Huo Fenglie and Qin Yu spoke for a long time, and when they emerged, both of them looked unhappy.

Qin Yu immediately left with his head down. He Lan looked left and right, but remained there and said: “What did he want with you? Why did he look like that when he came out?”

Huo Fenglie glanced at He Lan and said: “Zichuan is responsible for sneaking into the team transporting the weapons and tracking them all the way, so he will act alone and not accompany us.”

Upon hearing this, He Lan was shocked: “What?!”

Liu Zhenqing gave Huo Fenglie a surprised look.

He Lan immediately jumped in front of Huo Fenglie and pulled his collar, saying: “Are you crazy?! I wanted to go, but you wouldn’t let me leave. What did you send him to do? Are his martial arts as good as mine? Is he much smarter than me? And his injuries still aren’t completely healed! How can you send him on such a dangerous operation?”

Huo Fenglie frowned and looked at He Lan, who had reacted with such agitation. “He is not my subordinate and does not require my permission. He only informed me that he intends to take action.”

He Lan was stunned. Letting go of Huo Fenglie, he said: “No way, there must be some reason. What is it?”

Huo Fenglie regarded He Lan expressionlessly, and He Lan knew he wouldn’t answer the question.

“Being from the Dongchang, he is indeed better at spying than you,” Huo Fenglie said frankly.

He Lan’s expression changed at once as he looked at Huo Fenglie. “I don’t care. If he intends to go, I will go with him.”

Huo Fenglie’s eyes flashed. “I mentioned this, but he didn’t agree.”

He Lan immediately glared. Eventually, Huo Fenglie sighed after being tormented by his brother and said: “It is better to respect his choice. He never lets others influence what he wants to do, and if you go, it may ruin his original plan.”

Others. No, he was not “others!”

He Lan gave Huo Fenglie a fierce glare and said: “He was fortunately able to tell you everything, but you still don’t know to stop him!”

He Lan hated that Qin Yu would think of Huo Fenglie first when something happened, and also discussed it with him first. Sure enough, where there was life-saving grace, the heart was there as well. He was truly becoming more and more suspicious that Qin Yu secretly liked Huo Fenglie.

When He Lan finished arguing, he turned around and ran. After going out, he found that Qin Yu had long since vanished. He didn’t know what Qin Yu planned to do, so he could only follow the Yue family’s shadow guards and tail the transport team from the outside.

When he saw He Lan run away furiously, Liu Zhenqing turned to look at Huo Fenglie. “You’re willing to stay for treatment? And you let Qin Yu do such a dangerous thing alone? In fact…..even if they aren’t trailed to the end, there is always a way to uncover the truth.”

Huo Fenglie said: “I won’t stop him. It is his decision.”

Liu Zhenqing really couldn’t understand. “There’s no reason…..”

But Liu Zhenqing stopped mid-sentence, because since Huo Fenglie kept it a secret from He Lan, this proved that Qin Yu didn’t want others to know, so it wasn’t good for him to ask.

In the end, he heard Huo Fenglie say: “It’s because we are being hunted down, and it may be the hand of the Dongchang.”

Liu Zhenqing was shocked at once, and looked at Huo Fenglie in astonishment.

Huo Fenglie told him all of the speculations Qin Yu had revealed to him.

“As we traveled all the way south, only Qin Yu would send prompt letters to the Dongchang to report the progress of the situation. The head of the Dongchang is Qin Yu’s adoptive father. Qin Yu is loyal to him, so he naturally never concealed things in his reports, and the Dongchang is meant to be loyal to the emperor, so Qin Yu never doubted them. Qin Yu didn’t think much about it the first two times we lost important witnesses at critical moments, and only thought that the enemy was one step ahead of us. But the first assassination caused Qin Yu to realize that something was wrong, because our route was decided at the last minute and very secretive. Since we were ambushed so quickly, the only possibility was that our route was leaked.”

“I have considered this too, but there were only the four of us at the time, so I didn’t doubt it. I figured that their people ambushed us only because it was the correct route.”

“Qin Yu also had this concern, so he was only suspicious until the second assassination.” Huo Fenglie said with a cold expression: “Xuqian was well hidden. Only Qin Yu’s report revealed this information. When he received the Dongchang’s reply, the second assassination came at the same time.”

“So he completely suspects his adoptive father. But he’s from the Dongchang, after all. Is he going to rebel against his adoptive father?”

Liu Zhenqing was confounded. This was a dilemma between filial piety and justice.

Huo Fenglie shook his head and said: “He is not completely certain yet, but he had already thought that these things were related to the rebel case in the capital some time ago, so he planned to investigate it himself.”

Liu Zhenqing understood. “He’s personally going to the rebel den to find out if it has anything to do with the Dongchang. But what if it does?”

Huo Fenglie said with a slightly cold expression: “If that happens, then the Dongchang will be Great Zhou’s enemy as well as my enemy. Qin Yu is not willing to be the enemy of me, Great Zhou, or his adoptive father. He will choose to leave this dispute and not assist either party.”

