Lu Qi had only run down two floors when he met two men in suits. The two of them had strong physiques, and seemed to be very skilled as they stood there and blocked the entrance to the stairs. 

Lu Qi was startled, and looked suspiciously at the two panting people who had also been running.

“Mr…..Mr. Lu…..” These people came forward to talk to Lu Qi. “We are Mr. Mu’s bodyguards. He told us to come up and restrain a lunatic, and then call the police.”

Hearing that they were Mu Nanqiao’s bodyguards, Lu Qi breathed a sigh of relief and quickly asked, “Where is Mu Nanqiao?”

“Mr. Mu……” The two exchanged glances. “Mu Naqiao just now drove away.”

Lu Qi nearly cried in anger. Why was this person running away?!

He squeezed through the two bodyguards and ran downstairs.

“Mr. Lu!” One of the bodyguards looked down at him. “Mr. Mu drove away, you can’t catch up…..”

Lu Qi paid no attention. He ran downstairs and took a look around. Not to mention the car, he didn’t even see the car’s exhaust.

He stood there blankly, then thought of something and felt for the mobile phone in his pocket, but found nothing. He had forgotten to bring it down.

After standing there for a while, he sniffed a bit aggrievedly, wondering why this person ran away so fast without even saying a word.

There was movement behind him. Lu Qi turned around and saw two bodyguards escorting Lin Yuan down.

Seeing that he had failed to catch up to Mu Nanqiao, and having been originally trampled on by that person at will, Lin Yuan suddenly put up a struggle and twisted to speak to Lu Qi.

Lu Qi walked over, and Lin Yuan immediately said with eagerness: “Do you believe me, Xiao Qi? He simply has nothing to say, otherwise why would he run?!”

Lu Qi didn’t want to spare him a look. He had come over because he had something to ask the two bodyguards.

“Do you know where Mu Nanqiao went? Home or to the company?”

The two men in suits looked at each other before finally shaking their heads in unison: “We don’t know…..”

Lu Qi was anxious: “Aren’t you his bodyguards? You don’t know where your employer is?”

“We’re actually Chairman Mu’s bodyguards.” The taller one explained to Lu Qi: “Young Mr. Mu started to practice boxing a few years ago and participated in professional competitions before. Other than when he uses us to maintain order, we usually don’t follow him.”

Lu Qi: ……

Why didn’t he know that Mu Nanqiao practiced boxing?

“Then what are you doing here today?” Lu Qi cast them both a strange look. “Did you come here to catch this crazy person?”

“No…..” The shorter bodyguard carefully pointed toward the belt of greenery, where there were several boxes stacked up half the height of a person. “Mr. Mu had us help him move the fireworks and set them off.”

Lu Qi: ……

He seemed to have guessed what Mu Nanqiao intended to do, and became even angrier at the thought.

He turned around and ran away, opened a box, and pulled out a kaleidoscope firework. Then he returned angrily, pulled Lin Yuan’s collar, and stuffed it into his mouth.

Lin Yuan: “Fuck….ugh….Lu.….”

“Ai, ai, ai?” The shorter bodyguard quickly held the handsome young man who was bristling in anger, thinking that this honest young man was even more remarkable when angry. “Don’t be impulsive, don’t be impulsive…..”

Lin Yuan got a mouthful of gunpowder, spit twice, and looked at Lu Qi in disarray. “Are you crazy? You love him that much? Is he that good?! Did he bewitch you?!”

Lu Qi asked coldly: “He’s your white moonlight, and you’re asking me if he’s good? Don’t you know whether he is good or not?”

Lin Yuan almost choked to death at his words.

He had discovered that after being with Mu Nanqiao, Lu Qi seemed to have opened new meridians. He still didn’t speak much, but every word stabbed into the heart.

Shaking with anger, he said tremblingly: “I don’t like him at all, the one I liked from the beginning was you! It was him who imitated you and deceived me! He lied to me!!”

“What nonsense are you talking about? I don’t get it.” Lu Qi didn’t want to waste any more time on him, so he asked the two bodyguards to take him away and hurried upstairs to find his mobile phone.

But Mu Nanqiao didn’t answer his phone.

Lu Qi took a deep breath, and his temple twitched twice.

He was so, so angry. He needed to calm down and think. There were actually traces to follow regarding what was amiss with Mu Nanqiao, but if Mu Nanqiao had designed accidents to kill people…..

Lu Qi stroked Xiao Sanhua’s soft fur, feeling a bit confused. Of course bullies should be punished, but the fact was that they made a person feel powerless. Most bullies lived a good life, and when talking about the past, they would only say lightly: It was just a joke.

But the victim could never emerge from the shadows for the rest of his life. This wasn’t fair.

Therefore, when enjoying feel-good dramas and novels, the protagonist’s meticulous and step-by-step revenge was particularly exciting. But if there was such a person in real life…..

Lu Qi was just an ordinary person, and he inevitably felt uneasy.

It took courage to sleep in the face of the abyss, even if there were flowers flourishing beneath it.

But he didn’t want to listen to Lin Yuan’s side of the story. He was a scumbag with a negative trust score, and Lu Qi didn’t believe him.

After some thought, Lu Qi sent a WeChat message to Mu Nanqiao.

[Whatever you say, I will listen. I can wait, but don’t make me wait too long. (hugging cat.jpg)]

. . . . . . .

The temperature had dropped sharply these past two days, and Lu Qi had to put on a coat when going out. Xiao Sanhua had been eating too much recently, so the veterinarian suggested buying a cat leash and taking her downstairs for a walk.

This was the reason Lu Qi didn’t want to raise a dog. Dogs needed a certain amount of exercise, and as soon as winter came, Lu Qi wanted to weld himself to the bed. Thus, it was suitable to raise a cat to sleep with him.

Unexpectedly, different paths led to the same destination, and he ended up walking a cat.

He took out his mobile phone and glanced at it. Mu Nanqiao was pushed almost to the bottom of his WeChat. Lu Qi pulled him out and was originally going to place him at the top, but after some thought, he gave up angrily.

He was angry, but couldn’t help feeling a little worried.

The way those people died was purely by accident, and it was just the commonality of “bullying others” that made the incidents seem so dramatic. But whoever said otherwise needed to provide evidence. If Lin Yuan really had evidence, he would have already seized the opportunity to drag Mu Nanqiao into the water. And how could Mu Nanqiao prove his innocence for something he never did?

Therefore, Lu Qi did not need precise evidence in this matter. He only needed an answer from Mu Nanqiao. The problem was bedroom 502. If what Lin Yuan said was true, then Mu Nanqiao’s mental state was obviously not very good. It was indeed a hurdle to explain this frankly, so he could wait until Mu Nanqiao was willing to open the door.

Now, the wait tormented him. Would overcoming this psychological barrier be difficult for Mu Nanqiao?

Lu Qi was really a bit anxious.

But this matter had to be made clear, otherwise, what would happen to that person in the future? Would he avoid this question forever? Would there always be a hidden mine that would eventually explode?

This was not Lu Qi’s character. 

Having been lost in thought for a while, Lu Qi sighed and went to take Xiao Sanhua and buy cat food. When he tugged the leash, he realized that Xiao Sanhua had broken free and run off.

Lu Qi was taken aback. He called Xiao Sanhua’s name and walked around twice. Finally, he saw his own little cabbage on a strip of lawn, along with a cat that had a dark body and golden eyes. Lu Qi wanted to call him – the wild pig eating his cabbage. 

As soon as Xiao Sanhua saw her father, she immediately came over with a small chirp and left the wild pig behind. Lu Qi felt a little relieved, but the wild pig followed with no fear of death and seduced Xiao Sanhua at his feet.

Looking at his coloring and skillful technique, could he be Xiao Sanhua’s ex and the father of the four cubs?

Lu Qi was angry. He was already very angry, but this little black pig was asking for trouble.

He knelt down and tentatively reached out to touch the black cat. Lu Qi was ready to withdraw his hand at any time, but the black cat was unexpectedly well-behaved. Maybe it was because he smelled Xiao Sanhua on Lu Qi. The cat acted very flatteringly, and even rolled over to expose his belly and acted coquettish.

With him looking like this……

He was a little like a certain person who looked cold and aloof, but was actually good at acting coquettishly.

“Very good.” Lu Qi smiled, his eyes falling between the little black cat’s legs.

The cat’s little bells were furry. Tsk, tsk, he did have the capital to flirt with women.

Lu Qi stretched out his evil hands toward the little black cat. 

Now was the best time. Today, he would help this scumbag who ran away after flirting to cut off the roots of love!

Thus, that night, Father Xiao Hei and his ex-wife Xiao Sanhua became a pair of sisters. After observation at the pet hospital, Lu Qi carried the cage and took Xiao Hei home.

Too many stray cats preyed on the birds living in the city, so the work of Lu Qi’s rescue center also included the business of neutering. This wasn’t the first time he had done it, but it was the first time he felt guilty.

After all, he had these balls removed because of some personal emotions.

Carrying the kitty as he walked downstairs, Lu Qi whispered: “Don’t blame me. If I’m to blame, it’s because you have the temperament of a certain bastard. I can’t get to him easily, so I can only vent my anger on you. I’m sorry, I’ll compensate you with a lifetime of food and accommodation from now on…..”

He skirted a flower bed and said: “The blame for your dismantling will be placed on his head. This is a punishment on his behalf…..”

“A punishment for me?” A low, hoarse voice sounded from behind him, with a hard to detect note of fatigue. “What should I do? It seems you’re really angry. Let’s discuss it, baby, this one really cannot be neutered.”

The carrier shook, and Lu Qi nearly dropped Xiao Hei to the ground. The frightened Xiao Hei jumped and meowed, and it was unknown if his wound reopened.

Turning around, Lu Qi saw that the person he had been thinking about for several days was standing not far behind him. He looked at him quietly, standing beneath street lights that lit up one after another. The emotions in that person’s eyes were still unclear, but they were so focused. So focused that they could be called thirsty.

Even though they hadn’t seen each other for just a few days, Mu Nanqiao had actually lost some weight. The clothes he wore were completely different from usual, a thin and loose light blue corduroy jacket, white sweatpants, and sneakers. He looked like he had just taken a shower, his hair damp and hanging down in an orderly manner.

At first glance, he looked like a college student.

Lu Qi felt that he was being manipulated. Seeing him like this, that little flame in his heart swayed in the wind again, and when he saw Mu Nanqiao’s bandaged hand, the flame went out with a pop.

Forget it. Mu Nanqiao had walked firmly toward him many times, but ran away this time. He would just forgive him.

Lu Qi set down Xiao Hei, and was about to walk toward Mu Nanqaio, but the person who fell silent after making a joke suddenly walked over with haste.

The wind blew past his ears, and he was pulled firmly into an embrace. Mu Nanqiao really had just taken a shower, and there was the faint scent of shower gel at his neck, a very refreshing fragrance. Warmed by his body temperature and then wrapped in his scent, Lu Qi, who had been restless for many days, finally felt his heart begin to beat calmly and easily.

He sniffed with reddened eyes and buried his head, saying in a low voice: “Let’s discuss your performance. You’ve seen the consequences of refusing to confess.”

Xiao Hei said weakly: “Meow~”

Mu Nanqiao smiled and said hoarsely: “I was just too scared.”

He had worked hard to finally make Lu Qi fall in love with the shining Mu Nanqiao, but in the end, his disguise was exposed. Lu Qi had found out that those lights came from broken gaps, and he was actually a defective product riddled with holes. 

He was afraid of Lu Qi’s questioning and disappointed eyes.

He was even more afraid that those dark emotions would break free from their shackles when Lu Qi turned around and left. 

He would take the sun as his own, even if he was bruised and burned all over.

Afraid of such a result, he ran away in cowardice.

The past few days were a blur, and it seemed that all his senses had been paralyzed. He knew that something was wrong with him, but he allowed himself to sink. Only one feeling became clearer and clearer, gradually evolving into deep pain. 

He wanted Lu Qi. Wanted to hold him, wanted to kiss him, wanted to knead and make marks on this person who was as white as paper, forcing him to unfold little by little…..

At last, he stood in front of Lu Qi.

Instead of hurting Lu Qi, he would rather cut open his incurable illness.

“Let’s go up.” He kissed Lu Qi’s earlobe and put a key into his hand. “You go open that door and meet another Mu Nanqiao.”

---

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Chapter Twenty-Eight << Table of Contents >> Chapter Thirty

The tax fraud case and Imperial Examination case were concluded together. All the evidence and prisoners had to be taken back to the capital for trial, and the investigation team would go back collectively. Naturally, Bai Su also took Bai Yu’s body home.

Qin Yu and He Lan should have left together. After all, they had come down in the name of investigating the Imperial Examination case, and the tax fraud case could be considered extra credit.

But in the end, due to the amount of money missing from the ledgers, they officially received an Imperial edict to continue the investigation, so they stayed to act together with Huo Fenglie.

However, only Huo Fenglie and Liu Zhenqing knew about the involvement of rebels behind the scenes. They also learned about the death of the Minister of Revenue, which meant that the trail had gone cold again. It could be seen that this group of people had acted decisively and anticipated the enemy’s movements. Even Liu Zhenqing couldn’t help but secretly admire their ability to cut them all off with one small move.

They arrived at the pier, and everyone saw Bai Su off.

Bai Su stood next to Liu Zhenqing, waiting for Huo Fenglie and the others to check for safety issues using their martial arts training.

“Are you really not coming with me? The Imperial Examination case is over, and the Liu family wasn’t involved with any of it. The Liu family will definitely be released after we return home, so why should you stay?”

Liu Zhenqing couldn’t explain it. In fact, what they were involved in was not the Imperial Examination case, but the rebel case.

“You forget, I was originally going south.”

Bai Su gave him a doubtful look. No matter how he had planned to settle down in the south, after encountering this kind of unforeseen event, shouldn’t he go back to comfort his family and decide on a different time to depart?

However, Bai Su thought about it and suddenly smiled, saying: “Are you worried about Zhanyuan?”

Bai Su’s statement was so ambiguous that Liu Zhenqing couldn’t laugh or cry. It was all Liu Xiaozhu’s fault. Even amnesia couldn’t help him escape this.

Liu Zhenqing smiled. “No way, I just happen to be on the road with Brother Huo and the others.”

Bai Su pretended not to hear it, and only thought that Liu Zhenqing wanted to follow Huo Fenglie. He said: “Among them, Zichuan is the most astute in his work, but it’s a pity that Yundu keeps disrupting their pace. Only you are stable. It is indeed more helpful to have you giving them advice.”

Liu Zhenqing gave a dry smile and said: “It’s good that I won’t hold them back.”

“Zhanyuan…..” Bai Su wanted to say something about the state of Huo Fenglie’s body. Huo Fenglie had nearly fallen ill when Liu Zhenqing fainted that day, but he felt that it was his brother’s private matter and couldn’t be talked about casually, so he could only say: “I’ll leave Zhanyuan to you.”

Liu Zhenqing felt a little helpless upon hearing this. These people had really misunderstood. He couldn’t help but speak further, “I haven’t been interested in Brother Huo for a long time…..”

Bai Su understood Liu Zhenqing’s meaning. During these days of spending time together, none of them were blind. It could be said that Huo Fenglie completely regarded Liu Zhenqing as one of his own, and also as someone important. Bai Su was the brother who had known Huo Fenglie for the longest time, and he had never seen him get along with another person like this. He had personally verified that Liu Zhenqing was different.

He thought that Qin Yu was right, and that Huo Fenglie must have thoughts about him. As a good brother, he was naturally happy to see this result. It was better than holding onto hopeless memories.

And Liu Zhenqing originally admired Huo Fenglie. He didn’t believe that after losing his memories, he could not fall in love with him after spending so much time together.

So Bai Su was more inclined to think that they were still going around in circles, but there was a knot in their hearts. It was not convenient to say anything else, but this could add fuel to the flames.

Bai Su suddenly said: “There is something I want to tell you. I wonder if you heard about that rumor after losing your memory.”

“What rumor?”

“The one about Prime Minister Liu’s grave.”

Liu Zhenqing’s eyes turned helplessly. Suddenly hearing this, he trembled and was even more embarrassed than before. Why bring up such a thing without rhyme or reason?

Bai Su said with frustration: “In fact, his tomb was in the wilds back then, and anyone could go there and humiliate him wantonly. Back then, someone asked me to go to his grave and spit on it. I considered it, because at that time I had just been notified that…..and I was a little out of control. But I didn’t go. Even though I was resentful at that time, I couldn’t do something contrary to my convictions. In fact, I kind of admired him, and didn’t want a formidable person like him to be treated like this in the end. It’s fortunate I didn’t go, because after that, I discovered that he was very important to Zhanyuan. Even though the outside world spread rumors that he had killed Huo-dage , implicated the Huo family army, and coveted Sister Huo.”

Liu Zhenqing thought to himself that he had dug up the grave and then calmed down after venting his anger, and probably regretted his behavior at that time. Therefore, Bai Su felt that he was rather important to Er-gou. After all, they were like family back then.

Liu Zhenqing wasn’t bothered by Er-gou in this matter. It was normal for young people to be impulsive.

“Do you know what Zhanyuan did when he returned to the capital that year?”

There was really no need to remind him of the matter of digging up the grave, crushing the bones, and scattering the ashes. Although he was a modern person and didn’t care about the state of his corpse, it still sounded a little unnerving.

Liu Zhenqing was awkward and didn’t answer, but Bai Su didn’t seem to wait for a response.

He said directly: “I saw with my own eyes that he was wearing armor still stained with blood when he rode Chen Jiangyue and rushed straight to the tomb. I was accompanying Madam Huo at the time, because she insisted on cleaning Prime Minister Liu’s tomb.”

As Bai Su spoke, he recalled the shocking scene of seeing a Huo Fenglie he almost didn’t recognize.

“Zhanyuan rode to the tomb and practically rolled off his horse. His face looked like that of a dead person. Regardless of Madam Huo’s dissuasion, he dug the grave up with his bare hands. At that time, I just foolishly watched from the side as Zhanyuan burst into tears. He was more and more in disarray. His hands could gradually no longer be seen, and he seemed to be injured, with blood dripping from his body as he moved. It all flowed onto the lid of the coffin. Madam Huo stepped forward and slapped him, but she couldn’t sober him up. He didn’t seem to believe the man could have died like this. He directly opened the lid of the coffin and frantically tried to pick that person up. In the end, he found that the body would fall apart if he moved, so he could only sit in the coffin holding the rotting bones and cry bitterly all night long.”

Once Bai Su finished speaking, he looked at Liu Zhenqing and was taken aback. Although Liu Zhenqing’s face was expressionless, his eyes gradually shone with moisture and he was in a daze, as if he had been struck by lightning.

