s posture, she felt that he seemed to have no rational thought, only instinct. Like an animal, trapping its prey in its own territory and warning outsiders.

The woman had already rushed over. She intended to repeat her old trick and poison him, but he didn’t wait for her to raise her hand.

There was a flash of black shadow and a scream. The woman’s hand was cut off at the wrist.

The woman continued to fight back, but she was at the end of her strength. She could deal with Liu Zhenqing, but against Huo Fenglie, who had gone crazy and lost control, it was a real game of cat and mouse.

After a few moves, it was too late for the woman to escape. Her internal organs were shattered by a palm, and she completely stopped breathing.

This was simply one-sided murder.

Liu Zhenqing should have breathed a sigh of relief once all the enemies were dead, but now he watched as Huo Fenglie turned around and walked steadily toward him. 

Liu Zhenqing’s breath lodged in his throat.

Huo Fenglie approached step by step with a murderous aura all over his body. His hands were covered in the blood of the two people, and there was even some on his face. His eyes were still a dangerous red, and it was as if nothing could be reflected in them.

A low groan came from his throat, like pain and an unconscious warning.

It was overall very abnormal.

Liu Zhenqing called out uneasily twice, but Huo Fenglie didn’t react at all. He quickly approached Liu Zhenqing and lowered his head, looking at him as if he was prey.

The moment Liu Zhenqing met his gaze, he realized that Huo Fenglie currently had no rational thought. It was probably caused by his internal force going out of control, but he had just taken the medicine made by his junior sister, which should have helped. Was…..the medicine not effective enough?

Liu Zhenqing covertly took out the bottle and took an instinctive step back, but this action seemed to anger Huo Fenglie.

Like a lion, Huo Fenglie pounced on Liu Zhenqing and pushed him down on the grass. His hands were so strong that Liu Zhenqing felt as if his bones were going to be crushed.

Enduring the pain, Liu Zhenqing struggled. While calling out to Er-gou, he turned over and crawled on the ground, but was grabbed by Huo Fenglie and instantly flipped back over.

Huo Fenglie seemed unable to bear not seeing Liu Zhenqing’s face, and insisted on the other party facing him.

After turning this person over, he lowered his head suddenly to bite his prey. His teeth bit down on Liu Zhenqing’s shoulder, which had been penetrated by a sharp blade just now, and Liu Zhenqing screamed in pain.

It seemed as if his cry brought back some of Huo Fenglie’s sanity. His sharp teeth loosened, his mouth filled with Liu Zhenqing’s blood.

Huo Fenglie licked it in a daze. He seemed to find it delicious, but he was a little confused, and his heart felt tight and uncomfortable.

He suddenly felt as if someone was attacking him, and he started to take action, but then he felt a warmth approach and the original sweet smell of blood was replaced by a sweeter scent.

Looking at the face that was so close to him, Huo Fenglie opened his mouth and allowed the other party to invade.

That feeling wasn’t danger, but a feeling of absolute comfort.

Something melted in his mouth, and Huo Fenglie frowned. He didn’t seem to like the medicinal taste, but he liked the other flavor, so he couldn’t help but embrace the person who had approached him, fearing that the delicious food would disappear. He clumsily mirrored the other person’s movements, and even outdid his opponent within a short period of time. It seemed that he could win something if he took more initiative.

Liu Zhenqing had laughed at this method of feeding medicine just now, but he was currently being slapped in the face. This was infuriating, ah.

He groaned and opened his eyes to look at Huo Fenglie, whose eyes were still blood red but narrowed slightly in enjoyment. Feeling the other party’s thoughtless actions, Liu Zhenqing was somewhat angry and aggrieved. This was his first kiss!

But ultimately, in order for Er-gou to take the medicine smoothly, he could only fight against the other party’s fervor.

When the pill completely melted, Liu Zhenqing tried to push this person away in shame and anger.

However, this person had thoroughly enjoyed sweet pleasure, and directly pressed him to the ground again. It seemed that this way, the other party couldn’t run away, and he could continue to taste him.

But Liu Zhenqing groaned in pain again when his wound was pressed.

This time, Huo Fenglie froze. He let go of Liu Zhenqing slightly and lowered his head in thought for a moment. Suddenly, a clear light flashed in his eyes.

“Qing…..”

Before he could utter the question, he suddenly fell down.

Liu Zhenqing wanted to cry but had no tears. His body was hot and painful, and he had to flip this person over to check his pulse. But he hadn’t learned well, and only felt that his pulse was chaotic, like that of a person who was about to die. However, there were also signs of improvement.

“This won’t work, we need to find a doctor.” Liu Zhenqing once again carried Huo Fenglie on his back in a state of disarray and walked forward.

Liu Zhenqing walked until he was almost numb, feeling exhausted and hopeless. Huo Fenglie was unconscious again.

Suddenly, his sleeve seemed to be caught by something.

Liu Zhenqing thought it was a branch and turned around helplessly. Then something sprayed against his face with the sound of a neigh. Liu Zhenqing felt like he was about to burst into tears.

“Shen Jiangyue!”

At the same time, on the river bank, Qin Yu’s wrists were suddenly grabbed and pinned to the ground. The medicine in his hand was also knocked away and sank into the water.

Qin Yu’s face instantly paled, and just as he was about to curse, a hot, wild kiss suddenly blocked all sounds.

His pupils shrank in shock. Just as he was about to struggle, Liu Zhenqing’s last instructions came to mind.

It had been almost an hour…..

Soon after, there was only the sound of clothes tearing.

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Chapter Fifty-Eight << Table of Contents >> Chapter Sixty