Liu Zhenqing was a little surprised. He thought that Qin Yu would definitely choose. Unexpectedly, in the middle of all kinds of conflicts, he would simply retreat. It was truly a surprising choice.

“Then if he told you in advance, you’re not afraid…..”

“This is what he gets in exchange for taking the risk. He’ll leave us clues in exchange for giving him time. Before he is certain, he has asked me to keep it secret and not tell anyone about his suspicions.”

“He was so honest with you, which can be regarded as genuine and forthright, so you’re even hiding it from He Lan. Ai, why did you tell me right away?” Liu Zhenqing raised his eyebrows.

Huo Fenglie looked at Liu Zhenqing helplessly, as if questioning why Liu Zhenqing was still confused about such a normal thing.

Liu Zhenqing deliberately teased: “Therefore, I am not other people, so of course you had to tell me.” Liu Zhenqing spoke in a light tone. “But Qin Yu trusts you so much. It can be said that he only trusts you. Does he treat you differently because you saved his life?”

Huo Fenglie was taken aback for a moment. “What?”

Liu Zhenqing said uneasily: “He Lan said that you saved him in the palace when he was a child.”

Huo Fenglie thought back, his face expressionless. “It could be regarded as such, but when he was found being drowned by other people in the palace, the person who pulled him ashore was He Lan.”

Liu Zhenqing was surprised, and couldn’t help but gossip: “There is such a secret, ah? Could it be that Qin Yu didn’t see clearly who the person was that saved him, and mistakenly thought it was you?”

This was too dog-blood. No….these were the memories from He Lan’s perspective. Shouldn’t it be clear whether he had saved him or not?

Huo Fenglie smiled helplessly and said: “Although He Lan helped him ashore and gave Qin Yu a chance to breathe, He Lan didn’t have much power at that time and couldn’t actually save Qin Yu. Other palace officials said that there was an order from above that Qin Yu must be executed. He Lan was unable to stop them, and when he ran out to beg for help, he happened to meet me.”

“So it was you who took the lead and made sure those palace people didn’t kill Qin Yu. No wonder He Lan says it was you who saved him.”

Huo Fenglie nodded and said: “Because Qin Yu broke the palace rules and was going to be executed, I rescued him and gave him to the director of the Dongchang to work outside the palace as much as possible. Later, Qin Yu gained favor and was adopted as his son. The friendship between the three of us also started at that time.”

Now, Liu Zhenqing didn’t believe He Lan’s previous guess at all. He felt that if he liked someone, Qin Yu would most likely like He Lan. He only spoke of his matter to Huo Fenglie, because he really couldn’t tell He Lan. After all, He Lan was in a very similar situation to him, with a force behind him, and on the surface, it was truly difficult to say whether this force was loyal to the emperor.

Sometimes, not speaking of it was also protection in disguise in order to avoid conflict.

This was the tenderness behind Qin Yu’s indifference.

Liu Zhenqing frowned in thought. “Why don’t we stop him and think of another way? Although he is the adopted son of the director of the Dongchang, according to the Dongchang’s usual habits, there should be more than one adopted son. It is normal to sacrifice one or two for the sake of profit. He values ties of friendship, but his adoptive father may not.”

Qin Yu had mentioned the name of his adoptive father before. He was not the main eunuch around Liu Zhenqing at that time, so he was unaware of his character, but since he was able to sit in that position, he couldn’t be easy to deal with. 

Huo Fenglie refused: “I won’t stop Qin Yu.”

Seeing Liu Zhenqing’s worried expression, Huo Fenglie pulled him outside and said: “Naturally, I won’t stop He Lan. He will follow. They’ will be together and nothing will happen.”

“Didn’t you just stop…..”

“That was only to convey Qin Yu’s intentions. They have their own opinions on what to do.”

Sure enough, when they went out, both of them were gone.

Liu Zhenqing thought of the embarrassing situation between them before. Would this really be okay?

He thought for a moment and said: “Actually, I have a suggestion, but I must shamelessly ask Young Master Yue for assistance.”

One day later, seeing that something had happened in the second house, Yue Xuqian looked at Liu Zhenqing with a wry smile. 

Liu Zhenqing hid behind Huo Fenglie and said: “General Huo will pay double the amount.”

Yue Xuqian shook his head, saying: “Luckily, you came up with this solution. Indeed…..some information must be leaked. The enemy’s target will still be on you, and the people following the transport team will be relatively safe.”

Huo Fenglie looked at Yue Xuqian and said: “You should leave with your family.”

Raising his eyebrows slightly, Yue Xuqian said, “I cannot live in peace if you are not safe.”

Soon after, the Yue family carriage team began to move slowly. Yue Xuqian came out to see them off, and Huo Fenglie and Liu Zhenqing naturally stood beside him.

At this moment, a little girl suddenly rushed out and hugged Yue Xuqian’s thigh, saying: “Dad, won’t you come with us?”