Bai Su said in astonishment: “Brother Liu, you…..”

Liu Zhenqing murmured: “It…..was like this? How could it be like this?”

Bai Su gave a bitter smile and said: “It was probably because he was so shocked. It was said that when he heard the news, he rushed back all night without stopping.”

Such a long distance?!

“I really…..had never seen Zhanyuan like that.” Even when his brother passed away, although he cried sadly, he just silently took over the responsibility of the Huo family army and acquiesced to the Huo family’s mission. But at that time, he cried like a helpless child and finally looked despondent, as if he could lie down in the coffin at any time. It shocked Bai Su greatly.

It was not easy to say how specifically sad Huo Fenglie was, so he just sighed. “Most of the rumors are exaggerated, but what I saw was true. The destruction of bones and ashes was just a rare cremation. Although I don’t understand why the burial method of remote ethnic groups was used, Zhanyuan did secretly cremate Prime Minister Liu.”

Looking at Liu Zhenqing, who could hardly react, Bai Su continued: “I say this because I want to tell you that the rumors about Zhanyuan’s resentment of Prime Minister Liu are actually false. Others, including Zichuan and Yundu don’t understand, but I do. He acts the way he does because he hates others mentioning Prime Minister Liu in front of him, because they always do so with malice. He doesn’t want anyone to touch things related to that person, and doesn’t want anyone to criticize him. As a result, the rumors became more and more exaggerated. In fact, I think Zhanyuan still has deep feelings for that person. After all, he watched Zhanyuan grow up.”

Bai Su couldn’t tell the person in front of him how Huo Fenglie felt about that person for fear of it having the opposite effect, but he also needed to make sure that this person didn’t have a grudge about the feud between the two families. This was to facilitate their future progress. With Huo Fenglie’s temperament, it would likely be difficult for him to make this clear himself.

In fact, Bai Su really didn’t know whether Prime Minister Liu had anything to do with Huo-dage’s death, but due to recent events and the attitudes of Madam Huo and Zhanyuan toward that person, he believed that it might have been another desperate situation.

Bai Su knew that good brotherhood came slowly and with difficulty, and hoped that everything would go well, but he could only help so much.

After saying what needed to be said, he said goodbye to everyone, boarded the ship, and left.

Everyone followed with their eyes, but Liu Zhenqing was in a daze.

“What’s wrong?”

A deep voice suddenly sounded in his ear, shocking Liu Zhenqing’s heart. Turning to look, although that person’s handsome features were still like that of a sheathed sword, full of coldness and danger, his expression held a highly reserved concern. Even back then, he was naturally cold and handsome. It was hard to imagine that such a face could appear like the situation that Bai Su described. 

Er-gou had truly been sad over his death. He had followed Huo Feihan to the battlefield since he was fifteen years old, and rarely returned. They saw each other at most once a year, and the last time they exchanged letters, Liu Zhenqing scolded him.

Damn, the more he thought about it, the guiltier he felt, ah.

Er-gou obviously had a lot of questions about what happened back then. No amount of suspicion would be too much, and Liu Zhenqing could understand the resentment, but yet…..

To be honest, Liu Zhenqing found it difficult to accept the situation described by Bai Su. It was really not as good as the initial rumors, in which case his mentality could be more broad and level.

When he was thinking wildly, Huo Fenglie suddenly grabbed his arm. “Did Yuzhou tell you something?”

Seeing Huo Fenglie’s sudden nervous expression, Liu Zhenqing was even more at a loss. At once, Huo Fenglie wrapped his arms around Liu Zhenqing’s waist and flew away.

He Lan and Qin Yu, who were conversing, saw this and their faces were full of confusion.

“Hey, Zhanyuan, where are you going? Aren’t we leaving soon?” He Lan shouted.

He heard a voice from far away, “Wait by the carriage.”

“What’s the matter?” He Lan asked doubtfully.

Uninterested, Qin Yu turned around and walked toward the carriage. He Lan stepped forward and put his arm around the other, saying: “Ai, you said Brother Liu stayed here for a purpose, and now the two of them are acting behind our backs. Is it…..hehehe.”

Qin Yu glanced at He Lan with disgust and turned his body to avoid contact with him. But He Lan continued to stick to him out of habit, pulling and tugging all the way back to the carriage to wait.

And at this time, Huo Fenglie had already brought the other person to a secluded place.

After setting him down, Huo Fenglie said anxiously: “Qing-ge, what did Yuzhou tell you? Your complexion was not quite right before.”

Seeing Huo Fenglie’s uneasy look, Liu Zhenqing was a little puzzled. Did this fellow not want him to know the truth about the grave digging? Was he afraid of being embarrassed?

Liu Zhenqing thought about it and decided to bring it up carefully. “Yuzhou just told me….that the matter of you digging up my grave was not consistent with the rumors.”

Huo Fenglie’s originally stagnate breathing seemed to have eased, but his brow was still furrowed as he said: “Is this the case?”

Liu Zhenqing looked at Huo Fenglie with some embarrassment. “He said you didn’t believe I was dead, so you dug up the grave in despair and cried. Is that…..?”

Huo Fenglie’s expression turned ugly when he heard him mention his death, but his tone was as calm as could be: “I only heard about it the year after, when the Three Kings Rebellion was clearly over. I thought everything was safe and I could go back and reunite with you after the war. Unexpectedly, I heard that you had died a year before…..so I couldn’t accept it.”

Seeing Huo Fenglie say it so simply, Liu Zhenqing became even more confused. “Yuan Jue hid it from you?”

“En, he said he feared it would affect the battlefield in the west.” Back then, he almost raised a hand to Yuan Jue.

Liu Zhenqing nodded. After all, the internal affairs were settled at that time, but the foreign enemies still remained. As a leader, it was reasonable that it could inconveniently affect him.

“It was my fault for being foolish. At that time, the enemy had suddenly become stronger. I only thought they intended to counterattack, but didn’t think…..”

At that time, Liu Zhenqing’s existence was not only feared by the Imperial court, but also by the surrounding wolves. Once he died, it was inevitable that those people would take advantage of the chaos and advance. Therefore, everyone unitedly attacked Prime Minister Liu, which also made the wolves understand that the Great Zhou Dynasty would not be in chaos just because the powerful minister died.

This was one of the reasons it didn’t matter that Liu Zhenqing was engraved on the list of sinners.

But seeing Huo Fenglie’s expression, Liu Zhenqing couldn’t help but pat his head and say: “It wasn’t easy for you either. Thank you for your hard work.”

Huo Fenglie was taken aback, and suddenly remembered that person who went to the battlefield and beat him after hearing about the news of Qing-ge’s death. That was when he heard about it.

He almost died on the battlefield at that time, and the man contemptuously spoke the truth into his ear, leaving one statement behind.

“You are as useless as your brother, and didn’t protect him well. If I had known what would happen today, it would have been better to take him with me back then.”

The mocking insinuation of incompetence still remained in his ears. He looked at the person in front of him again. Huo Fenglie’s expression changed over and over, and a sudden impulse came over him. The redness in his eyes was nearly uncontrollable, and he suddenly lifted his hands to hug the person in front of him tightly in his arms. The force was strong enough to melt this person into his bones.

Liu Zhenqing was startled by Huo Fenglie’s sudden behavior. He initially thought it was unexpected, but when he thought of Bai Su’s description, he couldn’t help feeling a twinge of pain in his heart. He raised his arms and hugged him.

Liu Zhenqing returning the hug seemed to wake Huo Fenglie from the abyss, and he didn’t even need to take medicine to suppress it. He understood now that he was no longer holding bones.

This time he was warm, and could hug him back.

Liu Zhenqing let Huo Fenglie hug him for a while, and then inexplicably felt a little awkward. He patted him and pushed him away, saying with a smile: “I really thought the rumors were true at first, and it gave me a shock. When I saw you later, I wanted to hide away to avoid being affected.”

Huo Fenglie looked aggrieved and said: “How could that be possible?”

Liu Zhenqing retorted: “How could it not be possible? After all….” At this point, Liu Zhenqing suddenly paused.

Huo Fenglie’s eyes also flickered.

Liu Zhenqing was silent for a moment, and then looked at Huo Fenglie and said: “Have you really never resented me? Even though your brother’s defeat in battle was related to me?”

Huo Fenglie gave Liu Zhenqing a firm look and said: “I’m telling you, never.”

Liu Zhenqing stared blankly.

Huo Fenglie gazed at Liu Zhenqing with a pair of the most sincere, burning eyes.

“I don’t know what the situation was at that time, but I know that you would never hurt Da-ge.” Huo Fenglie said calmly: “Even if you could hurt everyone in the world, you would never hurt him.”

When Liu Zhenqing heard these words, all of the bones in his body seemed to shake slightly. He clearly hadn’t told Er-gou anything yet, which could be considered deliberate concealment, so he should know he was guilty. Why did Er-gou always react unexpectedly when it came to trusting him? There was what happened to Wangshu before, and now even his brother…..

He ground his teeth, somewhat at a loss. It was as if he was struggling with something, and daring to test something out. “You really believe in me? But I didn’t save your brother or those 100,000 in the Huo family army.”

“There is a difference between not being able to save someone and wanting to hurt someone.” Huo Fenglie frowned.

“I didn’t try my best to save them. It was my fault.”

Huo Fenglie’s expression turned a little unsightly. “You tried your best, and you were right. I believe that Da-ge never blamed you.”

Liu Zhenqing became even more agitated, saying: “I didn’t. I could have saved them, but they didn’t, they didn’t wait for me. It was my hesitation that delayed me. It was all my fault. You’re saying this because you don’t know the original situation. Your brother didn’t have to die! You should blame me and hate me.”

Huo Fenglie suddenly moved. He tugged the person in front of him and pressed their foreheads together, as if he could make the other party understand the emotions conveyed in his eyes. 

“Qing-ge, when my Da-ge and I went to the battlefield to lead the troops, that was the last time he and I saw each other. He only told me one thing. He said that if I held the power of the military in the future, no matter how things developed, rather than go with what the people around me were saying, it was better to stick to two points.”

Liu Zhenqing looked at Huo Fenglie blankly.

He knew that the Huo family were trained to “Fight and die for the country, and support the Great Zhou Dynasty to the death.”

This should be one of the things Huo Fenglie asked his brother to adhere to.

Huo Fenglie did say this.

His eyes became sharp, as if there were flames burning within the ice.

“The second point was — always believe in any decision made by Liu Zhenqing. Even if no one in the world is on his side, we will still be at his side.”

“I did what my brother told me to do.”

. . . . . . .

The General’s Manor, in the small Buddhist chamber.

Li Xingruo rambled while wiping the tablet.

“I heard that the second son of the Bai family is returning, and he’s bringing his brother’s body with him. There really…..are all kinds of strange things.”

“I wonder if it will bring out what happened back then, or if it will let my senior brother clear his name a little bit.”

Li Xingruo scoffed and poked the memorial tablet, saying: “Blockhead, have you ever been so angry that you want to beat people because you can’t stand others talking about him like this? Hehe, I don’t know if Yuan Jue has any conscience. But it doesn’t matter if he has no conscience. In any case, Er-gou is here, and he won’t let Senior Brother be wronged again.”

---

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

After settling the guests in the manor, Master Liu sent his servants to the inn to call his second son home in advance. Liu Xian’an was so sleepy that he just wanted to fall asleep in the carriage, but just when he closed his eyes, there was suddenly the earth-shattering sound of fireworks outside. In the middle of winter, spring thunder exploded across the land, and the roar swept through the sounds of laughter all the way. 

The area around Baihe Mountain Village was already packed with people. Although this sort of grand scene often occurred when Second Young Master Liu went out to play in the past, most of the onlookers were young girls, or mothers-in-law and aunts who were not young at all, their main purpose to admire a handsome man. But this time, there were men and women, old and young, on both sides of the street. There were also many family disciples guarding the gate, some of whom had not even had time to remove their aprons.

A-Ning said in surprise: “Did everyone miss you so much?”

Liu Xian’an responded with a “hmm” and continued to close his eyes and dream. He didn’t care whether others missed him or not. It was more important to sleep. The good thing about His Royal Highness Xiao Wang in the hot spring pool was that he never wore clothes, so he didn’t need to change. He pulled this person into his arms and suggested: “Why not just stay here?”

Second Young Master Liu still retained some sense. My father may not agree.

He walked swaying along the majestic clouds and sea. Beside him, A-Ning was very worried and shook him hard: “Young Master, Young Master, why did you fall asleep again while walking? Wake up quickly. Weren’t you still greeting people at the door just now?”

Liu Xian’an opened his eyes: “Ah?”

What kind of greeting? I have no impression of it at all.

Thus, when Master Liu came out and saw his son’s confused and boneless appearance, his mood suddenly became complicated. Why didn’t it look like he had made any progress?

A-Ning sneaked behind and pinched him hard.

Liu Xian’an jumped up: “Hiss!”

Master Liu cleared his throat in a dignified manner: “You’ve returned.”

Liu Xian’an saluted: “Father.”

Hearing this “father,” the father himself was in a relatively good mood. He entered the front hall with his son, ordered the maid to make good tea and bring his favorite snacks, then asked: “I heard that you went out this time and did something in the Baihe River Basin and in the southwest. Is this true?”

“Yes.” Liu Xian’an ate snacks. “The Baihe River is wreaking havoc, coinciding with the summer heat. The refugees don’t have access to clean water and food, so there are many diseases. As for the southwest, the dense forests are full of miasma, there are many poisonous insects, and the common people have many injuries and illnesses. They all need doctors.”

“Since you can see, and originally had the ability to see, why were you unwilling to do things at home?”

Liu Xian’an gave a slight sigh, wondering why his father hadn’t figured it out yet. So he explained once more, not knowing how many times he had already done so: “Because what Father and Da-ge ask me to do can be done by other disciples. Since there is no shortage of manpower, why must I do it? I have many other things to be busy with.”

If it had been before, Master Liu might have begun looking for a stick upon hearing this and drove his lazy son to the pharmacy to do some hard work. But this time, he at last asked calmly, what are you so busy with?

Liu Xian’an brushed the snack residue from his hands and said: “Communicating with the spirits of heaven and earth, traveling around the universe on a white crane, mixing all things into one, abandoning the principles of time, seeking nothing.”

Master Liu nodded: “Continue.”

Thus, Liu Xian’an spoke of the Three Thousand Worlds again, that incomparably magnificent and spectacular folded universe that existed only in his mind, where clouds chased after music and stars streamed through palaces, and the setting moon held the rosy, immortal glow of daybreak. There were Kunpeng roaming freely in the Eastern Sea, and magnificent palaces were built on the clouds, with white jade ladders and coral trees. Many famous people throughout the ages owned noble white cranes, which could rise and fall with the wind and travel forty-thousand li per day.

Master Liu never knew that there could be such marvelous and exquisite ideas in the world. He had always been pragmatic in his medical practices, and was neither romantic nor dissolute, with a character that was so rigorous that he was almost rigid. But to give birth to such a son who was both romantic and dissolute, yet also had good medical skills, he felt a lot of emotion in his heart and his eyes were slightly hot.

Liu Xian’an thus said: “Then I will also invite my parents to be guests next time.”

It would be necessary to divide the territory in advance so that the elders could not run into His Royal Highness Xiao Wang, who did not like to wear clothes and always stood up from the hot spring.

Perhaps because of the close connection between father and son, Master Liu mentioned at this moment: “What about you and the prince?”

“We have already planned it.” Liu Xian’an said: “I’ll stay at home for some time and then go to Wangcheng. Then I’ll probably start working on changing the course of the Baihe River.”

“Changing the course of the Baihe River?” Master Liu was slightly taken aback. “Which tributary should be changed?”

“No, changing the entire river.” Liu Xian’an said: “Cut and straighten the bend in Luofeng City, strengthen the embankments and dredge the silt, so that the Baihe River branches northward at Hukou Pass, leaving only a branch that continues across the present fifteen cities.”

Master Liu listened to this in disbelief. When he was young, he went to Luofeng City to provide free medical treatment for refugees, and still remembered the endless broad surface of the river. The enormous waves caused by heavy rain could almost collapse the entire sky. When it roared, it was like tens of thousands of tigers and hungry wolves, devouring fertile fields and the common people.

He gripped the handrail tightly and frowned: “In the past, there has never been such a huge project.”

“But someone has to do it,” Liu Xian’an said. “Someone will start it first, and the next generation can follow in the footsteps of their predecessors and continue on step by step. It may take fifty years, a hundred years, or even two hundred years, but it can be completed in the end.”

Master Liu was worried: “But the beginning already has a thousand difficulties. Have you considered this?”

“I have considered it.” Liu Xian’an held his tea cup. “Changing the course of the Baihe River means that some people in the north will be forced to give up their current livelihoods. They will lose their fields and houses, and even their ancestral graves will be flooded and washed away.”

That was not one hundred households, but thousands of households, making tens of thousands of people sacrifice for something that will only pay off two hundred years later. This was really too ephemeral and difficult, but no matter how difficult it was, one must still grit their teeth and take the first step.

Liu Xian’an said: “I don’t care about false reputation.”

It didn’t matter whether it was the initial reveling or cursing, or the so-called “fame” after hundreds of years.

Master Liu asked: “What about the prince?”

“The prince cares even less than I do.” Liu Xian’an said, “That’s just the kind of temperament he has.”

They spoke and spoke, and Master Liu sort of wanted to laugh. He had never before thought that his son, who was usually the laziest, would challenge the most ambitious project in the world. He seemed like a small crane on huge waves, spreading its wings and flying headlong into the center of the storm.

With mixed feelings in his heart, he was silent for a long time until someone called from outside: “Village Master, His Royal Highness Xiao Wang is here!”

The sound of firecrackers exploded again. Everyone in the city knew. Liang Shu was dressed in splendid clothes, as if a beam of sunshine had been woven into the fabric. Liang Yu was extremely considerate, and had specifically ordered the embroiderers that the new clothes should make the prince look as warm and gentle as possible. And the embroiderers did so, but they still couldn’t stand up to His Royal Highness Xiao Wang’s murderous aura. This caused the disciples in charge of welcoming him to tremble more and more, not even daring to raise their heads. Their admiration for their Second Young Master became even more like a torrential river.

“Your Highness.” Master Liu led the entire family to salute. After the conversation just now, he already had a new understanding of Liang Shu. The young man before him was willing to shoulder the centuries-old foundation of the entire dynasty. Against such a magnificent backdrop, Master Liu felt that he should also look farther ahead, abandon his selfish thoughts, and stand side by side with them in the clouds tens of thousands of li high, watching the rolling tide of time together.

The banquet was very lively.