The sound of “dad” practically stunned Liu Zhenqing.

“Dad?” Liu Zhenqing looked in astonishment at Yue Xuqian, who was hugging his precious daughter. He kissed her and held her up high, then looked at Huo Fenglie.

Startled, Huo Fenglie said: “I forgot to tell you. Xuqian married a few years ago, and his wife and daughter also stay in another courtyard.”

Liu Zhenqing sucked in a breath and stared at Yue Xuqian, who noticed this and didn’t feel any shame at all when the truth was revealed. He only smiled and said: “I’m the same age as Fenglie. Isn’t it normal to have a wife and daughter at this age?”

Liu Zhenqing understood something immediately, and his face contorted with anger. However, looking at the little girl watching them with big round eyes, he still felt itchy and stepped forward to greet her. “Ya, where did this little fairy come from? Why is she so pretty?”

The little girl looked at Liu Zhenqing, feeling shy. With a blush, she turned her head and crawled into Yue Xuqian’s arms.

Just as they were talking, the carriage sent to pick up the family passed by and he saw a woman shyly whisper through the curtain: “Husband, quickly pick up your daughter.”

“Here she comes.” Yue Xuqian revealed a gentle expression that Liu Zhenqing had never seen before and stepped forward to send the child up. Then he spoke with tender care to his wife through the carriage curtain.

Listening to the soft words of advice, one could imagine that Yue-furen was a gentle and graceful woman. She said goodbye to them through the curtain.

Right away, Liu Zhenqing heard the voice Yue-guniang from inside the carriage. Due to the situation, she didn’t say much to the current Liu Zhenqing, and just said thank you and goodbye to Huo Fenglie. The thank you was of course for the music score. There were other children’s voices in the carriage, happily laughing and chattering.

Huo Fenglie sent Liu Zhenqing a guilty look, but Liu Zhenqing wore a calm expression as he watched the carriage slowly leave.

Not long after the Yue family departed, a shadow guard following the transport team came back to report.

As expected, the transport team had chosen the river transport, and it was the Liu family’s river transport fleet. He Lan had given instructions not to follow.

And He Lan had disappeared along with the team. They were unsure how He Lan would sneak in later, and Qin Yu had not been seen since.

At night. The river water was dark, the cabin quiet, and on the bottom floor, secretly hidden boxes contained a multitude of weapons.

Because the place was so hidden, there was no need for supervision. The only sounds that could be heard in the cabin were the flowing of the river outside and the creaking of the ship’s planks.

Suddenly, there was a very faint noise. After a long wait, there came the sound of wooden boxes rubbing against each other.

A dark figure climbed out of a wooden box. This person was Qin Yu. He carefully held his breath and looked around, then walked quietly to the stairs. Once he ascertained the movement above, he slipped up to check on the situation. But soon, the people in that cabin began to patrol regularly. Because the ship was not large and there were many people, Qin Yu could only keep retreating into the dark. As the lights from the lanterns shined, Qin Yu was suddenly forced into a difficult situation.

Liu Zhenqing had said previously that if the transport went by river, it would be difficult to track precisely because of this. In such an environment, an extra person would be easily discovered.

If he was discovered, he would be besieged by a boatload of people, and at this time, Qin Yu was uncertain as to how many martial arts masters there were on the ship.

Just when Qin Yu was planning to take a risk and escape with the fastest speed, a hand suddenly appeared from the darkness and covered Qin Yu’s mouth, dragging him back into a hidden compartment.

Qin Yu initially tried to attack reflexively, but when he noticed something passing by outside the hidden compartment, he could only suppress his reaction and adapt to the current hair-raising change.

Where had the hidden compartment come from? Who was the person holding him tightly from behind? Why did they feel so wet, as if they had just been fished out of the water?

The footsteps outside soon disappeared. 

Qin Yu was about to take action when he heard the person behind him scoff.

That familiar tone instantly shocked Qin Yu.

“Zhanyuan said that you Dongchang lurkers are professionals. I don’t think you’re any better than our Jinyiwei guards.” The person behind him was He Lan.

The secret compartment was already narrow, so the two of them had to stay close. And He Lan hugged Qin Yu tighter, as if he was trying to embed himself into his body. The hand that originally covered Qin Yu’s mouth shifted to grasp his chin, forcing Qin Yu to turn his head.

Even though it was dark there and nothing could be seen, Qin Yu could feel the other person’s lips near his own, because when the other spoke, his breath blew on his lips.

“Xiao Qin, you brat. Without me, you would have to explain yourself tonight. Laozi….is your life-saving grace!” As He Lan said this, his tone unconsciously sounded like he was gnashing his teeth.

Qin Yu allowed He Lan to hold his chin without resisting, and just said coldly: “How are you here? How did you get up here?”

“I can be wherever I want. It wasn’t difficult to swim up.”

Qin Yu was shocked when he heard this, and said: “Are you crazy?”

He swam across the river and snuck into the cabin. Although it was not easy for him to be discovered, and he could follow the trail at any time, every step was extremely dangerous, so Qin Yu had not considered such a method of infiltration. 

“You’re the crazy one. What reason was there for you to take such a risk?” He Lan gritted his teeth.

Qin Yu was silent for a moment, then he said: “It’s none of your business. Find an opportunity to get off the boat.”

He Lan scoffed coldly: “Don’t even think about it. Qin Zichuan, from now on, I will go wherever you go. Don’t even think about leaving me alone.”

Qin Yu froze. He wanted to look back at He Lan, but stopped himself and sneered: “He Yundu, what on earth do you intend to do? Could it be that the accident really caused you to have strange thoughts and become obsessed with me?”

Qin Yu’s ridicule made He Lan choke, and he said soon after: “I just don’t want your Dongchang to get any of the credit, that’s all. If you want to jump ahead, there’s no way.”

“You…..”

“You don’t need to say anything. In any case, I’m not leaving. Either we cooperate to track them down to the end, or…..if you make a commotion, we’ll die together on this ship.”

He heard He Lan’s firm tone. If he didn’t go along with what he said, this person might really go crazy. Qin Yu gritted his teeth, and his voice became colder. “This….how do we get out.”

“This was originally a built-in cabinet for fishing gear. I found that no one had used it for a long time after I came up, and it is also in a blind spot suitable for hiding, so I just changed it a bit. Those people outside patrol every length of time it takes a stick of incense to burn. After they return and pass by, we can move to another location. However, I think it is safer not to move. We’re not easy to spot here.”

“How do you know all this?”

“I lay on the stern of the boat and observed for a while before coming up.”

Hearing what He Lan had done, Qin Yu really had to call him crazy again. He was not afraid of growing weak and being swept into the river to drown.

Qin Yu held his breath and endured, but the person behind him kept moving. This place was small, and any slight movement would squeeze Qin Yu, who was already close to him. Qin Yu was forced to press against the boards. “What are you doing?”

“Taking off my clothes, ah.”

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

Liu Zhenqing didn’t recognize the impending danger, but he saw Huo Fenglie’s face become very frightening. As if he had been stimulated by something, some dark red appeared in his eyes.

Startled, Liu Zhenqing felt that he had teased too much and made Huo Fenglie sad.

He quickly said: “I’m just kidding. Actually, I’m really not familiar with Yue-guniang. We only spent time together for a few days back then, and it was a bunch of people gathered together. If I really meant it, how could I not have contacted her after leaving?”

The words were like a clear spring pouring into his heart, causing Huo Fenglie to return to his senses in an instant. Then he was shocked to realize that his hand was heading toward Liu Zhenqing’s neck.

What did he intend to do just now? He wanted to capture Liu Zhenqing, wanted to…..

Huo Fenglie’s expression shifted several times, and a feeling of guilt overcame him. He couldn’t help but say in a hoarse voice: “Qing-ge, don’t make such jokes with me.”

These words were progress. When Liu Zhenqing saw that Huo Fenglie had returned to normal, he said with unclear implications: “That isn’t the type of person I like either, ah. I was just teasing, you have to believe me.”

After saying that, Liu Zhenqing thought that according to Huo Fenglie’s considerations, he would ask him what type he liked. Although he didn’t know how to answer yet, he just wanted to hear Huo Fenglie’s uncontrollable question.

Then he would make up some answers and tease him to see what he would do. Despite having such bad thoughts, Liu Zhenqing couldn’t help but look at Huo Fenglie a few more times.

What type…..did he like? He really hadn’t thought about it before.

Liu Zhenqing was thinking wildly, but Huo Fenglie straightforwardly accepted his answer. He didn’t follow Liu Zhenqing’s plan, but changed the subject instead: “Then I’ll deliver it to her.”

The corners of Liu Zhenqing’s mouth immediately twitched, and there was a speechless look on his face. He feared this kid really didn’t have the emotional intelligence to pursue someone.

He was really…..not enlightened! The fact that he discovered Er-gou liked him really depended on his own intelligence, without outside help. Otherwise, if he waited for Er-gou to express his feelings, he would have already been married and had children. No wonder he died without knowing in his previous life.

Liu Zhenqing couldn’t help but say: “You still haven’t said why you didn’t want me to know.”

Huo Fenglie had already turned his back at this time, and said vaguely: “I just thought it was improper.” With that, he fled.

When Huo Fenglie sent the music score to Yue Xuqian, he looked at Huo Fenglie in disbelief. 

Huo Fenglie said: “It was Qin Yu. He served in the palace back then and heard Qing-ge play. He likes music, so he wrote it down. I just asked, and he happened to have it.”

Yue Xuqian thought this was an incredible coincidence, but wasn’t suspicious, and immediately sent it to his aunt.

On the other side, He Lan feigned casualness and came to the door of Qin Yu’s room. Leaning against the doorway, he asked: “Why did Zhanyuan seek you out just now? The two of you talked inside for so long with the door closed.”