The main reason was because Liu Nanyuan was lively, and chatted with a few relatives to liven up the atmosphere. Liu Xianche even kept a straight face as he told a rare and rather terrible joke. Madam Liu continued to look right at Liang Shu. Although she didn’t know why she wanted to look at him, he pleased her eyes.

After a few cups of wine, someone asked about the war in the southwest. Liang Shu had a good attitude and answered all their questions. He was very considerate and meticulous in the etiquette of visiting his father-in-law for the first time. Everyone looked happily at His Royal Highness Xiao Wang, and then at their family’s own lazy fellow…..ai, why did it seem as if he was about to fall asleep again?

He was sleepy, and had also been drinking. Liu Xian’an had his chopsticks held up calmly. If it hadn’t been for him not moving for a long time, he would have been able to fool them.

An aunt said: “Xiao An is like this. As soon as he hears us talking about small household affairs, he can’t help but want to sleep.”

“It doesn’t matter.” Liang Shu smiled and said, “The food has nearly been eaten. Since we are family, I will no longer be strict about etiquette, and take him back to rest first.”

When he finished speaking, he stood up and picked up the person with one arm: “Lie down well.”

Liu Xian’an immediately put his arms around his shoulders.

Liang Shu asked: “Where is the waterside pavilion?”

“This…..this way, Your Highness, please!” A servant boy quickly bowed and led the way.

The large group of people were left staring at each other over the banquet. Only Liu Nanyuan and Liu Xianche were not surprised. As for Master Liu and Madam Liu, they both had headaches. This was fine at home, but if they went to a banquet in the royal city in the future, it would be…..ai, how distressing.

The waterside pavilion was a long way from the front hall. Liang Shu was in no hurry, and walked with him slowly, using his big cloak to block the wind. A-Ning had already lit a warm fire in the house. When he heard the door, he stood up and said in surprise: “Your Highness, is the banquet over so soon?”

“No, Xiao An is tired.” Liang Shu said, “You can go and eat. There’s no need to wait, I’ll do it myself.”

He walked to the bedroom with his sweetheart, then bent down and touched the bed. It was soft and warm enough. He set the person on it and warned: “Don’t sleep yet.”

Liu Xian’an didn’t listen, and tried to crawl under the quilt but failed. Liang Shu fetched hot water for him to rinse his mouth, and ordered a bucket of bathwater.

So His Royal Highness Xiao Wang in the Three Thousand Worlds waited for someone who was also soaking in the hot spring. He asked: “Didn’t you say you wouldn’t come today?”

Liu Xian’an also found it strange. Yes, why did I come back here again? He was in a daze, and at the same time thinking hard about what he should do now. After thinking about it, the relatives at the dinner party came to mind one by one. He was suddenly stimulated and said, right, I’m still eating, ah!

Splash, he stood up and tried to run. The water in the bathtub splashed everywhere, and Liang Shu couldn’t dodge.

Liu Xian’an stared at him speechlessly for a moment, then sat back down with a splash. He looked around with his heart beating wildly and asked, how did I appear here?

---

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Chapter One Hundred Twenty-Four << Table of Contents >> Chapter One Hundred Twenty-Six

Bai Su had already burst into tears. He tried to struggle out, wanting to touch his brother, his brother whom he admired the most. He would always help him correct mistakes in his essays, and when their father punished him, he would accompany him to be punished. He would always find ways to take him out to play when he was sad, give him all the things he liked, tell him interesting things about the court, and tell him all the wise deeds of Prime Minister Liu and Huo-dage. Even when he was worried about the situation with the government, he would still say that with those two people here, the world would be peaceful sooner or later, and then the two brothers would travel together and create a map of the whole country.

The last time Bai Su saw him, he was clearly a corpse beyond recognition. Eight years later, the pain had long been buried deep in his heart, and was becoming less distinct day by day. Then the brother he thought he could only see in his dreams appeared in front of him again.

But he was still…..a corpse. Nothing could have hurt him more than this.

Facing Cheng Xi’s nearly insane accusations, Bai Su felt his mind go blank. He was in too much pain to react.

But Cheng Xi wanted to tell Bai Yu’s family member how difficult it was for him.

“Back then, Bai Yu was obsessed with helping to exonerate Liu Zhenqing, so he was imprisoned and tortured. If not for me, he would have died long ago. Do you know that your brother was tortured half-crazy? I didn’t reject him, and brought him home for meticulous treatment and healing. He probably knew he was wrong and feared causing trouble for you, so he was willing to hide, and relied on me very much. He loved me wholeheartedly. Although I wanted to marry a wife, I didn’t want to let down his deep love, so I kept him outside.”

“Impossible!” Bai Su suddenly shouted: “No matter how terrible an ordeal my brother encountered, as long as he still had his mind, there is no way he would willingly be a mistress!”

Cheng Xi’s originally handsome face became horribly distorted when he heard Bai Su’s denial. “I’m not lying. He knew he was half-crazy and knew that he was not worthy of me, but I was still willing to accept his feelings. He was very happy. How could he not be willing?”

Bai Su immediately gave a desolate laugh. “Cheng Xi, you didn’t know my brother at all, did you? If everything was what he wanted, then where did the self-inflicted wounds on his neck come from? Didn’t he regain his mind?”

“That was because…..because he learned that the exonerating evidence he found back then turned into evidence to incriminate Liu Zhenqing, and he couldn’t accept it.”

“Then my brother would have found a way to get out and collect the evidence again! He would never give up his life. Liu Zhenqing had faith in him, and as long as he had one breath left, he would never give up on exonerating Liu Zhenqing unless something else happened!” Bai Su couldn’t explain it clearly, but he didn’t believe it was that simple.

Cheng Xi was stunned by his words, and it was as if he was suffering a tribulation. Two years ago, Bai Yu had gradually recovered under his meticulous care. Reading and painting, he lived a contented life. Cheng Xi also faced his own heart, left his wife, stayed with Bai Yu wholeheartedly, and became the good official that Bai Yu expected.

But Bai Yu was too clever. As he regained his sanity, information from the outside world could no longer be prevented. He gathered it bit by bit, and finally figured out what had happened back then. He collapsed and went crazy, trying to escape, but how could Cheng Xi let him go? However, he never expected that when he returned home from handling government affairs that day, he would only see half-dried blood next to the bed and a cold body.

Cheng Xi hid this person in an ice cellar and kept him company night after night. Eventually, he developed a cough and did not have long to live, but he still hadn’t avenged him. He would not let anyone who hurt Bai Yu back then escape.

And now, his great revenge was complete.

Cheng Xi returned to his senses with a start. Turning to look at Bai Yu in his arms, he gently stroked his cold face.

“Wangshu, I have avenged you. I know that you still had one wish, which was to marry me. I actually know that when I went to marry someone else that day, you didn’t hold me back, but you were sad and envious, and hid to cry secretly. In fact, I hesitated at that time. If you were willing to ask me to stay, I might not have married her, and then you would have been my only wife. Today, I’ve invited your brother to come as a witness. We will formally marry. From now on, you will be a member of my Cheng family. Sharing the same bed in life and the same grave in death.”

Cheng Xi spoke with great affection. He lowered his head and kissed Bai Yu’s forehead gently, then covered him with the red veil again.

Then he held Bai Yu and faced the sky outside, and slowly knelt on the cushion placed on the ground.

“Cheng Xi, I don’t agree, I don’t agree! Let my brother go!” Bai Su struggled desperately. The rope had already caused his exposed skin to bleed, but there was no sign of loosening.

One bow, two bows. The last bow was between husband and wife.

Just when Cheng Xi half-embraced Bai Yu and knelt face-to-face, a figure suddenly appeared in his field of vision.

Cheng Xi’s originally happy expression froze, and he turned around to see Huo Fenglie and Liu Zhenqing standing outside the door of the hall.

But Cheng Xi didn’t panic at all, and only said calmly: “I didn’t invite you.”

Liu Zhenqing didn’t answer. He just stared blankly at the lifeless figure.

He had thought that Bai Yu would be free after death, but didn’t expect…..that he was never free.

Liu Zhenqing’s face was covered with frost, and murderous intent slowly accumulated in his eyes.

“Cheng Xi, you have done so much harm to Bai Yu. Do you think you are still worthy of marrying him?”

“I’ve harmed him? As a member of the Liu family, you are truly shameless. I originally wanted your blood to apologize to Wangshu on Liu Zhenqing’s behalf, but I thought Wangshu wouldn’t want to involve innocent people, so I let you go. You have the nerve to question me? Don’t you know what your cousin did?”

“I don’t know, but I heard Magistrate Yao explain the truth. What? Are you not a real man who can take responsibility for his actions?”

Liu Zhenqing smiled at the absurdity, his anger already rising to the top of his head.

Because of Liu Zhenqing’s words, Cheng Xi glared furiously and was so agitated that he began to violently cough.

At this moment, Huo Fenglie rushed toward Cheng Xi.

And at the same time, two people fell from the roof and entered the main hall to rescue Bai Su.

But just when Huo Fenglie drew near, something fell from Cheng Xi’s hand, and in an instant, a fierce wall of fire burst up from the ground to stop him.

Huo Fenglie retreated at once, and the flames quickly spread.

Then there were loud explosions everywhere.

Qin Yu and He Lan were near the explosion. They had no time to untie the rope, and were instantly surrounded by flames.

A rope flew out of the wall of flames in a timely manner. Huo Fenglie caught it in an instant, and with a sudden pull, Qin Yu and He Lan flew out together with the chair.

However, they had still been injured by the impact of the explosion, and the three of them fell heavily into the courtyard.

Liu Zhenqing hastened forward to help Bai Su up. Although he was seriously injured, he continued to stare at the flames in a daze.

“Fuck, is he crazy? He buried gun powder at home?” He Lan cursed.

“He intended to die today.” Qin Yu held his injured arm and sat up. He didn’t expect that they would encounter misfortune like this. A madman truly couldn’t be reasoned with.

Everyone looked up. Within the flames, only the place where they were kneeling in worship was not affected by the explosions.

“Gege…..” Bai Su watched with wide eyes as the man supporting Bai Yu knelt down face to face with him again, as if he intended to continue worshiping in this place of death.

Bai Su stood up at once and tried to rush over, but was held back by Qin Yu and He Lan.

“You’re fucking crazy, that place could collapse at any time! The fire is too big. Your brother is already dead!”

“There could be gunpowder left, Yuzhou, don’t be stupid!”

But none of them noticed that Liu Zhenqing, who had been supporting Bai Su just now, had disappeared.

He entered through a side window and walked into the main hall along the place where the explosions had occurred.

Just as Cheng Xi was crazily holding Bai Su and about to bow down, a force pulled Bai Yu back.

Bai Yu was held straight like this, unable to bend down to kowtow.

Cheng Xi immediately looked up and saw a figure standing behind Bai Yu against a backdrop of flames, like an evil god controlling his follower.

“What are you doing? Do you not fear death? Get out of here!” Cheng Xi angrily remonstrated Liu Zhenqing, who had suddenly appeared.

But as soon as he finished speaking, Liu Zhenqing kicked him in the chest. He was already a seriously ill person, and even this kick from someone who didn’t know martial arts caused Cheng Xi to fall to the ground in disarray.

However, one of his hands continued to hold tightly to Bai Yu’s wrist.

In the next second, a cold light flashed, and Cheng Xi’s wrist was pierced by a sharp blade that could cut iron like clay. It severed his tendons, and he could no longer hold on.

Cheng Xi screamed as Bai Yu was taken away from him, and his entire person became ferocious and crazy.

When he looked up, he saw Liu Zhenqing pull off Bai Yu’s veil and gently take him into his arms.

He said softly: “Wangshu, I’m sorry I’m late. I’ll take you home now.”

What they said was inaudible to the people outside amid the noises of collapse and explosions. 

“You…..what did you say?” Cheng Xi stared at Liu Zhenqing in disbelief.

Liu Zhenqing’s gentle eyes turned bitterly cold the moment he looked at Cheng Xi.

“Do you know what Wangshu means? It is the noble and beautiful moon. These were the first characters that came to my mind when he asked me to give him a courtesy name, because in my opinion, such a beautiful boy was like the moon. So I called him Wangshu.”

“W-who are you?” Cheng Xi’s entire being felt unwell as he looked at Liu Zhenqing in shock.

Liu Zhenqing didn’t answer, and only taunted: “Don’t think that just because the beautiful moonlight inadvertently swept over a smelly thing like you, you can keep the moon forever. You don’t deserve it.”

“You’re speaking nonsense. It is me Wangshu loved, how could I not keep him!” Cheng Xi retorted frantically, as if remembering Bai Yu’s suicide, and tried to reach out.

However, Liu Zhenqing pulled Bai Yu up and moved farther and farther from Cheng Xi. This was something that Cheng Xi could not accept. He couldn’t suppress his coughing as tears ran down his face, and he tried to pull Bai Yu back.

“I’ll say it again, you are not worthy.” Liu Zhenqing glanced at Cheng Xi as if regarding a dead person. Supporting Bai Yu, he turned around and left.

“Lay in the same grave? That will always be impossible!”

“No! Wangshu, give Wangshu back to me, don’t take him away! Wangshu, Wangshu!” As if he had received a sudden surge of strength before death, Cheng Xi stood up to give chase, but was kicked away by another person.

This time, it was with force. Cheng Xi directly hit the wall, rolled down several pieces of calligraphy paintings, and fell to the ground, vomiting blood.

“Wangshu!” He gave a final unwilling roar, and a heavy object fell.

Huo Fenglie had already protected Liu Zhenqing and Bai Yu and taken them from the main hall.

Even though he was in a state of disarray, Liu Zhenqing still brought Bai Yu out to Bai Su.

Bai Su hugged Bai Yu and wept bitterly.

Liu Zhenqing silently peeled off the eye-catching red and tossed it into the fire, then removed his outer layer and covered Bai Yu with it, watching silently.

In fact, he had selfish motives in letting Bai Yu go south. He had everything planned out. The Three Kings were about to fall, and his body had reached its limit. He didn’t know what accidents would occur at the critical moment, and only hoped that nothing would happen to the people he cared about.

Those who followed him had bad reputations, and staying away from the capital meant staying away from the chaos.

Therefore, the two people he trusted most at the time, one civil and one military, were arranged by him on the pretext of work.

If he himself survived and safely went into seclusion, they would naturally have a good home. If he died, they would still have room to maneuver.

But Liu Zhenqing never could have imagined that the road he chose would become the road to hell.

Liu Zhenqing felt so cold. Truly cold. Suddenly, his vision went dark and he fell.

As always since his rebirth, he never seemed to fall anywhere cold, but was always enveloped in a solid embrace. 

In the past, there was no one behind Prime Minister Liu. But now, there was.

When Liu Zhenqing woke up again, all the burns on his body had been treated, but he still felt very hot.

He didn’t need to check  his pulse to know that this was the first time since his rebirth that his mood had fluctuated so much, and when he was holding Bai Yu, the freezing coldness on his body was too much for him. It caused him to catch a cold, and his fever hadn’t gone away.

Liu Zhenqing didn’t sit up, only opening his eyes in a daze.

He heard movement after a while, and the bed curtain opened.

Liu Zhenqing turned to look over. Sure enough, it was Huo Fenglie.

“Qing-ge, take the medicine.”

Liu Zhenqing was helped up, and he drank the medicine obediently. He vaguely remembered Huo Fenglie feeding him medicine and food several times. “How are your injuries?”

“I’m fine.”

Liu Zhenqing knew that Huo Fenglie must have suffered more injuries. Because of his willfulness, Huo Fenglie had to accompany him to venture somewhere dangerous.

“Thank you,” Liu Zhenqing said suddenly.

“I understand, you had to do it.” Huo Fenglie said calmly: “You were unconscious for two days. Brother Bai was placed in a coffin, and Yuzhou also heard the truth. Although he was grieved, he got through it. He won’t go with us next, but will send his brother home. They’ll board a ship in one day.”

“I want to go see them off,” Liu Zhenqing said.

Huo Fenglie nodded and said: “Okay.” Then he raised his hand and touched Liu Zhenqing’s forehead.

Liu Zhenqing hurriedly said: “The fever should be gone soon.”

Huo Fenglie paused, and the gentleness in his tone could not be hidden. “If it isn’t gone, I’ll still take you there. Don’t worry.”

Liu Zhenqing stared blankly at Huo Fenglie and suddenly said, “Thank you.”

“En?”

“I originally complained about not being able to leave. But now…..I’m glad I stayed. At least I could bring Wangshu back.”

Huo Fenglie froze when he heard this, and didn’t speak.

Likely because he heard that Liu Zhenqing had woken up, Bai Su came over specially.

Looking at Bai Su, who had lost a lot of weight in two days, Liu Zhenqing said worriedly: “Don’t make yourself sick.”

Bai Su gave a faint smile. “You still have the nerve to lecture me.” Then his eyes dimmed and he took Liu Zhenqing’s hand, saying, “Thank you very much, Brother Liu. Thank you.”

Liu Zhenqing patted Bai Su and said: “I also did it for that person. If he were here, he would definitely do the same.”

Bai Su’s eyes flashed, and he suddenly said: “Brother Liu, not only do I want to report the matter of my brother when I go back, but I also want to help clear Liu Zhenqing’s name. That is my brother’s last unfulfilled wish, and I want to do it for him.”

Liu Zhenqing opened his mouth and was about to say something, but was stopped by Bai Su: “I know you’re going to say it’s difficult, and that it’s unnecessary. You want to say that there is no evidence, and it might be futile. We don’t know the emperor’s intentions and may offend him and the common people of the world. But if I do nothing, I fear my brother will blame me.”

Bai Su said firmly: “The world should know what Liu Zhenqing has done for everyone.”

Liu Zhenqing frowned when he heard this. “You just believe it that easily? No one dares to say they know everything about the truth back then.”

“I believe in my brother,” Bai Su said.

“Why are you so like your brother…..” He didn’t know what to say.

Bai Su gave a brilliant smile, just as pure as Bai Yu’s smile back then.

“In any case, I’ll do my best. Whatever I can do. I’ll wait until I feel it’s enough, and then draw a map of the entire territory!”

When Bai Su finished speaking, he told Liu Zhenqing to have a good rest. As soon as he went out, Huo Fenglie came in.

“Did you hear that?” Liu Zhenqing asked helplessly.

Huo Fenglie nodded.

“You’d better have your people take care of him. This kid is as willful as his brother.”

Huo Fenglie said abruptly: “Do you not think the emperor will believe you and help clear your name?”

Liu Zhenqing was taken aback. He looked at Huo Fenglie in thought, then said seriously: “In fact, strictly speaking, I was a traitor, ah. Because back then, I could no longer look at gains and losses on a personal level, and could only look at the country as a whole. I indeed ignored the suffering of the common people. It was as if I was no longer me. I can’t make excuses for myself, and I’m not perfect. It was painful at the time, but I gradually became numb. So does anyone need to understand when I didn’t care back then? It’s even less possible now, and Yuan Jue won’t care either.”