For so long? Qin Yu looked at He Lan without understanding. He had obviously just told him one thing. Although he didn’t understand why Huo Fenglie didn’t send the music score directly since he had it, it wasn’t a big deal. After his brother told him, Qin Yu had agreed without asking any questions.

So in the face of He Lan’s questioning, Qin Yu said: “It was nothing.”

“You’re being perfunctory with me?” He Lan said with a smile that wasn’t a smile.

Qin Yu said with impatience: “It has nothing to do with you.”

He Lan’s expression changed slightly. “We are all brothers, don’t exclude me.”

Qin Yu simply didn’t speak. Just as he was about to turn around, he suddenly sensed someone approaching from behind. When he was about to defend himself, He Lan had already stepped forward and grabbed Qin Yu’s raised wrist. He twisted and pressed down, trapping Qin Yu in front of the table.

Qin Yu couldn’t stand any physical contact with He Lan. His expression turned cold, and he was about to take action.

Suddenly, he heard He Lan ask in a low voice: “You’ve been anxious these past few days, and now you have a secret with Zhanyuan. What are you hiding from me?”

It was rare for He Lan to be serious. His eyes were like the sun, hot and piercing, and they immediately burned Qin Yu’s cold heart. He was somewhat surprised. This wasn’t normal behavior. He Lan was always out spying, and the two of them rarely met these days. How had He Lan seen that he was so anxious?

Although He Lan’s assumption was a bit wrong, Qin Yu also loathed the feeling of being seen through, and even more, his worries should not be glimpsed by anyone.

Qin Yu said with a contemptuous smile: “He Lan, you didn’t care so much before. Since we are brothers, you shouldn’t be suspicious.”

He Lan’s expression was a bit strange. He said bluntly: “I don’t suspect anything. I just want to know what you were doing just now.”

Qin Yu felt that He Lan was simply unreasonable. His eyes flashed, and he said mockingly: “What, do you think that I’m yours after bedding me, and you want to meddle in all my affairs?”

Qin Yu knew He Lan very well. Every time he counterattacked with something that embarrassed He Lan, He Lan would be cowed. Huo Fenglie hadn’t said whether he could tell anyone else about the matter, so he naturally wouldn’t, and would just provoke this person into going away.

But this time, He Lan gazed at Qin Yu with an unusual expression, and suddenly gave a cold scoff: “It’s not because I bedded you. I can meddle in your affairs if I want. It depends on my mood, okay? Or do you think it’s reasonable for me to manage you after you’ve slept with me, so that’s why you said it?”

Furious, Qin Yu said: “He Lan, say that again if you have the balls!”

He Lan smiled flippantly and used one hand to lift a strand of hair by Qin Yu’s ear. He said as if he was teasing a woman from a good family: “Is there anyone in this world who knows better than you whether or not I have the balls?”

When Yue Xuqian came to thank Qin Yu, he heard the sound of cracking and breaking objects inside the room.

He touched his chin and thought for a moment, musing that it would be better to thank him at another time.

At night, Huo Fenglie went out to spy. Liu Zhenqing was sitting in the courtyard drinking tea,Yue Xuqian was working in the study, Qin Yu was meditating in his room, and He Lan was sitting in front of the steps rolling an egg on his bruised, panda-like eye.

The melodious sound of the qin floated over the courtyard, surprising everyone who heard it. Because this time, it was complete.

The beautiful melody was calming, but also masked the sound of a flying bird.

Qin Yu opened the window and looked at the carrier pigeon, then opened the message with a calm expression.

Not long after, Yue Xuqian walked out of the study with a stern expression and ordered his subordinates to make arrangements with haste.

At the same time, Huo Fenglie, who was stalking someone, finally saw progress. The weapons had begun to be packed into boxes, and several carriages arrived outside the Hou Manor. They likely planned to leave the city at dawn the next day. 

Huo Fenglie had a shadow guard continue to watch, then turned around and hurried back. But when he was halfway there, he suddenly discovered that there was a fire burning in the courtyard where they were staying, along with the sounds of people running everywhere to put out the blaze.

There was a huge tremor in Huo Fenglie’s heart. He raised his qinggong speed to the extreme, but when he was about to approach the courtyard, he heard He Lan’s voice.

Huo Fenglie turned his head and saw this person waving in a dark alley, and immediately went over. Once he saw He Lan’s normal demeanor, the alarm in his heart gradually reduced and he regained his composure.

He Lan said directly without any nonsense: “Everyone is fine. It was the enemy. Yue Xuqian discovered something in advance and moved everyone. The shadow soldiers and I just fought a group of assassins, but they weren’t very skilled this time. It was just troublesome, and there was a lot of gunpowder. Most of them died, leaving two. I initially went to find you, but met you halfway. You were going too fast and probably didn’t hear me calling you. Let’s go back and interrogate the prisoners.”

Huo Fenglie and He Lan quickly rushed to another house. This one was smaller. Other than the relatives who usually resided together, Liu Zhenqing and Qin Yu followed Yue Xuqian. 