“He is your disciple, and he respects you. How could he not care?” Huo Fenglie thought of Yuan Jue’s demeanor every time he talked about Liu Zhenqing these years, and couldn’t believe that Yuan Jue didn’t care.

Liu Zhenqing said abruptly: “He is a good emperor. He knows how to do things that are beneficial to the country.”

Huo Fenglie froze at once, remembering Magistrate Yao’s words.

“Cheng Xi is a good official, but he is not a good person.”

Huo Fenglie’s expression changed. There were things he didn’t understand, and he wanted to ask more questions, but Liu Zhenqing looked very tired and seemed unwilling to talk anymore.

“Qing-ge…..” Huo Fenglie said, lost for words.

Liu Zhenqing raised his head. It was uncertain whether he was confused from the fever or still stunned as he said: “Actually, I didn’t do enough. If I had done better, the situation might have been better back then, and fewer people would hate me. Wangshu and…..many, many people would not have been in danger. It’s me…..I didn’t do enough, I didn’t…..”

Before Liu Zhenqing could finish speaking, he was suddenly pulled into a warm embrace. The almost suffocating hug made Liu Zhenqing feel like he was a turtle hiding in its shell, and he calmed down in an instant.

Liu Zhenqing looked up and met a pair of deep black eyes. Those eyes had a mesmerizing dark red in them, and his heavy emotions turned into the wisp of a spring breeze against his face.

“Qing-ge, you did very well, extremely well. No one could have done it better than you.”

Liu Zhenqing suddenly went silly.

His mind was blank.

No one seemed to have said such a thing to him.

And now, he heard Er-gou say this.

The tip of his heart began to tremble.

Liu Zhenqing couldn’t help but hug Huo Fenglie tightly, burying his head in the other’s chest with a smile.

“You foolish dog, what do you know?”

Huo Fenglie patted Liu Zhenqing gently. His eyes were full of heartache that could only turn into a silent kiss that fell on the top of Liu Zhenqing’s head without him knowing.

---

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

Mu Nanqiao was the sort of company leader who was vigorous and resolute. He seldom spoke flatteringly, and although he couldn’t be described as cold-faced, he rarely smiled. He always gave people a sense of ease and calmness, and sometimes caused people under him to inadvertently ignore his age. 

But on this morning, Boss Mu walked through the company’s reception room with a smile on his face. That pleased as punch smile, coupled with the haute couture clothing that looked like he had rolled in ashes gave him a sense of picking up rags and still maintaining his dignity after going bankrupt.

The problem was, in everyone’s imagination, this kind of image should appear on Mr. Lin next door, right?

Everyone exchanged glances, but nobody spoke of this matter, all of them busy with the work at hand. Only Mu Chuanbai specially took the elevator to go up two floors and see what kind of fool his son was making of himself.

When he entered the general manager’s office, Mu Nanqiao was changing clothes in the lounge. When his son pushed open the door and came out with his dirty clothes, Mu Chuanbai saw joy on his face like he had picked up money on the street. 

The issue was that Mu Nanqiao was not short of money, so he could only be smiling like this because…..

“Xiao Lu has agreed to date you?” Mu Nanqiao leaned forward, unable to hide his anticipation.

Mu Nanqiao’s smile froze. He frowned and said: “No.”

Mu Chuanbai was in disbelief: “Then why are you smiling like a peacock that successfully courted a mate?”

“I’m smiling?” Mu Nanqiao touched his face.

When he opened his eyes that morning, he saw Lu Qi sleeping in his arms. When two people slept together, it was inevitable that they would feel a little hot. Lu Qi’s cheeks were pink, his eyelashes drooping quietly, and his hands were tightly clenched against his chest as he curled up like a small animal.

He couldn’t describe what he felt at that moment. His chest was filled with a warm, soft sweetness, but there was also some dark malevolence.

He wanted to hold the little deer tightly in his arms, run his fingers along that slender back inch by inch, and check whether there was really a short, fluffy tail.

He wanted to feel the resulting shivers, and kiss the tips of his eyes that were red with trepidation.

But in the end, he only hugged him through the quilt and placed a gentle kiss on his hair.

When the surging, parched impatience gradually died down, he woke Lu Qi up with a hoarse voice. The two of them cleaned up and set off back to Shanghai together.

“I originally wanted to propose a formal relationship.” Mu Nanqiao adjusted his tie in the mirror. “But today isn’t the right day. There are too many people and things to deal with.”

Mu Chuanbai scoffed: “Son, you know that there is no perfectly right time. One should seize every opportunity. You have implemented this very well in business, so why, when it comes to Xiao Lu…..”

“Oh.” Mu Nanqiao had already adjusted his facial expression. He quickly walked Mu Chuanbai and pushed his wheelchair out while whispering: “I heard you delayed your confession for a year because you found someone to calculate an auspicious day.”

Mu Chuanbai: ……

The person he heard say this was self-evident.

. . . . . . .

Xiao Sanhua hadn’t seen her father for several days, so she went up to show her affection for a while. Before Lu Qi could change into his home clothes, cat hair was rubbed all over him. Her whining little coquettish chirps made his heart melt.

Lu Qi and the little cat spent time together for a long while, then Lu Qi stood up and opened the window for ventilation. After sending a WeChat message to his dad to report that he was safe, he also gave him the information on the bank card with his living expenses. Lin Chunhe said a few words, feeling distressed and guilty, and finally told him not to worry about his family and just to take care of himself.

Putting down his mobile phone, Lu Qi began to clean the house.

He liked to think about some problems while cleaning the room, and now while mopping the floor, he thought about how he should reply the next time Mu Nanqiao brought up their relationship. 

There seemed to be no hesitation at all. His heart beat happily like a little deer’s, telling him the answer with excitement and expectation. 

Of course he would agree!

Lu Qi laughed, his eyes curving.

It turned out he really liked someone, accepting his hugs and kisses willingly. There was such a feeling of excitement and anticipation.

After tidying up the apartment, half the day had passed. Lu Qi ordered fried chicken takeout, and while Mu Nanqiao was away, he indulged in junk food. When he finished eating, he sat down on the small sofa and opened Weibo.

There was no need for him to search for it. News about Lin Group was pouring in from all over the place, whether it was official announcements regarding their crimes or various rumors. It was everywhere.

Lin Yuan had once bought a hot search on Lu Qi, and now the number one hot search topic was a satirical article written by his illegitimate brother abroad, which mocked Lin Yuan for disregarding gender when it came to eating rotten cucumbers.

Comments below said that his father Lin Zhang was a rotten cucumber since he couldn’t control his lower body. He was promiscuous and not a good person. And he, an illegitimate child, still dared to come out and jump around? Lin Yuan was no good, and he wasn’t a good thing either.

Lu Qi really felt that there was something wrong with this family’s genes, this collection of weirdos and mentally impaired people. At this time, shouldn’t the illegitimate brother be more honest with his tail between his legs? Yet he actually made a fuss.

But Lin Yuan probably didn’t have time to deal with him either.

The time for eating melons always passed quickly. In the evening, Lu Qi rubbed his eyes and realized that it was time to eat his next meal.

People, ah, once they lay down and didn’t do anything, they would become a little rice bucket.

Little rice bucket Lu Qi went downstairs to the supermarket to buy some groceries. After being away for a week, the vegetables in the refrigerator had all wilted. He packed up the garbage, put on a coat, and went out.

As he turned around and locked the door, he heard heavy footsteps coming from downstairs, which sounded like an old man in his twilight years. Lu Qi knew that there was an old couple living upstairs, so he politely stepped aside to get out of his way.

When he turned to the side, he was stunned.

A few steps down stood a tall, thin man.

Even though he was well-dressed, with no wrinkles in his coat, an ironed undershirt, straight trousers, and spotless shoes, the red bloodshot eyes, pale face, and slightly stooped shoulders all revealed his weariness and disgrace.

He called out hoarsely: “Xiao Qi.”

Lu Qi looked at him in confusion, somewhat unable to recognize him as Lin Yuan.

But seeing him step upward again, Lu Qi immediately turned the key and went to go back inside the house.

Lin Yuan didn’t stop him. Only after he retracted inside and gained some sense of security did Lin Yuan interrupt his move to close the door.

He knew that Lu Qi would not give him a chance to speak more, so he went straight to the point. “I have some information related to Mu Nanqiao that I think you’ll be interested in.”

Sure enough, the door didn’t close.

Lu Qi looked at Lin Yuan suspiciously through the crack in the door. “I don’t believe you, and I won’t believe what you show me.”

“I understand.” Lin Yuan lowered his head, as if overwhelmed. “I…..may be going to prison, and I will never come to you again. Since it’s like this, can you stop being so afraid of me? I won’t hurt you again.”

Lu Qi did not deny that he was “afraid” of Lin Yuan. He was a bit like a mad dog to begin with, and now, at the end of his rope, he was even more of a mad dog.

Therefore, the best choice was to close the door to ensure his own safety. The words coming out of his mouth could not be trusted.

Lin Yuan noticed it as soon as the door moved, and stepped forward to stick his foot in the door. When Lu Qi reached out to shove him, he lowered his voice and said quickly: “Lu Qi, you are so ridiculous. You aren’t afraid of the twisted murderer sleeping next to your pillow, but you’re afraid of me?”

Lu Qi was dumbfounded, and then a small flame appeared in his eyes. “What are you talking about?!”

His defense of Mu Nanqiao stung Lin Yuan’s eyes. Lin Yuan handed the file bag in his hand to Lu Qi, then took a step back and removed his obstructing foot. He raised his hands and retreated step by step. “You can go inside and read this information slowly. I’ll wait outside for you to finish.”

When he was done speaking, he retreated to the platform under the stairs.

Lu Qi closed the door with a bang. Xiao Sanhua was so frightened by the noise that she ran onto the coffee table with a puffed-up tail and knocked a cup off. 

He had stopped using glass and ceramic cups a long time ago. The metal cup clinked on the floor and spun around a few times, safe and sound.

Lu Qi’s dazed eyes fell on the cup with its fox head print, and realized that he had chosen the wrong water cup. It belonged to Mu Nanqiao. 

He looked at the smiling fox head, and Lin Yuan’s words, “twisted murderer,” echoed in his ears. Then he looked down at the file bag in his hand. The bag’s string was open, and there was a stack of papers inside.

After standing against the door for a while, Lu Qi’s eyes grew firm. He took the file bag and opened the door again.

“I’m giving this back to you!” Lu Qi stuck his head out. “Thank you for the warning, but I’ll ask him about it myself. I don’t want to look at the information you gave me.”

“You don’t believe it?” Lin Yuan raised his head incredulously. “Do you know what is written in this? Those people who had problems with Mu Nanqiao in secondary school are all dead. Zheng Shize was racing a motorcycle and hit his head on a guard rail. There wasn’t even a complete skull in the end. Zuo Fanghai took a woman to Yellowstone Park in the middle of the night and fell into a sulfuric acid pool. He died of burns all over his body. Mu Rui went to Myanmar and had his blood drained and his kidneys dug out…..”

He took a step forward, staring at Lu Qi as he asked: “There are two more I haven’t mentioned. One is an accident, and two is a coincidence. Did those five people really receive divine punishment?! Lu Qi, you go and ask him. Aren’t you afraid that he will reveal his true nature and kill you?”

The fate of those people was too appalling. At that moment, Lu Qi gripped the door handle in a daze and couldn’t help but shudder.

“Let me tell you, right next door to you, in the bedroom of 502, he has been playing those news reports on his computer. Do you dare say that this was not his revenge?!” Lin Yuan pointed to the door of 502 and said impassionedly: “Or does he fuck you so good that you like this kind of stimulation?!”

Bam—!

The punch caused Lin Yuan to fall backward. Lu Qi tried to make another move, but Lin Yuan had come to his senses and grabbed his wrist. During the struggle, the file bag slipped from Lu Qi’s hand and fell through the gap in the stairwell. 

The stairwell window was open, and a gust of wind blew in. White papers blew away, falling onto the shoulders of the man standing below, and one fell onto his foot. 

There was a news article printed on that piece of paper. The main message was to remind tourists not to cross the guard rail. There were cavities in many places under the fragile surface structure, and underneath were boiling pools of strong acid.

Mu Nanqiao lowered his head. His tall, straight figure cast a long black shadow. He stood against the light, his features hidden in the shadows, and Lu Qi couldn’t see his expression from above.

He didn’t know where he got the strength, but he pushed Lin Yuan away and shouted anxiously: “Mu Nanqiao!”

Mu Nanqiao raised his head and gazed at Lu Qi across half a flight of stairs. The expression on his handsome face was calm, but there was a biting, empty coldness in his beautiful narrow eyes.

Lu Qi had never seen such an emotion in his eyes. At this moment, the calm surface of the sea became turbulent at last, but under the turbulent sea water was not a deeper sea, but a frozen abyss.

His heart throbbed, and he quickly went down a few steps. But Mu Nanqiao withdrew his gaze, looked deeply at Lin Yuan, and then turned to go down the stairs.

Lu Qi was incredibly anxious and was about to speak, but Lin Yuan pulled him from behind. He nearly fell down, and bit his tongue, the faint taste of blood spreading in his mouth.

So the sentence, “I’ll listen to you” didn’t have time to be uttered, and turned into a pained groan.

“You’re still going after him?!” Lin Yuan held onto him. “You’re really not afraid…..”

“Damn you…..” Lu Qi actually cursed. He bent down, picked up the bag of garbage on the ground, and hit Lin Yuan in the head with it. 

In an instant, red and green garbage covered Lin Yuan’s face. The soupy mixture exuded a strange smell.

“You’re just trash!” Lu Qi pointed at Lin Yuan with reddened eyes, his fingertip trembling. “How do you know what’s in the bedroom of 502?! You came and picked the lock when we weren’t here! I’m telling you I’m not afraid! He’s never hurt anyone else, you’re the one who’s actually guilty and scared!”

He picked up another color-printed picture of an accident scene and slapped Lin Yuan hard in the face. “Go and have nightmares, you idiot!”

He turned around and quickly ran downstairs.

---

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Chapter Twenty-Seven << Table of Contents >> Chapter Twenty-Nine

Magistrate Yao would not speak of this for no reason. Liu Zhenqing could tell at a glance that he had an ulterior motive.

But he couldn’t care about anything else. He had to know why Bai Yu died.

Liu Zhenqing stood up straight and looked down at Magistrate Yao, saying in a cold voice: “What do you want?”

Magistrate Yao’s heart trembled, and he inexplicably felt the nervousness of facing a superior. He hadn’t expected that the most astute among these people would be this young master with no identity.

Qin Yu and He Lan were both taken aback by Liu Zhenqing’s sudden question.

Magistrate Yao narrowed his eyes and calmed down, saying: “I want to talk to Bai Su. If he wants to know the truth about his brother’s death, have him come see me.”

Liu Zhenqing pointed at Huo Fenglie and said: “Bai Su isn’t here now, so you can talk to him. But it is impossible for you to be saved.”

Huo Fenglie said nothing, but stepped forward cooperatively.

Magistrate Yao glanced at Huo Fenglie nervously and struggled for a moment before saying: “Of course I know I won’t get out alive. I can tell you the truth, but you must promise to at least spare my child’s life. I guarantee that nobody but me knows the truth about that year! This deal is definitely worth it.”

Huo Fenglie nodded silently in agreement.

Magistrate Yao breathed a sigh of relief and said slowly: “In fact, eight years ago, Bai Yu was secretly arrested on the day he collected evidence and boarded a ship to leave. You probably don’t know that unlike the rumors outside, Bai Yu was still Liu Zhenqing’s most loyal dog at that time. Even though Liu Zhenqing was dead, he still wanted to clear his master’s name, so he collected evidence that proved Liu Zhenqing’s innocence.”

After Magistrate Yao spoke, he was afraid that they wouldn’t believe him. However, he saw that the expressions of these several people didn’t change, and was startled. He said in a daze: “It seems you are all clever people and know a lot of inside information. A small local official like me didn’t know anything at the time. I only knew that Liu Zhenqing was a lowlife that everyone detested and a treacherous minister who brought trouble to the Imperial court. Anyone who said anything good about him must have an evil heart. At that time, everyone in Great Zhou was united and only wanted to excise this last scourge. The people wanted to collect evidence of his crimes, but Bai Yu was ignorant of current affairs and insisted on going against the general trend. How could he be allowed to show up with evidence at such a critical moment!”

“So you all chose to cover up the truth?” He Lan couldn’t help but say: “Just because of public opinion?”

Magistrate Yao said: “It wasn’t us. How could we have such courage? Even though the person Bai Yu followed had fallen, he had a background that could not be touched by anyone. It was someone from above who gave the order, instructing local officials to secretly imprison him, search for the evidence, and destroy it.”

“Who?” Qin Yu asked.

“I was just a minor official at the time and had no access to upper-level information. I only know that the magistrate at the time had received a secret order from the capital. Then Bai Yu was imprisoned, threatened, and even tortured. Even though he was a civil servant, he had a very stubborn mouth. When I went in once and saw him, he was beaten and had not eaten for many days, but his eyes were still bright.”

Liu Zhenqing clenched his fists and his expression went tense. From an unseen angle, Huo Fenglie reached out to hold Liu Zhenqing’s hand, giving him comfort and support.

He Lan touched his chin and thought for a moment, then said: “So you’re saying that it was Cheng Xi who rescued and hid him in order to protect him? But could it be that Bai Yu wasn’t aware, and that’s why he committed suicide?”

He Lan was only guessing, but it caused Magistrate Yao to laugh loudly until he was almost out of breath, which confused everyone.

“You all think Cheng Xi is a good official? Yes, that’s right, he is a good official to the common people and to Great Zhou, but he may not necessarily be a good person, ah. Compared to him, in terms of ruthlessness, deep schemes, and cruelty, this corrupt official feels ashamed.”

When Magistrate Yao said this, Liu Zhenqing inexplicably began to panic. He had thought that Cheng Xi was strange from the beginning, but was unwilling to think much of it because he didn’t expect Bai Yu’s death to be related to Cheng Xi. After all, every sign pointed to Bai Yu loving Cheng Xi.

“Hey, don’t pull other people down. At least he didn’t steal or commit fraud,” He Lan said contemptuously.

Magistrate Yao said with a sneer: “Cheng Xi was a well-known local talent, but unfortunately, his family fell into decline and he suffered all the hardships in the world. He was considered a son from a humble family and relied on studying to make a living, but in terms of his character, he was extremely arrogant and self-righteous. At that time, he had a sick mother at home, and the examination center in the south was temporarily closed. He could not travel far to the Imperial Examination, so he could only sadly miss it. Bai Yu came just at that time.”

“Bai Yu had been ordered to come down and take over the tax fraud case. Back then, he was following the treacherous minister, and we just thought he had come down to accept bribes on his behalf. Unexpectedly, he mingled with us on the surface but was secretly investigating behind the scenes. Prime Minister Liu was very powerful at that time, and the status quo between the three kings was starting to become unstable. Changes could happen in the blink of an eye, so everyone naturally had to keep fawning over Prime Minister Liu’s right-hand man. Everyone knew he loved painting, so they recommended Cheng Xi. In the course of time, everyone saw that Bai Yu was attracted to Cheng Xi, but Cheng Xi did not prefer men. Others advised him to cater to Bai Yu and perhaps get a recommendation, but Cheng Xi showed extreme disgust. However, Bai Yu still took the initiative to recommend Cheng Xi.”

Magistrate Yao ridiculed: “I remember one time when drinking with colleagues, speaking of Bai Yu, Cheng Xi said that Bai Yu’s talent was amazing and his birth was even better. No fault could be found with him, and he was so perfect that it made him…..disgusted. Why should the heavens give everything to Bai Yu, but he had to endure everything? I thought he was truly hypocritical at that time. Although he had clearly received benefits and Bai Yu only treated him as a friend, he seemed to feel humiliated and kept a cold face all day long, but would converse happily with Bai Yu.”

When they heard this, everyone present had their impressions of Cheng Xi overturned.

Huo Fenglie and Liu Zhenqing had seen that Cheng Xi “loved” Bai Yu, and now also learned that he was jealous of Bai Yu because of his low self-esteem. It was truly hateful and pathetic. He probably didn’t know at the time that he also admired Bai Yu, and his pride as a man couldn’t stand Bai Yu’s goodness. 

In fact, up to now, nobody thought Cheng Xi could be as evil as Magistrate Yao described.

Then they heard that when Bai Yu was arrested and those people could not get the answers they wanted through interrogation, Cheng Xi appeared again and offered a solution to the magistrate at that time. Everyone’s expressions finally changed to undisguised disgust.

“At first, I thought he was secretly attempting to save that person, but I didn’t expect that he really wanted to do a meritorious service. He said that Prime Minister Liu was a treacherous official, and that Bai Yu followed the wrong person and helped the tyrant commit evil, so he was in the right. He wanted to help find the so-called evidence, because he felt that the evidence was just far-fetched perjury to whitewash the traitor.”

Hearing this, Liu Zhenqing gave an extremely cold laugh.

He had previously heard that Cheng Xi knew that Bai Yu was investigating the tax fraud case, and thought that Cheng Xi had understood something. But now that he thought about it, in Cheng Xi’s eyes, Bai Yu was the subordinate who was deluded by him, and the collection of evidence in the tax case was just a way for him, the treacherous minister, to grab hold of those officials.

From the beginning, Cheng Xi didn’t believe in anything Bai Yu did.

“What did he do?” Liu Zhenqing felt his teeth chatter slightly. It seemed that he was about to find out the truth of Bai Yu’s unjust death.

“He pretended to rescue Bai Yu in order to gain his trust. At that time, Bai Yu was already seriously injured and worried that he wouldn’t live long, so he absurdly expressed his feelings to Cheng Xi, probably because he feared he would lose his chance if he died. Then he told Cheng Xi where the evidence was hidden and begged him to help exonerate Prime Minister Liu. In fact, we followed them at that time.”

“When I heard Bai Yu’s confession and pleading, I was a little worried that Cheng Xi would defect, but in the end he acted very well. He immediately agreed to get the evidence and asked Bai Yu to wait for him where he was. Then the evidence was found, Bai Yu was arrested again, and Cheng Xi made his first meritorious service.”

Hearing this, He Lan was the first who couldn’t help but jumped up with a violent temper. After all, this was his friend’s brother. How could he be treated like this?

“Damn it! Laozi will kill him!”

Qin Yu held He Lan back and asked: “Did Bai Yu know about Cheng Xi’s betrayal?”

Magistrate Yao shook his head.

“You destroyed that evidence?” Qin Yu asked again.

Magistrate Yao still shook his head, and smiled even more contemptuously: “In fact, the so-called evidence only needed to be changed. As long as the order of events was switched, the causal relationships were changed, and some key points were hidden, solid evidence could become a lie that everyone believed was the truth. In fact, when I first read it, I really thought that Prime Minister Liu was the kind of loyal minister who was willing to work hard and endure hardships. Then the evidence was changed, and he became a treacherous official. I myself couldn’t tell the difference. In any case, the exonerating evidence turned into incriminating evidence and was sent to the capital. Was he foolish or not? In the end, everything Bai Yu did was in vain. The evidence he worked so hard to collect became incriminating evidence against his master, and he lost his life for it.”

Liu Zhenqing couldn’t listen any more. His body was shaking uncontrollably, and he said with gritted teeth: “Because it took time to find the evidence, you arranged for an accident on the northbound ship to fake his death. And then when you had the evidence and Bai Yu had no more value, why not just kill him? Why allow him to live six more years instead?”

Liu Zhenqing knew Bai Yu. If he was willing to go into seclusion out of fear that his family would be implicated if he wasn’t dead, he would definitely not commit suicide. If it wasn’t voluntary, a person who cared about the country and wanted to draw a map of all the mountains and rivers would be better off dead than living like this for six years.

But when Liu Zhenqing asked for an answer, Magistrate Yao, with his expression of ridicule and no fear of death, actually showed a look of sympathy on his face. It was too strange. What kind of situation could cause the enemy to show such an attitude?

Magistrate Yao’s eyes gradually dimmed, as if he was at a loss about the past. “Bai Yu was not killed immediately after he was captured, because everyone wanted revenge. After all, they had been fooled for a long time, and never knew that Bai Yu was secretly investigating their tax money embezzlement. They were so angry that they only wished to slowly torture this noble person from the capital to death. They imprisoned Bai Yu in a dark cell for a whole month…..”

“That’s enough.” Suddenly, a low voice with murderous intent sounded out. Magistrate Yao looked over and was immediately startled by Huo Fenglie’s expression.

At this time, Huo Fenglie was supporting Liu Zhenqing. Their hands were intertwined, and blood continuously seeped out from the gaps. This was because Liu Zhenqing had clenched his fist so tightly that even his smooth fingernails had turned into the sharpest blades. In order to prevent Liu Zhenqing from unconsciously injuring himself, Huo Fenglie could only put his fingers through and let Liu Zhenqing’s nails sink into the back of his hand.

He had never seen such an expression on Liu Zhenqing’s face since they met again.

That expression looked as if someone had stabbed him with countless swords. 

Among those present were people from the Dongchang and Jinyiwei, and just from hearing the beginning, they knew that the suffering of that month would definitely not be something that a noble son in the capital or a glorious civil servant could bear. They could only sigh with downcast expressions. Fortunately, Yuzhou wasn’t there.

Magistrate Yao stopped speaking of that matter, and said: “In any case, when I saw him again, Bai Yu had become abnormal. Only then did Cheng Xi claim credit from the magistrate, take Bai Yu away, and raise him in his house outside.”

“So Cheng Xi knew what Bai Yu was going through that whole time. He’s sick, ah. Then why did he want to take Bai Yu back and pretend to be his savior? Wait, did Bai Yu still not know about Cheng Xi’s betrayal at that time?” He Lan was shocked.

Qin Yu frowned and said: “The magistrate back then wasn’t worried?”

“Of course he was worried.” Magistrate Yao said: “So he sent me to monitor for a while. At that time, I was completely convinced by Cheng Xi’s duplicity. I found that he actually had the patience to treat and heal Bai Yu, but Bai Yu was sometimes sober, sometimes insane, and sometimes had a death wish. He was pacified by Cheng Xi in the end, but he was no longer the Bai Yu of the past. Although the two of them fell in love, Bai Yu was also willing to watch Cheng Xi marry his new wife. He obediently lived in the outer house and was completely dependent on Cheng Xi. He didn’t go out and didn’t care about worldly affairs, relying entirely on Cheng Xi to bring him all information. Such dependence was like a baby relying on its parents. I just felt that one was willing to deal a beating while the other was willing to suffer, so I reported truthfully to the magistrate. This Bai Yu had been completely destroyed, and no longer posed a threat.”

“A year later, the emperor re-opened the tax fraud case. Amid the applause of the common people, everyone was unseated. Because I was just a minor official at the time and didn’t engage in any corruption, I was naturally omitted, and eventually took the position of magistrate. I kept my peace and forgot all about the past. Then one day two years ago, Cheng Xi went crazy and summoned all the doctors in the city to his home to save someone. That was when I learned that Bai Yu had committed suicide.”

Hearing this, Liu Zhenqing couldn’t help but slowly close his eyes, all the strength in his body draining out.

He suddenly felt that the word “suicide” had a note of relief. Bai Yu’s suffering was finally over.

“Cheng Xi became very strange after that. He was still a good and diligent official, but when the First Princess’s cousin traveled south, he took the initiative to entertain him. Now that I think about it, the method of cheating in the Imperial Examinations was probably thought up by Cheng Xi and hinted to that cousin. After it started in the north, it also appeared in the south. I found that many officials were inexplicably involved, and they were all officials who helped me take the tax money. They also tried to persuade me to join them, but I felt that something wasn’t right and didn’t participate. Unexpectedly, something went wrong.”

Magistrate Yao surmised viciously: “I learned a lesson from the first tax fraud case and was very careful. Except for Cheng Xi, it would be difficult for others to find out about it. Cheng Xi must have known that he couldn’t bring us down with the tax fraud case, so he decided to use the Imperial Examination case against us. He is truly ridiculous. Nearly all the people who hurt Bai Yu back then are dead, and only me and the person behind the scenes who gave the order are left. Although I was an accessory, I never touched Bai Yu from beginning to end. It was him, he was Bai Yu’s real murderer, but this fellow struck back at us. What is he pretending to do? Make amends? Truly…..heaven has no eyes! I lost to him!”

When everyone heard this, they felt as if they had been struck by lightning. It turned out that this was the truth about the Imperial Examination case. It was all about Cheng Xi’s desire to overthrow the people who had hurt Bai Yu and drag a group of people with evil intentions into the water. In eight years, the emperor had mostly dealt with the original group of people, whether they were low-level officials in Tongmao Prefecture or high-ranking officials in the capital.

But it was still unknown who gave the order.

Liu Zhenqing suddenly recalled that night when they and Cheng Xi discussed the Imperial Examination fraud case, and Cheng Xi abruptly asked if senior officials in the capital could be involved. At that time, they acquiesced that the person behind the Imperial Examination case was Prime Minister Jiang Wang. But now they had learned that Cheng Xi had been targeting the second tax fraud case, and behind this case and Magistrate Yao was the Minister of Revenue.

Then was it the Prime Minister or the Minister of Revenue who gave the order back then?

That old thing was submissive to Liu Zhenqing back then, but there was unwillingness in his heart. Liu Zhenqing knew this, but didn’t expect that as soon as he died, he would immediately take action against his people.

Under interrogation, it was obvious that Magistrate Yao didn’t know about the rebels, and that everything he did was based on the instructions of the Minister of Revenue. The only thing that could be determined was that he indeed redirected the money from Yanqiu Prefecture to other places together with the money from Tongmao Prefecture. But this was all a story for another time. The important thing at the moment was that Bai Su had been called away by Cheng Xi. None of them could sit still once they learned of what Cheng Xi had done, and they immediately rushed to Cheng Xi’s manor.

At this time, Bai Su felt that he could no longer breathe.

The color on his face faded almost instantly.

“Ge…..ge?”

“Right, ah, it’s Wangshu. You haven’t seen each other for many years,” Cheng Xi said with a slight smile while arranging Bai Yu’s fallen hair. 

“Cheng Xi, why is my brother here? What in the world did you do to my brother!” Bai Su could no longer control his emotions. He struggled and roared wildly, completely losing his previous grace.

There were marks of self-inflicted suicide on Bai Yu’s throat, and his face did not match his rumored age of death.

All of this tore at Bai Su’s nerves. He only knew one thing—that the brother he knew so well would never neglect his family as long as he lived. 

“What did I do? You should ask Liu Zhenqing what he did. If that treacherous minister Liu Zhenqing hadn’t bewitched your brother, how could a kind-hearted person such as him have colluded with that traitor? He was sent to do such dangerous things. It was Liu Zhenqing who caused him to suffer so many hardships. It was Liu Zhenqing who caused him to die!”

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

The group returned to Garrison City after a long journey. Liu Nanyuan held a food box in her arms as she jumped off the carriage and asked: “Where is my Er-ge?”

“The Second Young Master is in the back courtyard.” The servant pointed out, “It seems he is playing chess with the prince. We don’t dare to disturb him.”

Liu Nanyuan was very surprised to hear this, mainly because His Royal Highness Xiao Wang didn’t seem like someone who could play chess quietly, so she rushed over to take a look.

It had been raining continuously for the past few days, and now it had finally cleared up. The weather was good, so Liu Xian’an supported Liang Shu out for some fresh air in the morning. He specifically asked A-Ning to move out the large, comfortable and spacious lounge chair and place it among the flowers. He took out another thin blanket and wrapped it around the other person comfortably, then lay on his side and began to wander in a daze as usual.

Liang Shu thought the atmosphere was pretty good at first. He rested an arm on his pillow and gently caressed the cheek of the person next to him with his other hand, as if teasing a beautiful, lazy cat. After teasing and teasing, he was not satisfied, so he tugged the other’s hair and asked, “Why won’t you talk?”

Liu Xian’an replied: “No time, I’m playing chess.”

“With those white-bearded old men?”

“En.”

Thus, His Royal Highness Xiao Wang began to give his opinion in a disdainful manner, “That won’t work, I forbid it.”

Liu Xian’an said: “But I haven’t played chess for a long time, and the prince won’t accompany me.”

Liang Shu immediately sat up and sent someone to find a chess set. He just didn’t like playing and couldn’t be bothered to do it, but it wasn’t that he couldn’t play. What was so difficult about playing chess? He held his temple in one hand, body slightly tilted to one side. His chess-playing posture was very charming. He looked like a noble hermit in black robes who was about to solve some ancient puzzle, but in fact, his chess skills were not very good. He lost three games in a row with a speed comparable to that of Commander Ku’s eating.

“……”

Liu Xian’an comforted him: “It doesn’t matter, I can help you a little bit.”

So when Liu Nanyuan led a group of Baihe Mountain Village disciples to the back courtyard, she saw her Er-ge holding white on the left and then going to hold black on the right, moving back and forth. The wind blew his robes up, like a big butterfly flying non-stop. His Royal Highness Xiao Wang sat on the lounge chair without even raising a finger, and his eyes had no contact with the chess board. He only hugged the other’s waist, dragged him back into his arms, and put his chin on his shoulder: “Why did you drop it there? I don’t think it’s right, I’ll do more research.”

The disciples of Baihe Mountain Village practiced medicine to help the world all day long. They were very pure and had few desires. When had they ever seen such a grand scene of love talk? The younger ones especially had red faces and didn’t even dare to raise their heads. They all slipped away on tiptoe, holding their breaths. 

When Liu Xian’an heard movement, he looked up to see his sister at the door and was very happy: “When did you and Da-ge get back?”

“Just now. Da-ge probably went to the pharmacy to get busy.” Liu Nanyuan stepped through the courtyard gate and handed over the food box in her hands without further ado. “Here, these are the berries I picked on the road. They’re very sweet.”

Liang Shu stood and told the brother and sister to continue chatting. Liu Xian’an wiped his hands and chewed on the fruit, asking, “Where is Young Head Escort Chang?”

Liu Nanyuan said: “He went to the military camp as soon as we came back. He helped us a lot this time.”

Gao Lin had forced him onto the Baihe Mountain Village team. Firstly, this was to create more opportunities for the young man who was at the age of first love, and secondly, Lieutenant General Gao patted Xiao Chang on the shoulder and said earnestly: “Since you intend to join the military camp, you need to understand that soldiers must always be prepared to sacrifice themselves for the greater good. So if you go into the dense forest and really can’t catch Liu-guniang, and the Scimitar Silver Moon Tribe insist on dragging First Young Master Liu into marriage, why not just grit your teeth and sacrifice yourself? Anyway, I think the girls from that tribe are very good, so you’ll get a huge bargain if you marry one home.”

Chang Xiaoqiu was very enthusiastic and excited when hearing the first half of these words. Later, he was dumbfounded and simply grew eight legs to run away. He had no intention of getting married so early, let alone to a girl he didn’t know. As for Liu Nanyuan, he admired her, but after spending time together all the way through the dense forest, for some reason he actually developed a sense of upright platonicness, like meeting someone with a pot of wine in the jianghu. In short, the beautiful path envisioned by Lieutenant General Gao was getting more and more off track.

Cheng Suyue couldn’t understand, and asked her brother: “Why do you enjoy being a matchmaker so much?”

“Do I really enjoy it?” Gao Lin was deeply worried and sick at heart. “Don’t look at how many bachelors there are in the northwest and in this southwest camp. It’s almost overwhelming…..” He was accustomed to saying that when superiors did not set a good example, the subordinates could not be expected to behave well, but when he thought about it, this was not quite right. Because his family’s prince was very upright now, single-heartedly devoted to love, and his marriage was prosperous.

“You should still be concerned about yourself.” Cheng Suyue patted his chest and said, “After returning to Wangcheng, the emperor will definitely summon you alone right away. Think in advance about what you are going to say.”

Gao Lin was baffled. Why would the emperor summon me alone? What about the prince?

Cheng Suyue replied, the prince will not go back to Wangcheng yet. He will accompany Second Young Master Liu back to Baihe Mountain Village in Jiangnan.

Gao Lin sucked in a cold breath of air. Is this appropriate?!

However, His Royal Highness Xiao Wang didn’t care about rules or irregularities when doing things. As it happened, he had also met Second Young Master Liu, who also had a temperament which regarded rules as nothing. He was simply the most dissolute person in the world, and didn’t care.

Liu Nanyuan was the only reliable one among this group of people, and was relatively idle, so she dared to voice to her Er-ge: If the emperor finds out about this, won’t he blame you? After all, since the general won a victory, it seems that he should return to the royal city to report on his duties.

Liu Xian’an waved his hand: “It doesn’t matter. The prince says that he sent a secret report to be rushed eight hundred li to Wangcheng.”

As for what was specifically written in the secret report, it was very thick this time around. He seemed to have divine assistance when writing it, and it could be compared to the essays of a number one scholar.