As soon as they looked up, they saw Huo Fenglie and He Lan descend. Just as Liu Zhenqing was about to greet them, he was caught by Huo Fenglie, who inspected him carefully before saying: “Are you all right?”

The corners of He Lan’s mouth twitched. Wasn’t it just said that they had been evacuated in advance? How could he still be injured, ah?

Liu Zhenqing shook his head and said: “Fortunately, it was discovered in advance. Otherwise, we could have been caught off guard and caused trouble for Young Master Yue’s family.”

“Don’t mention troubling us. I was supposed to help you hide your whereabouts, but it didn’t work out. The truth is, I didn’t fulfill my duty as the lord of the property and almost caused you to get into trouble. But…..other than the four of you, do you have any allies?” Yue Xuqian asked curiously.

Everyone looked at Yue Xuqian in puzzlement.

Yue Xuqian called over a shadow guard and said: “He met a man in black when he was patrolling outside, and the man told him that someone was going to attack my home at night. That was why I made arrangements for evacuation in advance.”

The shadow guard also recounted the situation at that time, but because it was so simple and straightforward, no clues had been left. 

Liu Zhenqing glanced at Huo Fenglie, who shook his head. The other two were even more confused.

It was odd no matter how one thought about it. Someone had known about the attack before they did, and was willing to warn them, but not willing to reveal their identity.

“Nobody knows?” Yue Xuqian asked curiously.

Huo Fenglie said: “Xuqian, since the other party is already aware we are here, it is not suitable for us to work with you. After all, it’s not safe, and you have a family.”

“There is no need to be like this, Fenglie. I’ve already thought about it and will send them to resettle in Langling tomorrow. Don’t worry about things here.”

“No, the Lord of Qi has already taken action and will set off tomorrow morning,” Huo Fenglie said.

Yue Xuqian said: “You intend to follow them? This isn’t proper, ba. You forget that I told you my people have already gone to deliver a letter. According to the round trip distance, if the miracle doctor agrees, he will be here in two days. It wouldn’t be good for you to miss him, so it is best that you let my shadow guards follow them first. You wait for the results before taking action.”

Huo Fenglie said: “We discussed before that it is fine for the shadow guards to follow in the early stages, but what if they take the river transport? The nearest port is only a day away from here. It would be extremely inadequate without our provisional judgment.”

“Then you don’t care about your body?” Liu Zhenqing said suddenly.

Huo Fenglie was stunned for a moment. Faced with Liu Zhenqing’s solemn look, he regarded him with some embarrassment. In fact, he had originally thought that Liu Zhenqing would go along with it based on his previous behavior, but Qing-ge seemed to have changed.

“This is not simple, let’s work separately,” He Lan said directly. “I’ll go first and leave you ciphers along the way. This tracking process may take a long time. Since you have this time, why not recover from your illness first?”

“That won’t work,” Qin Yu said suddenly.

He Lan raised his eyebrows and said: “Why, don’t you believe in my ability to make decisions on the spot?”

“It’s dangerous. If assassins come again, we will be easily defeated if we are scattered,” Liu Zhenqing analyzed.

Huo Fenglie was silent, and seemed to be hesitating. This made He Lan very angry. “In any case, there are still a few hours until morning. You see if you can think of a better way.”

Liu Zhenqing understood that this case was ultimately about the rebels, and Huo Fenglie wasn’t sure whether He Lan should be allowed to go so deep into it. There were many decisions that only the two of them who knew the whole picture were able to make.

The issue was set aside for the time being. At the worst, they could let the shadow guards follow first, so they went to interrogate the assassins first to see if they could make further assessments.

Even though the assassins died without talking, based on their clothing, weapons, and accent, it could at least be ascertained that they were from the capital. Apart from this, they questioned them to no avail.

They all couldn’t help feeling a bit frustrated as they walked out. Suddenly, Qin Yu tugged Huo Fenglie and said: “Zhanyuan, I have something to tell you alone.”

He Lan was the first to stop, and looked at Qin Yu with burning eyes. They had fought over this before. He Lan had thought Qin Yu would take some care, but unexpectedly, he was squeezed out again in the blink of an eye?

But even though He Lan’s gaze was flying, Qin Yu didn’t reply.

Huo Fenglie didn’t think too much of it. He gave Liu Zhenqing a look, asked Yue Xuqian to have the room alone, and closed the door to talk with Qin Yu in detail.

He Lan squatted outside, staring at the door. Liu Zhenqing walked up next to him. “Aren’t you tired? Go sit and wait.”

Giving Liu Zhenqing a resentful look, He Lan said: “You don’t care? They are hiding something from us. We’re obviously working together, so there should be nothing they can’t tell us.”

Liu Zhenqing didn’t expect the always laughing and joking He Lan to react so strongly, and just said: “What does this have to do with it? In any case, it isn’t detrimental to us. Perhaps it has nothing to do with us and it is not convenient for too many people to hear.”

“Not convenient…..what isn’t convenient for Lao Qin to let me know?!” Flustered and exasperated, He Lan said: “Clearly, we all…..”

Liu Zhenqing quickly looked up at the sky, pretending not to understand, but he could probably understand He Lan’s anxious mood. Was it because of that incident that He Lan had different feelings for Qin Yu?

Liu Zhenqing couldn’t help but say: “You care about Brother Qin and don’t want him to be alone with Brother Huo?”

Wasn’t drinking vinegar like this outrageous? Even Liu Zhenqing felt that Qin Yu treated Huo Fenglie very averagely, not much different from Bai Su. But he was particularly emotional toward He Lan. The most significant thing about the brothers was that the way they got along was obviously different from others. 

He Lan immediately felt uncomfortable when Liu Zhenqing said this, and instinctively retorted: “I’m worried about you, okay? You’re not afraid of Zhanyuan being taken away, ah.”

Liu Zhenqing wanted to roll his eyes, but felt that He Lan was overthinking it, so he said directly: “I think you are overly concerned. I don’t see Qin Yu having such ideas.”

He lan retorted at once: “That’s because you don’t know. In fact, I have always thought that Lao Qin likes Zhanyuan.”

“Ah?” Liu Zhenqing was quite bewildered by this.

He Lan said: “If he didn’t care so much about his incomplete body, he might have faced his own feelings long ago.”

“Wait, how can you be sure?” Liu Zhenqing said in disbelief.

“Naturally, Lao Qin accompanies us because when he was still young, he was saved by Zhanyuan in the palace. He must have remembered that life-saving grace, ah, and then gradually became involved with us.”

He Lan spoke so firmly that Liu Zhenqing’s head buzzed. 

Inside the room, Qin Yu was pale, but his eyes were steady as he said to the silent Huo Fenglie: “Therefore, allow me to go.”

“No, it is too dangerous. Let Yundu accompany you.”

Qin Yu’s expression shifted slightly. “I don’t need him. He will only get in the way.”

---

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

Just a hug was enough. Even if Talia was willing to accept her child’s differences, that didn’t mean that the Russians would accept it. Most of their beliefs pointed out that homosexuality was sinful and an act of rebellion against God. 

After they walked hand-in-hand for a while, two burly men skewed their eyes. Although fighting against the whole world sounded cool, there was no need to do this unless it was necessary. The two let go of their hands and walked side by side for a while. Lu Qi was wrapped in Mu Nanqiao’s coat, his fingertips poking out from the sleeves. 

The September night in Moscow had become cold. The cold-weather clothes he had brought were not suitable for wearing outside his outfit, so before setting off, Mu Nanqiao brought him his own coat.

Every breath was full of Mu Nanqiao’s scent, wrapping him warmly. The discomfort of being stared at gradually dissipated, and Lu Qi whispered: “My mom said she was afraid of others looking at me like this. Right now, I seem to understand her a little bit. But if she was willing to stand behind me, I would probably have a lot more courage.”

Mu Nanqiao’s eyes flashed, and he whispered: “I think Auntie will figure it out soon.”

Lu Qi only thought he was comforting him, and shook his head with a smile. “Let’s take it slowly. Right, it won’t take long to go back…..”

He rubbed his nose and whispered: “It’s really cold tonight…..”

Mu Nanqiao laughed in spite of himself and held his hand, rubbing it. The fingertips of that little paw were indeed cold, and he said with a smile: “In fact, they won’t mind if you stay as an extra light bulb. What a cute little light bulb, giving off light for warmth when it is so cold.”

“I know they don’t mind my presence.” Lu Qi winked slightly. “But I’m afraid you will be kicked out.”

Mu Nanqiao: ……

It seemed that his little boyfriend had realized that his status in this family was not as good as Xiao Sanhua and the little pig.

“Thanks for your hard work staying with me through the cold.”

The two people’s hands linked together again unconsciously, and they stood at the roadside, waiting for the driver to pick them up. On the streets of a foreign country, two young men with oriental faces were already conspicuous, not to mention that both of them were well-dressed and had outstanding looks.

Across the road were two young men who had clearly walked past but circled back. They went back and forth several times and finally stood on the opposite side, whispering and keeping their eyes on the two of them.

Lu Qi was still whispering to Mu Nanqiao about the gift he had sent, and he didn’t notice those two people. Mu Nanqiao talked to Lu Qi in a low voice, and while holding his hand, turned his attention toward himself.

“What’s wrong?” Lu Qi looked at him doubtfully.

“The wind is strong, it’s so cold, ah. The wind is behind you, lower your head.” Mu Nanqiao smiled.

Lu Qi bowed his head obediently and continued to ask: “Will Auntie like that brooch?”

“Yes, ah.” Mu Nanqiao replied in a low voice, but kept his eyes on those two people.