He mentioned the treasure first. Not only did your younger brother not spend more military expenses during this campaign, but he also made a fortune. Emperor Brother can use it to fill the treasury. Then he turned his brush and began to complain about how difficult it was to fight in the southwest, how cunning the cult was, and how ‘your younger brother was seriously injured during the battle,’ I have been lying in bed for two months and still haven’t recovered. I miss Emperor Brother very much, and look forward to seeing him day and night. I can’t sleep at night, tossing and turning. But the journey from the southwest to the capital is more than a thousand li. This shabby, pitiful, sick body really can’t bear it. After some thought, I have no choice but to leave for Baihe Mountain Village first. After all, Master Liu’s medical skills are unparalleled, and he should be able to heal your younger brother’s injuries as soon as possible.

He also wrote, since I am going to Baihe Mountain Village, where I will live in someone else’s home, eat, and receive medical treatment, it is not good to go empty handed. Therefore, the betrothal gifts prepared by Emperor Brother last time can be sent over first.

As I write, it is getting colder and colder, and I have no good clothes to wear.

He originally wanted to ask for an additional two jars of wine, but Liu Xian’an said: “Everyone knows that my father doesn’t drink alcohol, and his disciples are also not allowed to drink alcohol.”

“Then we will refrain. I will drink with you when we go to Wangcheng in the future.” Liang Shu sealed the letter, tossed it into an attendant’s hands, and raised his chin. “Use the fastest horse and run day and night without rest. Run as fast as you can for this lord.”

The attendant received this loud order with a serious look on his face. Thinking that the letter contained important military matters, he ran like crazy even on the road to the inn.

Chang Xiaoqiu did not go to the northwest camp with Cheng Suyue. He had been away for a long time, so he had to return to the escort agency to see his unfortunate father, then settle things at home one by one.

Liu Xianche handed a stack of medical books to Liu Hengchang and said: “After you arrive in the northwest, if you want to practice medicine in the military camp, then go there. If there are no battles, you can also go to Chunfeng City to build a new Baihe Medical Clinic. If you need anything, just write to me.”

Liu Hengchang saluted and said: “Yes, thank you very much, First Young Master. However, the Second Young Master gave me a lot of banknotes yesterday to build a medical center, which should be enough. There is no shortage for the time being.”

Liu Xianche was puzzled: “The Second Young Master. Where did he get the money?”

He called A-Ning and asked. It was His Royal Highness Xiao Wang who had given it to him.

Liu Xian’an was carefully counting the monthly funds he had been given over the years. Liang Shu saw this when he was passing by and thought that this money-obsessed person was very cute, so he went into the room and asked him: “What do you want to buy?”

“I don’t want to buy anything. I want to raise some money for A-Chang to build a Baihe Medical Clinic in the northwest. Father always mentioned this before, and now there is an opportunity,” Liu Xian’an said. “It’s a pity that I don’t have enough money.”

Liang Shu glanced at the table and said with a smile: “This is more than not just enough. You can at most buy three sets of tables, chairs, and benches, and you may have to haggle with the shopkeeper for a long time. All right, let the accountant calculate what is missing, and I will procure the rest for you.”

Liu Xian’an nodded: “That’s also fine.”

He agreed very readily.

And His Royal Highness Xiao Wang also paid very readily, but the old accountant responsible for handling his private accounts cautiously suggested that to build a medical center to benefit the common people, it seemed that he could ask for money from the Imperial court and did not have to provide it himself.

“Uncle Zhang, just grit your teeth and pay it.” Gao Lin put an arm around his shoulders and said earnestly, “After paying the money, our prince will be able to let Baihe Mountain Village raise him with more confidence in the future. This is his plan.”

The old accountant: Ai, how indecent, how indecent.

Liu Xianche also felt that the money should be paid by Baihe Mountain Village, so he went in person to seek out his brother. As a result, he caught up with a sleepy Liu Xian’an with a quilt pulled over his head, mumbling, “En, en, mm, mm.” There was no telling what nonsense he was dealing with, and he couldn’t get out a complete word for a long time.

If His Royal Highness Xiao Wang hadn’t returned in time, the lazy fellow likely would have received another ruler.

“This lord should pay the money.” Liang Shu smiled and calmly took two steps forward, protecting that person behind him. “The construction of the medical center is trivial. Xiao An also has no experience, so I’m afraid that First Young Master Liu will need to instruct A-Chang more in the future. How about I call him to the study now?”

“A-Chang went to the back mountain,” Liu Xianche said. “To burn paper offerings.”

The bodies of Feng Xiaojin, Wumeng Yunyou, and Wumeng Yunle were all cremated. The three of them carried the lives of countless Dayan people. Regardless of any hidden agendas behind them, bloody murders had been committed. Even if the Imperial court had buried them alive, it might not have been able to comfort the tens of thousands of dead souls along the Baihe River and in the southwest sky. Liu Henchang had secretly burned Feng Xiaojin and Wumeng Yunyou himself, and scattered their ashes in the freest wind. 

He hoped that their future lives would contain the same freedom.

Mu Zhe’s body was hung at the gate of Garrison City for public viewing, and Yuan Yu was beheaded. In the cult-less southwest, smiles and laughter flowed like a surging stream through thousands of colorful villages. 

And everyone here was finally leaving.

Cheng Suyue and Liu Hengchang went to the northwest together. Chang Xiaoqiu returned to the Wanli Escort Bureau, and Song Changsheng stayed with the Scimitar Silver Moon Tribe to mend their sword. After mending it, he also went to the northwest. 

As for His Royal Highness Xiao Wang, he was ceremonially carried like a frail beauty to the carriage heading to Baihe Mountain Village, under the watchful eyes of the Imperial guards.

Liu Xianche: “……”

Gao Lin gripped the frame of the carriage and asked unresignedly: “Can I really not go to Jiangnan with you? Or perhaps back to the northwest.”

Liang Shu frowned: “How indecent is this!”

Gao Lin was ready to shed tears. But I’ve never gone to Wangcheng by myself, let alone to see the emperor. I’m scared.

“What are you afraid of? Emperor Brother won’t eat you. Besides, we won the war. Can you not profit from this and show off in style?” Liang Shu pulled his sleeves back forcefully and said, “Get down, don’t hang on the carriage anymore. You’ll delay the team’s auspicious time of departure.”

Gao Lin didn’t believe this. How could it be auspicious?

“It really is.” The old accountant on the side explained, “The prince spent five taels of silver the day before yesterday to ask someone to calculate it, because he must follow the etiquette of proposing marriage.”

Gao Lin: “……”

Truly, this was impressive.

Ku You also came to see everyone off. He had removed his battle armor and wore neat brocade robes. His silver hair made his skin look like snow, and when he stood there with high eyebrows and deep eyes, his entire person looked dignified and intimidating.

The old accountant asked quietly: “Lieutenant General Gao, look at Commander Ku. He is so pale that he is glowing. Don’t they all say that Third Young Lady Liu likes pale people? Why don’t you help match them up?”

“This won’t work. Pale is pale, but his body is too strong.” Gao Lin said, “When he had the eye disease, it still could have worked. Now that it has been cured, he has no relation to thinness and weakness. Last time, Third Young Lady Liu happened to meet Ku You while he was eating. And guess what, he didn’t say a word during the whole process and actually ate eight big buns in one go.”

Liu Nanyuan was constantly working and had a large appetite, but she only ate one and a half before feeling full. So when he saw Ku You’s amazing appetite, she was shocked. In the end, she finally couldn’t hold back anymore and said: “Commander Ku, I’m going to collect some herbs from the mountain. Are you finished eating? If so, you can lead me there.” And incidentally, he could also walk around to aid digestion.

The old accountant was happy. Isn’t this great?

“How is it great?” Gao Lin sighed. “Xiao Ku didn’t agree, saying that he would train troops in the afternoon.”

The old accountant: “……”

Forget it, just pretend I didn’t say anything. It’s all up to fate.

Gao Lin hated iron for not becoming steel, and Liang Shu couldn’t laugh or cry. Ku You was taken and educated twice in turn, and it was unknown if he pondered and reflected on some of it, but this time, he specifically sought Liu Nanyuan out and stretched his hand forward. There was a very small rabbit crouching on it, two big ears hanging down.

“Yi?” Sure enough, Liu Nanyuan opened her eyes wide.

Ku You said: “I picked it up at the training grounds this morning. Someone likely stepped on it and hurt its leg.”

“Indeed.” Liu Nanyuan took the rabbit into her hands and stroked it gently. “Then I will take it back to Jiangnan.”

Ku You nodded. “Good. Thank you, Liu-guniang.”

After she held it for a long moment, he finally said: “If you come to the southwest again in the future, remember to send someone to inform me.”

The only disadvantage he suffered was that his skin was too white and would turn red at the slightest whiff of trouble, so he said farewell in a hurry and turned around to leave.

He feared that if he walked slowly, the girl would look twice at him.

Gao Lin lamented that there was potential, but not much.

This group of people simply scattered in all directions.

From the southwest to Jiangnan, one could walk several sections of the Baihe River. The river had just barely calmed this year, but the cessation should not be taken lightly. Liang Shu lay on the side of the boat, gazing at the fields on both banks, and said: “It will be a big project.”

“If the project wasn’t big, there would be no need to delay it until now,” Liu Xian’an said. “At a rough calculation, it should take at least a hundred years, so let’s be the first.”

Liang Shu smiled and reached out to take him into his arms: “Okay, let’s be the first.”

But before they started, they must first go to Baihe Mountain Village.

The eight-hundred-li urgent secret letter had long been delivered to the emperor with the good news. At that time, Liang Yu was in early morning court, and all the civil and military officials were there. It could be imagined what kind of storm this military report caused in the court. Everyone was overjoyed, and knelt down to congratulate him. His Royal Highness Xiao Wang was praised up to the sky, even by those pedantic white-bearded old men who complained endlessly during the day. This time, they finally stopped remonstrating him up and down, and instead spoke auspicious words through their teeth. Their old faces couldn’t help but be happy.

Liang Yu’s Imperial face was also very happy. He immediately commanded that the entire capital city be decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations in preparation for His Royal Highness Xiao Wang’s return after a great victory. Then, he couldn’t wait to open the family letter in front of everyone.

“……”

The lanterns could be kept off for now.

One of the ministers watched his expression closely and asked: “Your Majesty, is it His Highness?”

“He was injured during the war and his life was hanging by a thread.” Liang Yu looked at him. “Therefore, he went to Baihe Mountain Village to seek medical treatment first.”

The entire hall was in an uproar. To Dayan, His Royal Highness Xiao Wang was the pinnacle of stability. His life was hanging by a thread. Could such a thing be fine?

“Court is adjourned!” Liang Yu stood up expressionlessly.

Then he wrote flamboyantly and with emotion in the Imperial study, after recovering from your injuries, return immediately, or else your dog legs will be broken.

That night, this letter home filled with the emperor’s warm care and concern was sent to Baihe City along with five carts filled with gold, silver, jewelry, and rare medicinal materials. Five days later, the embroiderers’ newly-made splendid winter clothes were also loaded onto a cart and sent on the road.

The wheels rolled as if it was a matter of life and death.

In the end, there were no delays, and they arrived at their destination before Liang Shu and his party.

Without Gao Lin and Cheng Suyue, Liang Shu was left with only the loyal accountant, Lao Zhang. Lao Zhang turned and looked at his family’s prince, commenting: “You are indeed luxurious and elegant, but I heard that Village Master Liu has always been thrifty and simple. Isn’t the prince too extravagant?”

“It’s the first time I’ve come to the door. How can I show up in rags?” Liang Shu was very satisfied with his outfit, and asked, “Have the things been delivered?”

“Yes,” Lao Zhang said. “They were specially sent at noon when there were the most people on the streets, and they even went around the city three times.”

At last, they entered the gates of Baihe Mountain Village. Two eunuchs held the gift lists and read them loudly, and one was so long that the man almost had smoke in his throat.

Master Liu was also dizzy after hearing this.

“Mother!” Liu Nanyuan hugged the little rabbit and threw herself into Madam Liu’s arms, saying happily, “I’m back!”

“It’s good you’re back, it’s good you’re back. You finally didn’t lose weight this time.” Madam Liu looked at her daughter happily for a long time and then asked: “Where are your brothers?”

“Da-ge is back too, and he’s accompanying the people from the palace.” Liu Nanyuan said, “Er-ge is staying at the inn with His Royal Highness Xiao Wang.”

Madam Liu’s face paled: “Is he simply not coming back?”

“He’s coming back, he’ll come back for dinner.” Liu Nanyuan said, “He and the prince still have some things to do, and they can’t get away for now.”

Madam Liu couldn’t hear such words. Hearing them made her heart ache.

Liu Nanyuan put the rabbit down and let it run to the side to eat grass. She took Madam Liu’s arm and said: “The prince has taken great care of Er-ge all the way, lifting him to the sky, and if he wants the stars, he will not give him the moon. Mother and Father have nothing to worry about. Even if Er-ge goes to Wangcheng in the future, or to the northwest, he can still lay down and do nothing just like he did at home.”

Or lie down for an entire year.

“But His Royal Highness Xiao Wang’s temperament is rumored to be truly frightening.”

“There are rumors that my Er-ge is constantly jumping into the lake. Does Mother believe that?”

“Not only do I believe it, I also saw him jump with my own eyes.”

“……Let me give you another example. It is said that Er-ge is uneducated and has no skills, but in fact, his medical skills are not only far superior to mine, but can even be compared with Da-ge’s, and are probably not worse than Father’s. Didn’t Da-ge say this in the family letter?”

“I say, after receiving your eldest brother’s letter, your father was beaming with joy. Before he even finished reading the letter, he was walking around the house with his hands behind his back. When he saw the old fellows playing chess, he would crane his neck to watch for a long time and wait for them to ask for news about your second brother.” When mentioning this, there was at last a smile on Madam Liu’s face. “He still gripes when we go to bed at night, and it wakes me up from time to time.”

He mostly complained about A-Ning. Why didn’t he write about this matter earlier, and let his family’s young master write about it casually? Could that letter sent earlier really be considered a family letter? Without even mentioning anything serious, he first praised His Royal Highness Xiao Wang inexplicably for many pages, and then, with a flick of his brush, arranged his own future.

What parent could endure this?

In any case, after Master Liu read it, his vision went dark for three days and his ears were still ringing.

Liu Nanyuan said: “Da-ge now feels that His Royal Highness Xiao Wang is very good. I also feel that he will take very good care of Er-ge. No girl can afford to marry Er-ge, didn’t Mother say this herself? It’s good now, la, there is no girl at all.”

Madam Liu raised her hand and slapped at her.

Liu Nanyuan smiled and ducked: “Come on, let’s go ahead and take a good look at the things sent from the palace and enjoy the excitement.”

“As for you, you’ve only talked about your second brother. Did you not meet a young man you liked when you went out this time?” Madam Liu held her daughter’s hand. “If not, I think that the second young master of the Li family in Liyang City…..ai, why are you running? Slow down!”

Liu Nanyuan said while running: “Mother, you should take care of Da-ge first! He was almost recruited as a son-in-law when he went to the southwest this time, but he escaped in the end.”

Madam Liu’s face paled again: “Ah?”

None of the three children were worry-free. Madam Liu was very tired and wanted to go back to sleep, but couldn’t because His Royal Highness Xiao Wang was coming to dinner that night. She could only work hard to freshen up and change clothes, then personally arrange the banquet dishes. To indicate their ceremoniousness, a northwest chef from the city was specially invited to roast a leg of lamb.

And at the same time, His Royal Highness Xiao Wang opened his arms and asked: “Shall I wear these robes?”

Liu Xian’an nodded: “Okay.”

Liang Shu observed: “Why do I feel that you don’t care at all?”

Liu Xian’an continued to yawn, fighting his lowering eyelids. “Because the prince has been changing clothes all afternoon.”

There was a bewildering array, and he wasn’t allowed to be distracted, so it was really difficult not to be sleepy.

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Chapter One Hundred Twenty-Three << Table of Contents >> Chapter One Hundred Twenty-Five

Cold rain fell on the top of his head. Lu Qi let go of Mu Nanqiao in embarrassment and pulled him toward the courtyard: “It’s raining, come inside first.”

The two walked across the cement-paved courtyard and entered the house.

Even though Grandpa was gone, Father Lu had still renovated the house. The floor tiles were all laid out, and the seams glittered with color. Together with the golden handles embedded in the white wall cabinets, everything sparkled in the illumination of the fancy ceiling lamp overhead.

Lu Qi was in no mood to pay attention to this at the moment. When the guest was brought in just now, he was shocked by the wealthy atmosphere of the room. He said after a moment: “This…..is my dad’s taste…..”

Mu Nanqiao gave him a sincere look: “Uncle has great taste.”

Giving him a strange look, Lu Qi lowered his head to find slippers for him. “My grandpa would be angry if he saw him decorate the house like this.”

Mu Nanqiao stood at the door with mud on his trousers, trying not to step on the floor and dirty it. He changed into slippers before following inside.

“How did you find it?” Lu Qi asked, baffled. “I said I was going back to Yuncheng, but how did you know about my grandpa’s place?”

“I asked Li Yimiao.” Mu Nanqiao took off his dusty windbreaker. He was wearing an apricot shirt with white stripes underneath, and asked as he rolled up his sleeves: “Is there somewhere I can clean my shoes?”

His deep, narrow eyes were filled with a helpless smile: “I have to return to Shanghai tomorrow, and I might not have time to go home and change before I attend the board meeting.”

Lu Qi: ……

Ah, that was a bit miserable.

He went to find a brush and a basin for Mu Nanqiao, and also found a small stool. As Mu Nanqiao bent his long legs and struggled to brush his shoes, Lu Qi thought of another question: “Li Yimiao? Where did you get his contact information?”

Mu Nanqiao lowered his head and brush brush brushed. After a moment, he coughed and said guiltily: “I’m sorry, I asked someone to investigate who you’ve been in contact with recently.”

Afterwards, he was very happy to find that the person he had contacted the most in recent days was himself.

But when it came to investigating someone’s private details, the person would be displeased. Sure enough, Lu Qi’s eyes widened vigilantly and the lock of hair on his head swayed. “You investigated me?!”

“Listen to my explanation.” Mu Nanqiao gazed up at him, his slender eyebrows slightly furrowed. Holding a brush and dirty shoes in his hands, he looked a bit pitiful. “I told you last time that Lin Group was going bankrupt. I wasn’t kidding, relevant departments verified the flow of funds. Lin Zhuang is Lin Yuan’s father. He sold out his family for his own benefit, and now Lin Yuan has been summoned twice in three days and has been restricted from leaving the country.”

Lu Qi was stunned. He didn’t expect that he had been home for several days, and Shanghai was about to be turned upside down. He had no sympathy for Lin Yuan, but was astonished at Lin Zhang decisively selling out his son.

“Lin Zhang also has an illegitimate son.” Mu Nanqiao understood his doubts, and returned to the original question: “These days, Lin Yuan has also been thinking of ways to reduce his sentence for a few years. He was splashed with dirty water by his father, but his hands are definitely not clean. I was afraid he would resort to desperate measures, and I began to lose contact with you this afternoon……”

Mu Nanqiao sighed and pointed at the corner of his lips, saying: “Baby, I was so anxious that the corners of my mouth got blisters. After landing in Shanghai, I contacted Li Yimiao. He said that if the signal wasn’t good, you had probably gone back to your hometown and the cell tower here is often in need of repair.”

Li Yimiao was somewhat concerned about his cousin’s affairs. It wasn’t until Mu Nanqiao took out the chat records between the two that he gave the address to Mu Nanqiao. 

Putting it like this, it was excusable. Lu Qi immediately felt embarrassed. “The signal isn’t good, and sometimes calls can’t be received. There isn’t a problem with your job?”

“There’s no problem.” Mu Nanqiao shook his head. “Lin Group’s matter is a foregone conclusion. My dad is in charge of the company tonight, so there won’t be any surprises.”

These were a father and son, Lu Qi thought. If there was a reason why Li Yuan was abnormal, it was probably a genetic defect.

When he returned to his senses and remembered that there were some blisters at the corners of this person’s mouth, Lu Qi pinched Mu Nanqiao’s chin with two fingers and raised his head. Looking at his thin lips under the light, he asked doubtfully: “Where are the blisters?”

He didn’t realize how suggestive this gesture was at all.

Mu Nanqiao averted his eyes and lowered his head, kissing Lu Qi’s knuckles with his lips. Feeling that it wasn’t enough, he opened his mouth and bit down gently, like a canine acting coquettishly while playing.

As if burnt by flames, Lu Qi quickly retracted his hand and hid it behind his back.

“You…..” He stuttered, “Where are your blisters?”

“Why do you believe everything I say?” Mu Nanqiao blinked slyly. “Little friend, don’t be so easily deceived.”

Lu Qi glared at him fiercely. With red ears, he turned around to get a quilt for Mu Nanqiao.

Mu Nanqiao laughed and raised a hand to touch his lips. He suddenly remembered that his hand had touched the shoe brush, and frowned in disgust.

But Lu Qi had not resisted such “crossing the line.”

From the moment Lu Qi ran out and hugged him, he knew that every seed he had sown had blossomed into beautiful flowers, and the deer attracted by the flowers had finally come to him.

Thinking of this, he couldn’t help but raise his hand to touch his lips again. The next second, he lowered his hand in disgust and continued brushing his shoes. 

And as for Lu Qi, his heartbeat calmed down at last and he discovered another problem: There were two quilts, because Mother Lu also stayed here when honoring the ancestors. He used his moms quilt, but there was only one bed with a mattress.

It was already autumn, so it was obviously inappropriate for Mu Nanqiao to sleep on the bed board.

So in the end, Lu Qi could only put both quilts on his own bed. He feared that Mu Nanqiao wouldn’t be used to sharing a bed with another person, so he stuck his head out and asked the person sitting in the hallway cleaning his shoes: “Mu Nanqiao, is it okay for you to sleep in the same bed as me?”

Plop—

The brush fell into the basin.

. . . . . . .

The quilts were laid out, and Mu Nanqiao also finished putting away his shoes. Standing tall and straight at the door, he asked Lu Qi awkwardly: “Lu Qi, did you bring trousers?”

His trousers were so dirty that he couldn’t even see them, let alone wear them to bed.

Lu Qi took out his shorts from his backpack. He thought of something and said with a blushing face: “I didn’t wear these when I came back this time. I wore pajamas from home, these are clean.”

Mu Nanqiao took the pair of cool black cotton shorts and looked around, but couldn’t find a place where he could change. In the end, he sat at the edge of the bed and removed his dirty suit pants.

Lu Qi swore that he didn’t look on purpose. He just wanted to remind Mu Nanqiao that he could use the hair dryer to blow the legs of his trousers after washing them, otherwise they might not be dry by tomorrow, but Mu Nanqiao happened to take off his trousers when he turned around.

En, black boxer briefs.

En?

En?!!

Without saying anything, and nearly biting his tongue, Lu Qi coughed and covered his mouth, attracting Mu Nanqiao’s concerned and questioning gaze.

. . . . . . .

The rain gradually intensified, hitting the windows, and the natural white noise made people drowsy. However, the two people laying side by side were not sleepy, and they whispered about what had happened in the past few days.

Hearing that Mother Lu had asked Lu Qi to go on a blind date, Mu Nanqiao frowned, but still comforted in a low voice: “Auntie is just splitting hairs. It will get better in the future.”

“I hope so.” Lu Qi let out a long sigh, and the quilt rustled. He turned sideways and asked softly: “So how did Auntie Talia take it?”

Mu Nanqiao didn’t know how to answer this question. 

He had returned to his parents back then, but even in a safe environment, he was still tense at all times. Long-term insomnia had caused him to become sensitive and manic-depressive, and he was also sent to the hospital to get his stomach pumped due to overdosing on sleeping pills.

Looking back now, Mu Nanqiao no longer remembered whether he had accidentally eaten them while in a trance, or whether he had wanted to purposely give up.

When he woke up, Talia was crying at his bedside.

Perhaps Talia realized that from that moment on, nothing was more important than keeping her child alive. If it could go one step farther and he could live happily every day, what else could she ask for?

Therefore, everything went as it should.

But he couldn’t say this, and didn’t want Mother Lu to have to go through such a thing to realize what was truly good for her child.

However, Lu Qi didn’t ask further. His mobile phone rang, ding-dong, ding-dong, and messages that had not been received likely because of the bad signal that afternoon poured in. On the contrary, Mu Nanqiao’s phone was rather quiet.

Lu Qi was worried that there was something urgent, so he turned over on his stomach and opened his phone to take a look at each item. 

Li Yimiao’s inquiry focused on describing how nice Mu Nanqiao’s voice was. He almost lost his principles, but his love for his cousin let him hold on long enough to ask for details before giving Mu Nanqiao his address.

And his dad sent him news that Aunt Su sent his mom home, and she cried a lot before falling asleep.

Finally, Xu Hengxing sent him photos of the four kittens’ new lives.

Lu Qi’s eyes shone brightly due to the light of the mobile phone, and he asked Mu Nanqiao to look at them together. So Mu Nanqiao lay on his side and moved over closer to him.

Perhaps fearing that Mu Nanqiao wouldn’t be able to adapt to the unfamiliar dark environment, Lu Qi found a small old-fashioned desk lamp that could be clamped next to the bed. The light shone down softly, enveloping him in a layer of warm color. His side profile was handsome and delicate, and the light passed over the straight bridge of his nose to fall on his pale lips.

Before he noticed, greedy eyes traced his profile over and over again.

“Xiao Hei and Xiao Bai were adopted by a family…..”

Before he could say more, a slender index finger touched his lips. Blinking his eyes, he turned his head to look. Mu Nanqiao regarded him with squinted eyes, looking lazy and sleepy, and the small red mole at the corner of his eye was so vivid that it was a bit sultry.

Lu Qi swallowed minutely. He thought it wasn’t obvious, but Mu Nanqiao, who was lying down, saw it cearly.

He didn’t want to talk about animals anymore. He wanted to talk about topics that adults should speak about late at night.

“Are you finding things to talk about because you’re worried about what I’ll do?” There was a smile in his tone, with just the right amount of hoarseness. “Isn’t it too late to worry about that now?”

Lu Qi scoffed. “I’m not afraid. I’m worried about embarrassing you when I speak, ah.”

“Oh…..” Mu Nanqiao asked again: “Then why were you coughing when I changed my pants?”

Lu Qi: ……

He clearly remembered something very impressive, and the tips of his ears instantly burned. He turned off the phone with a snap and slid under the quilt with his back to Mu Nanqiao. Only the back of his head was left for the big fox to see.

He whispered in a low voice: “Why not see it for free, you obviously took it off yourself……”

Mu Nanqiao was amused by his lack of clarity and raised his hand to touch his ear. As a result, Lu Qi shrank back into the quilt again, leaving only a curl of hair exposed.

He simply stretched out his arms and wrapped the little deer up like a sandwich, peeling the quilt off to let the person out for air. Realizing that Lu Qi was trying to inch away like a little caterpillar, he hugged the quilt forcefully and refused to let go. 

“I’m just hugging you through the quilt.” Mu Nanqiao sighed contentedly. “I’m so tired these days.”

Thinking that this person had flown for ten hours, then ran non-stop to the village after landing and even stepped in mud, then was delivered to his doorstep by tractor with a complete lack of grace…..

Ai…..

Lu Qi thought indulgently, then just hug him.

Mu Nanqiao was truly tired, and his breathing soon slowed. His arms were loosely placed around Lu Qi’s waist. The small quilt stirred, but he didn’t respond. The person in the quilt just turned over carefully to face him and stopped moving.

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

T/N: Thank you so much to Parasim2323 for the donation! Here’s a double update.

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The furnishings in the room had not changed in four years, and everything was spotless. Lu Qi hugged and rubbed the quilt. It smelled of fresh sunshine.

He was full of expectation. Maybe his parents were finally willing to understand and accept him.

Just thinking about it like this caused him to be unable to sleep. He happily took out his phone and found that Mu Nanqiao had already replied to him. 

[Sorry, I’m flying to Germany tomorrow. I’ve sent someone to take care of Xiao Sanhua, and they will send photos regularly. Don’t worry]

Attached was a picture of Xiao Sanhua. It seemed that there was more than one person in the room, and the other one was sweeping a strip of toilet paper across the floor. 

Lu Qi smiled, but he was a little worried about Mu Nanqiao.

There was a rustling sound next door. His parents were also tossing and turning.

After spending the night in a daze, he was woken up by Mu Nanqiao’s phone call the next day.

Lu Qi rubbed his eyes and asked in a sticky voice: “Hello? Are you there?”

Mu Nanqiao laughed, his voice hoarse after staying up late. “I haven’t taken off yet. Do you think I’m going by special plane? Lu baby?”

Lu Qi was confused for a moment before realizing what he had called him. The phone next to his ear seemed to become hot. He didn’t dispute this issue, and asked Mu Nanqiao: “What’s the hurry, has something happened?”

“Well, to sum it up, it’s not a bad thing.” Mu Nanqiao said, “The season has come to make the Lin family go bankrupt.” 

Lu Qi was amused by him, and turned over on the bed. 

“Is everything okay at home?” Mu Nanqiao asked. There was a boarding reminder sound on his side.

“Okay, ya, why wouldn’t things be okay at home?” Lu Qi sat up and reached for the clothes draped on a chair. “Go and take care of your work. We’ll talk about it when you have time.”

“Okay.” It was noisy on Mu Nanqiao’s side. He said a few words to someone else, then turned back to Lu Qi and said, “I’ll bring you a gift when I come back.”

. . . . . . .

Breakfast was very rich, including soft, golden pumpkin and millet porridge, homemade steamed buns, and several refreshing side dishes. When Lu Qi came out of his room, Lu Fanshu happened to be wearing an apron and carrying a small pot. Upon seeing him, she immediately asked: “Why didn’t you sleep more?”

Lu Qi took the pot: “I couldn’t sleep. Mom, what’s wrong with Dad’s leg? Is it serious? I’ll accompany him to the hospital after dinner.”

“It’s nothing serious, it’s fine.” Lu Fangshu’s eyes reddened again. The mother and son sat down. She covered herself and picked up food with chopsticks for Lu Qi, asking in a low voice: “Have your studies gone well these past four years?”

“En, pretty well. My classmates were all very kind, and my teachers were all very responsible.” Lu Qi said: “I’m going to take the postgraduate entrance examination next year.”

Lu Fangshu asked: “Why aren’t you taking the entrance examination this year?”

Lu Qi hesitated for a moment before deciding to tell the truth: “Mom, I had a minor operation.”

The chopsticks dropped with a snap, and Lu Fangshu couldn’t help but cry: “Why didn’t you tell your family…..”

At this point, she couldn’t ask further.

“It’s okay, I’ve recovered.” Lu Qi took out a couple of tissues and reached out to wipe the tears from her face. “Mom, can I come back to see you often in the future?”

Lu Fangshu tilted her head and let out a choked sigh.

. . . . . . .

After staying at home for two days and accompanying his dad to the hospital, Lin Chunhe’s leg was almost healed. The plaster was removed, and he still had to rest.

On the afternoon of the second day after going to the hospital, Lu Fanshu went out and asked Lu Qi to accompany her. She had made an appointment with her friend at a Cantonese restaurant. This aunt and Lu Qi knew each other. When he was a child, his mom was busy with work, so he was often left at this aunt’s house. She was a very gentle person. Lu Fanshu had no biological sisters, and Lu Qi originally wanted to go and visit this aunt.

But before setting off, something happened. Lin Chunhe, who had always loved his wife dearly, had a quarrel with Lu Fangshu. Lu Qi was bathing at the time and could only faintly hear the two arguing, but couldn’t hear what the quarrel was about. In the end, as usual, Lin Chunhe seemed to compromise.

He stared at Lu Qi and hesitated to speak, saying in the end: “Xiao Qi, ah, you must come back for dinner tonight. Dad will make your favorite pork knuckle. It is simmering in the pot, and will be just right when you come back in the evening.”

Lin Chunhe did not understand that his son was no longer a high school student who had just grown up. Lu Qi had been living alone these years, and it wasn’t as if he hadn’t encountered any difficulties or hostility. He was not a person who was proficient with the ways of the world, but he had learned how to read faces. Seeing Lin Chunhe like this, his heartstrings that had gradually relaxed tightened again.

On the way there, Lu Qi asked Lu Fanshu: “Mom, are you hiding something from me?”

Lu Fangshu’s eyes flickered: “What could I be hiding from you?”

“Mom.” Lu Qi called her softly. “Are we just going to see Aunt Su today?”

Lu Fangshu was silent.

Lu Qi said calmly and politely: “Sir, stop at the side of the road. Thank you.”

The driver gave him a strange look: “The starting price is ten yuan…..”

Lu Qi scanned the QR code to pay, then opened the door and got out.

“Lu Qi!” Lu Fangshu followed him out of the taxi and grabbed his arm. She didn’t know when, but those chubby white arms like lotus roots had changed to the slender look they had now. She could no longer hold one in one hand, but had to encircle it with both. She begged in a whisper: “Xiao Qi, listen to Mom. Today we are going to meet Aunt Su’s niece. You must try to have contact with girls. How do you know you don’t like girls if you’ve never been exposed to them?”

“I’ve been exposed to them.” Lu Qi supported his mother. His strength was very gentle, but his words were very firm. “Mom, have you forgotten? I played with many female classmates, and I had no shortage of female friends.”

“Since you can get along with girls, why can’t you try to be together?” Lu Fangshu’s face was filled with tears. She looked sad and a little desperate. “Xiao Qi, ah, from childhood to adulthood, you have always been Mom’s pride. You are so good, you are so good. Mom has nightmares about strangers surrounding you and pointing fingers at you. Mom is so scared…..”

People on the roadside looked over from a distance. Lu Fangshu was still crying. She didn’t realize that she was causing her nightmare to come true. 

Lu Qi felt suffocated. He took a tissue out of his chest bag and patiently wiped Lu Fangshu’s face.

“Mom, haven’t you noticed?” He asked softly. “You are the only one who has been pointing fingers at me. Mom, do the people surrounding me in your nightmare all have your face?”

Lu Fangshu’s sobs were choked in her throat.

“Fangshu? Xiao Qi?” Someone walked over quickly, high heels clicking on the ground. She took Lu Fangshu from Lu Qi’s hands and asked in surprise: “What’s wrong with the two of you?”

It turned out to be Aunt Su, whom they had made an appointment with, meeting them on the roadside.

Lu Qi handed the person to her and whispered: “Please take my mom home later, I have something else to do.”

He looked up and realized that there was a girl standing behind Aunt Su.

She had a sweet, petite appearance, with an oval face and bangs. Her face lit up when she saw Lu Qi, very cute.

How happy, ah.

. . . . . . . 

The scent of meat was strong in the living room. When Lu Qi opened the door and came in, Lin Chunhe was standing in the kitchen with a spatula in his hand. His expression was complicated when he saw him enter, surprised and a little understanding at the same time.

Lu Qi said nothing. He walked to the bedroom, closed the door, and silently packed his clothes.

He recalled that when he was a child, he went to an amusement park and his mom bought him a flower balloon. The mother and son held hands and took a photo underneath the ferris wheel; he recalled the first kitten he rescued, who gradually recovered thanks to the efforts of he and his mom. When the kitten later became ill and died, his mom cried bitterly alongside him. He thought of the notes his mom wrote him every day in high school, reminding him of the weather and recommending clothes for him to wear every day…..

If there was no love, he would be able to give up.

But he also hoped that his mom would be able to love him a little more, enough to overcome her worldly prejudices.

He took out the bank card with the living expenses on it and placed it on the table. He thought of that photo with the flower balloon. It should be in the bin under the bed. He had packed it in a box.

He knelt down, opened the box, and reached out to feel.

His fingertips touched a pile of things, like the spines of books. Lu Qi didn’t remember putting books here, so he took one out and looked at it.

The book title: ‘Psychological Analysis of Homosexuality’

Lu Qi was stunned. He had read this book when he first confirmed his sexual orientation. This was the work of a sociologist, and one of the few professional works on homosexuality in China. The content included the origin, development, characteristics, and current state of homosexual subculture, as well as the real cause of homosexuality and the love lives of homosexuals.

This book helped him understand his sexuality more clearly, but he clearly remembered that he never took this book home. He borrowed this book from the library, and the librarian stared at him several times when he returned it.

And the corners of the book in his hand had rough edges. When he opened it, he found that there were post-its inside with simple notes.

They were Lu Qi’s remaining cat head post-its from high school, and the handwriting was…..

His dad’s.

Lin Chunhe had filled in the blank spaces with his own thoughts, and also noted the dates at the bottom, which made the notes look a bit like a diary.

[January 6. The weather forecast says it will snow heavily in Shanghai. Fangfang stared at the TV for a long time. I know she’s missing our son again. I started reading this book today. I still don’t understand how a man can like a man.]

[March 3. So that’s the case. It seems you really can’t marry a woman or it will hurt her. What the hell is this about quitting? It’s too terrible.  I can’t live without her, it’s like my heart thuds when I see Fangfang. How can I control it?]

The latest note read:

[July 15. Failed to persuade Fangfang. She still plans to introduce Xiao Qi to girls. Son, I’m sorry.]

It turned out that this was the reason his dad apologized that day.

Lu Qi reached out again blankly and took out several other books, all of which were related to homosexual psychology. Some of them were even in English and not translated. Lu Qi didn’t know how Lin Chunhe, who graduated high school with 60 points in English, could read it.

There were even a few danmei novels set in ancient times. He had made notes on the side scolding the scumbag, and was still confused as to why the little white flower didn’t sound the alarm. Was this an uncivilized society? Arbitrarily sleeping together, three people couldn’t put together a complete set of organs. The protagonist team couldn’t produce a pair of high-quality children, so if the father’s line didn’t die out, the mother’s would.

Lu Qi read the complaints and couldn’t help but laugh. Smiling, he covered his eyes and raised his head.

Moisture wetted the palms of his hands.

It turned out that someone was trying to understand him. 

Lu Qi took a deep breath, calmed his mind, and opened the door while holding the fantasy book.

Outside the door, Lin Chunhe was sitting dejectedly at the dining table. When he heard the noise, he raised his head and hurriedly came to greet him. “Xiao Qi…..”

Seeing the book in his hand, the chubby middle-aged man became embarrassed. “T-t-this…..this is your cousin’s…..”

“Dad,” Lu Qi said softly. “You’ll do better in the future.”

Lin Chunhe: ……

The father and son looked at each other for a long moment, and Lin Chunhe smiled sheepishly: “Xiao Qi, don’t let your mom know that I’ve surrendered to the enemy. You haven’t come home in the past few years, and I was angry at first. One year passed and I thought that the next year you wouldn’t be able to bear it anymore, but you are worthy of being born from your mom, and didn’t come back for four years.”

“Those four years were a lifetime.” Lin Chunhe murmured, “Especially after you graduated elementary school, time was like a rocket. This time when you came back, Dad didn’t even recognize you. I thought someone had posted an illustration of a celebrity on my family’s doorstep.”

Lu Qi smiled with reddened eyes, and his voice was a little hoarse. “You said I grew up to look like you.”

“No, no, no.” Lin Chunhe waved his hands. “You still look like your mother.”

Speaking of Lu Fangshu, he frowned again. “Xiao Qi, your mom nearly died when she gave birth to you. After she came out of the ICU, I decided to have you take her last name. I’m not saying this to hold you hostage or anything, I just mean her love for you actually surpasses mine, so she can’t let go even more. I’ve seen that her mental state hasn’t been good this year, and I plan to take her to see a psychiatrist.”

Lu Qi recalled how Lu Fangshu had acted and became worried. “Then I…..”

“You just do what you want to do.” Lin Chunhe patted him on the shoulder. “Although your dad is old, he can take care of his own woman. Do you want to pack your things and leave? Then go quickly. After staying here for a few days, I’ve run out of lobsters in the store.” 

Lu Qi knew that his dad was afraid that his mom would come back and throw everything into disorder again. So he wrapped his arms around his dad and hummed softly in a coquettish voice: “You have to advise your woman well, ah. This family will break up without you.”

“Don’t worry!” Lin Chunhe took the novel and sighed deeply. “The task is difficult, but you have to trust your father’s knowledge.”

. . . . . . . 

He left home once again, but his mood was different from the first time.

It still may be a long process for his mom to understand, but this time he wasn’t alone.

He bought a bus ticket, and the ride lasted an hour. The surrounding scenery eventually changed from tall buildings to rolling wheat fields. At the end of the waves of wheat, there were neat rows of small houses. The bus stopped outside a village. The dirt road into the village went from dirt to cement, but it was still a long walk. Fortunately, Lu Qi met and uncle who was his grandpa’s former student, and he sent him all the way to his grandpar’s old house.

Although his dad would drive back to clean it every now and then, the unoccupied house had a lonely smell. It lacked a human touch, and also lacked the faint fragrance of ink from the old gentleman’s body.

After getting there with difficulty, the sky was already dimming. Fortunately, his dad liked to linger in bed and always set out at noon to clean the house, and since it was too late to return, his mom left bedding there for him. It was all wrapped in dust-proof bags and neatly stacked in the cabinet. They could simply be used after some tidying up. 

Nights in the countryside were much quieter than in the city. Lu Qi had his own small room here, which was left for him by his grandpa. The double bed was specially made by him.

Lu Qi was somewhat afraid of ghosts when he was a child, but after his grandpa departed, he never saw him in his dreams. Lu Qi was no longer afraid, and even vaguely looked forward to it. He took out his mobile phone and found that the signal wasn’t very good, with only three bars. He opened the ‘Go’ game out of boredom, imagining that the computer he was playing against was his grandpa. 

Grandpa, Mom still wants me to be a ‘normal person,’ but Dad has begun to understand me. As long as Mom is willing to accept me, I am willing to wait another one, two, three, or four years. I want her blessing. This is very important to me.

Grandpa, you should be able to understand me, right? Or if you can’t actually understand, you love me enough. Just like Talia loves Nanqiao, enough to reach across her beliefs and accept him.

Mu Nanqiao…..

Thinking of this person, Lu Qi couldn’t play the game anymore. Mu Nanqiao hadn’t talked to him all day today, and there were no pictures of Xiao Sanhua’s dazzling fancy meals.

Worried that the signal wasn’t good, he raised his mobile phone and got out of bed, walking around the room in search of a signal. Suddenly, he heard the rumble of a tractor approaching. 

The volume reached its peak at the door of his small courtyard and seemed to stop. It was completely dark outside, and the headlights shone through the small courtyard to hit the curtains.

Lu Qi opened the door and went out to investigate. He didn’t think it was a thief. What sort of thief drove a tractor to steal things?

He stood at the door. Outside the big iron gate, conversation could be faintly heard. He couldn’t hear what was being said very clearly, but although one of them was speaking loudly, his voice was still slow and calm, his mellow tone absolutely recognizable.

Lu Qi’s eyes widened in astonishment, and he opened the small hole in the big iron gate in disbelief. Bending down, he looked through the small square opening.

The first to notice him was the big brother driving the tractor. He called loudly: “Xiao Qi! You’re back! I saw this man at the village entrance! He said he came to find you!! This boss was in the pitch dark!! He stepped in a foot of mud!! This person is giving me money!! I don’t want it!!!”

After saying this, he drove away on the tractor, leaving behind a tall, straight figure. Standing silently at the roadside, he looked at Lu Qi through the door, his fox-like eyes unable to hide his embarrassment.

Upon closer inspection, he was indeed in a sorry state, with mud hanging on the legs of his trousers. The soupy mud didn’t differentiate between high-end haute couture or Jiangnan factory leather. In short, the shoes looked like they needed to be scrapped, the long black trench coat was stained with dust from the tractor, and when he looked carefully, the unusual brooch was a chicken feather.

Despite this, Mr. Mu’s face was still impeccably handsome, which made this mess look like the work of a famous designer.

“Have you looked enough?” Mu Nanqiao smiled helplessly. “I don’t mind if you look, but there was already a lady on the road who ran into a wall just to look at me. Are you sure posing me here won’t cause an accident?”

Lu Qi returned to his senses and rubbed his eyes in disbelief. He almost thought he was dreaming. Wasn’t Mu Nanqiao in Germany?

But the coolness of the night breeze, the fragrance of the rice, and the familiar sea-like gaze of that person all confirmed that this was reality, a reality within his reach.

The iron gate rattled. Lu Qi unlocked and opened the gate.

Mu Nanqiao had actually rushed back overnight. Once things over there were finished, he didn’t want to stay a minute longer, and returned home immediately.

When Mu Nanqiao saw the person he had missed day and night, he wanted to reach out and hug him, but there was some hesitation. During these few seconds of hesitation, the little deer had already opened the gate and ran out, carrying the cool night breeze as he plunged into his arms. 

He hugged him so tightly. This was not a hug between friends after a long separation. It crossed a line and was too intimate, making it look like they were a couple.

He was only stunned for a moment, then raised his arms and tightly hugged the thin shoulders of the person in his arms. Lowering his head, he kissed the tips of his hair with gentle restraint. “What’s wrong? Детка?”

Listening to his steady heartbeat and feeling his body temperature, somehow the grievances he had suffered for many days no longer had to be endured. Lu Qi buried his face in the other’s shoulder and hugged him for a while without saying anything. 

Mu Nanqiao didn’t rush him, either. Although he was dusty and in disarray, his embrace was firm and strong. 

After a long time, Lu Qi asked in a low voice: “Did a lady really run into a wall?”

“Actually, no.” Mu Nanqiao patted his back gently, as if coaxing a lost child. “I put my collar up and didn’t let her see. I have male virtue.”

Lu Qi chuckled and rubbed the moisture from the corners of his eyes against this virtuous person’s collar. 

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

There was a small lake behind the Mu family villa. Standing on the second floor, you could overlook the entire lake. It was tended to by dedicated personnel, and the lake was clear, with wild chrysanthemums spread around it in white, pink, and bright yellow. They connected a large area, and when the wind blew from the lake, it brought a refreshing coolness.

This was not a public community landscape, but one dug out by the Mu family themselves. Not far from the lake, on a fence as tall as a person, purple clematis climbed up to form a wall of flowers, which was beautiful and blocked prying eyes.

Mu Nanqiao took Lu Qi to row a boat on the small lake. He also prepared the boat himself. 

Lu Qi tossed fish food in the lake, and koi fish followed leisurely one after another. He didn’t know the species of koi, so Mu Nanqiao pointed them out to him one by one.

“This one that has three colors like Xiao Sanhua is a ‘Dazheng.” The one with black flowers on a red background is a ‘Fei Xie,’ and the pure white one is a Butterfly Koi…..” Mu Nanqiao looked at Lu Qi: “Which one do you like? Let’s take it back?”

“No, I have a cat at home, ah. Xiao Sanhua has eaten enough fish today and shouldn’t take some to go.” Lu Qi closed his eyes, clasped his hands together, and made a wish: “Koi fish, when I’m preparing for the exam next year, make sure I pass!”

He silently added in his mind: Make sure Mu Nanqiao is safe and sound every year. You have eaten so much fish food from this family, so you must repay this kindness, ah, little fish!

Mu Nanqiao had other things on his mind.

Lu Qi was planning to continue his studies at Shenmei University. He owned a property that happened to be near Shenmei. It was a top floor flat. The cat climbing tree Lu Qi liked but couldn’t buy due to space constraints could be placed in the guest bedroom, and one of the guest bedrooms could be given to Xiao Sanhua in the future. 

It was also convenient to commute to Shenmei. Although it was far away from the company, this wasn’t a big problem. He could get up early.

The more he thought about it, the more suitable it seemed. It appeared to be time to decorate, and the style should be the cream wood style Lu Qi liked…..

When he returned to his senses, he realized that he had thought too much.

But it seemed that within this plan, leaving 502 was a natural thing. If Lu Qi was his in the future, he couldn’t leave the sunshine in a dark and humid forest. 

Thus, he bowed his head and was about to send a message to his assistant, asking him to contact his previous psychiatrist, but received a call from the assistant first. 

Mu Nanqiao would never avoid Lu Qi when answering the phone, not to mention that the boat was only so big. Even though Lu Qi lowered his head to look at the koi, he still heard a few words.

He heard “Hengin Group” several times.

He was a little worried about what that trash had done again, but looking at Mu Nanqiao’s expression, it didn’t seem that anything was wrong.

After hanging up the phone, Mu Nanqiao waved Lu Qi over to sit. “Didn’t you say you wanted to row the boat back? Come and give it a try.”

Lu Qi hesitated before sitting across from him. Both of them had long legs, so they had to stagger them apart a bit and touch their knees together.

Lu Qi took the oars and whispered: “I didn’t eavesdrop on purpose, but is Lin Yuan causing trouble for you?”

Mu Nanqiao laughed. His beautiful fox eyes reflected the light of the lake, and his tone was relaxed, as if he was telling a joke. “It’s Mu Group that has been making trouble for Hengjin, and he finally couldn’t help but fight back.”

“Is the problem serious?” Lu Qi became nervous.

“En, very serious.” Mu Nanqiao frowned.

Lu Qi: “Ah…..”

“I had originally planned to have barbecue by the lake for dinner, but it seems that will have to wait until next time.” Mu Nanqiao’s face was full of regret. “It’s so serious.”

Lu Qi: ……

He made two random strokes with the oars and threatened fiercely: “If you keep joking like this, I’ll knock you down and let you swim back!”

Mu Nanqiao laughed and took the oars. “To be on the safe side, it’s better for me to row the boat. After all, I must abide by male ethics.”

“Shameless…..” Lu Qi muttered softly. When he gave Xiao Sanhua a bath last time, who was it who, when the cat was not yet wet, made himself wet first?

. . . . . . .

Mu Nanqiao sent Lu Qi home. That night, Mu Nanqiao did not return to 502.

Lu Qi didn’t know that the Shanghai business world was going through turmoil that night, and that many people had lost everything in this game. He received a call home, and took the train back to Yuncheng before dawn.

Yuncheng was adjacent to Shanghai. It was not as large as Shanghai’s coastal port, but due to the development driven by Shanghai in recent years, various infrastructures had gradually been improved. Standing at the exit of the train station, Lu Qi even felt a little unfamiliar with this city.

This was the city where he grew up, and also the hometown he had not returned to during his four years in university.

The call was from Li Yimiao, telling him that his father had suffered a bone fracture. Lu Qi hurried back with only two changes of clothes and a small bag on his back, and took a taxi home.

When he reached the downstairs of the unit, he began to hesitate again.

The quarrel from his graduation year still lingered in his ears. His chubby dad was caught in the middle, at a loss. Crying, his mom asked if she had done something wrong and was a bad influence on him. Otherwise, why would a good boy such as him like boys?

Coming out like this had caught him off guard. The desktop computer that Father Lu had used for many years was broken, so he used his son’s computer and found related search records. 

The couple were hesitant, and tried to comfort themselves that their child was just curious about this aspect. But in the face of their probing inquiries, Lu Qi was silent at first, then simply nodded.

But his mom said she would rather he had lied. 

However, Lu Qi would not lie about this matter. He couldn’t keep this lie going for a lifetime. In the future, he would have someone he liked, and he hoped to introduce this person to his parents openly.

So that summer, the originally proud and happy couple fell silent, especially his mom.

She blamed herself, and felt that she had not raised her child well. No matter how Lu Qi explained to her that sexual orientation was innate, she would not believe it.

But later, she pointed the finger at Lu Qi’s grandpa.

Lu Qi grew up beside his grandpa during primary school, and his grandpa was the school principal. After his grandma passed away, his grandpa never remarried. He always carried a pocket watch next to his heart that held a photo of his dead wife. He told Lu Qi that for some people, meeting one person in a lifetime was enough. Even if that encounter was brief, it was enough to comfort them for the rest of their lives.

Grandma was this light that flashed through Grandpa’s eyes, and this light shone in his eyes all his life until his death.

His mother originally respected his grandpa. She admired the old man’s loyalty and taught this loyalty to her husband. During the last six months of his grandpa’s illness, she and Father Lu took care of him together without a single complaint. She was even more attentive than Father Lu, letting the old man pass away cleanly and decently.

But it was unknown what happened that day. She suddenly remembered that his grandpa had a friend who was also an old teacher. On the day of condolences, this old grandfather also cried very sadly.

Therefore, all the abnormalities in Lu Qi became “traceable.”

Father Lu was also angry, but he couldn’t blame his wife, who was exhausted both emotionally and physically. He could only ask if Lu Qi could change.

After he had said so much, they still asked if he could change.

So Lu Qi asked them, how can I change?

“Can’t you ‘mend your ways’ and find a girl to have children with?”

He saw the light of hope in his parents’ eyes, and his heart became completely cold.

When he left his luggage, his mom said, “Lu Qi, after you leave this door, don’t come back.”

She said that during his four years of university, she would give him living expenses every month. Lu Qi did not refuse, but he didn’t use it, and saved the money bit by bit. When he was a freshman, he used the money left to him by his grandpa. Later, he started making money and would transfer funds to his parents every birthday.

It seemed as if because this slight connection remained, the familial relationship would not be severed.

Now he was standing at the front door once again, but the hand raised to knock on the door would not go down. Taking a deep breath, he took out his mobile phone and found Mu Nanqiao on WeChat.

[I’m going back to my hometown to do some errands. Please take care of Xiao Sanhua for a while. I left the key to 501 in the community guard’s room]

The message was sent and no reply was received, but Lu Qi seemed to have gained strength from the message and knocked on the door briefly.

Two knock knocks.

Before he could knock again, the door was pushed open and a woman with her hair in a bun appeared behind it, looking blankly at Lu Qi.

She was already quite old when she was pregnant with Lu Qi, so the child’s name was Qi, “to pray.” This was the baby sent to her by the gods after hearing her prayers. 

She had retired home this year, but due to her previous professional habit as a nurse, she still wore her hair in a bun. It still made her look capable and sharp, although her temples were already frosty.

Lu Qi’s eyes reddened, and his lips moved first. He whispered: “Mom…..”

Lu Fangshu looked him up and down for a long moment and finally said in a shaking voice: “Come in quickly. I thought you wouldn’t come until tomorrow morning, and the food hasn’t been prepared yet. Have you eaten? Are you hungry?”

Hearing the commotion, Lin Chunhe also came out of the house, leaning on crutches with one foot in a cast. When he saw Lu Qi, the chubby middle-aged man instantly burst into tears. “Son! Xiao Qi! After four years, I’ve almost forgotten what my son looks like…..”

Thus, the tears that could no longer be held back blurred his vision.

Lu Qi wiped his eyes and supported Lin Chunhe before entering the house. “Dad, how did you hurt your leg?”

“Hey, it’s nothing serious.” Lin Chunhe grabbed Lu Qi’s hand and refused to let go, hiding from Lu Changshu in the kitchen, who was cutting fruit with pursed lips. “But your mother thinks this is a step, and maybe you can just follow it down!”

He laughed happily and held onto Lu Qi’s hand. “If I had known you would come back, I would have fallen down a long time ago!”

Lu Qi was speechless, and had to help his dad to the sofa first.

The four-year hiatus left the father and son not knowing what to say for a while. Lu Qi glanced around and found that the furnishings in the room were nearly the same as when he had left.

His father had opened a large supermarket, and the business was good. This two-bedroom house was famously expensive at first. For the same money, they could buy a larger three-bedroom apartment elsewhere, but because of the school district, they chose this apartment in the end. 

Now that he had seen the world outside, he realized that this apartment was really small, but Lu Qi had grown up step by step in this little house.

He wanted to speak, but Lin Chunhe was one step ahead of him and whispered: “Son, I’m sorry.”

Up to this moment, Lu Qi still thought his dad was apologizing to him for what happened back then.

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