His height was superior, and even compared to Europeans, he did not lose out. Usually when he smiled politely, he gave people a strong sense of oppression. Lu Qi, on the other hand, was pestered by his coquettish behavior every day. He had not once seen his cold face, and had no idea what it looked like when he appeared gloomy.

His features were shadowed, but because of his handsome appearance, there was an evil aura in the gloom like that of a colorful python. Not only was his size a powerful deterrent, but he even advertised to the other party how deadly he was.

The two people hesitated as they were about to cross the road. Mu Nanqiao put his arm around Lu Qi’s shoulders and curled his lips at them.

Even across the road, that smile caused the two people to feel a chill in their hearts. It was completely different from the soft, gentle appearance he had when talking to that young man. The two men looked at each other in disbelief. One of them cursed and gave Mu Nanqiao the middle finger across the street, then turned around and ran away.

Their footsteps that seemed as if they had seen a ghost already showed their embarrassment. Mu Nanqiao didn’t take the gesture seriously at all. He lowered his eyes and patted Lu Qi’s shoulder. “Come on, Lu baby. The car is here.”

When they arrived at the hotel they had booked in advance, Mu Chuanbai and Talia were already waiting inside. Talia had removed her makeup and was wearing a pink dress, taking pictures of a small box on the table with her mobile phone. On the dark blue velvet inside the box was the brooch gifted by Lu Qi.

When she saw the two people come in, she stood and hugged Lu Qi: “Xiao Lu, I like the gift you gave me very much. Whether a brooch or a painting, thank you, dear.”

Lu Qi bent down slightly and hugged her. He was very happy that the gift was approved of, and said in unfamiliar Russian: “Сднем рождения,  прекраснаяледи.”^[1]

In order to learn this Russian sentence, Lu Qi was forced to pay tuition fees to Mu Nanqiao twice, and his wrist was still sore to this day.

Talia laughed and pulled Li Qi to sit next to her. Her beautiful brown eyes were filled with a gentle smile, and she took the menu and asked which dishes Lu Qi wanted to eat. After ordering, she praised Lu Qi’s painting again.

The painting was of a ballet dancer dancing on top of ruins. The warm red skirt was like a burning flame, like rouge dropped into water and smeared, the red tail of a betta fish…..

That was Talia’s first dance after becoming prima donna. It had shocked everyone and ignited her career like a fire.

Choosing this dance and capturing this movement took a lot of effort. Talia happily held the painting and looked at it again and again. She loved this painting even more than the gemstone necklace given by her husband and the tutu given by her son.

Father and son looked at each other in confusion. Mu Chuanbai frowned and looked at Mu Nanqiao: “Can you ask Xiao Lu to draw our hug on the stage? After he finishes the painting, give Xiao Lu a car.”

Mu Nanqiao glanced at his old father and understood his meaning. Although there were many painters, his mother obviously preferred those painted by Lu Qi. Gifting a car sounded good, but he still needed to ask Lu Qi his opinion.

Mu Chuanbai added: “Draw me more handsome.”

Mu Nanqiao: “That will be another price.”

Mu Chuanbai: “……”

. . . . . . .

In the next few days, Mu Chuanbai took Talia away to revisit the places where they fell in love. Mu Nanqiao supported his father very much in this matter. After all, Lu Qi truly liked his mother, and the two were almost like a biological mother and son. He hadn’t been able to go on a date alone with Lu Qi for several days.

The neglected father and son hit it off immediately, and each took their wives to visit the tourist attractions, staggering their schedules to prevent Lu Qi and Talia from meeting unexpectedly.

Red Square, Saint Basil’s Cathedral, the National Historic Museum…..

It was a pity that they couldn’t visit other cities in Russia. Mu Chuanbai and Mu Nanqiao were going back to China to handle work. The merger and acquisition of Hengjin Group was officially on the agenda. After that, the Lin family would be completely kicked out of the circle of Shanghai’s wealthy families.

Mu Nanqiao said that they could come again at Christmas time. The aurora over the arctic ocean and the blue ice of Lake Baikal were both beautiful.

Talia was staying temporarily in Moscow, as she still had work to hand over.

After returning to China, Mu Chuanbai and his son went straight to the company. Lu Qi didn’t see Mu Nanqiao for the next week, but he would make a video call to Lu Qi before bed. Lying on a pillow and acting coquettishly, he pointed out the dark circles under his eyes to Lu Qi. His hair was messy and hung between his eyebrows, giving him a decadent look. 

The 14-pound Xiao Sanhua couldn’t stand it anymore, and bit the edge of the screen. After a sizzling sound, the canine disappeared and the screen of Lu Qi’s mobile phone also cracked.

Lu Qi: …….

Life could not go on. Why could she crack through even the screen, ah?!!

After buying a new mobile phone, Wife Xiao Lu’s wallet was getting thinner by the day, so he took time to resume his former business and take a suitable commission.

When the benefactor made the request, they used bold and spicy words. Lu Qi, a person who had been around the block, felt his face redden and his ears grow hot. He drew two line drawings and came to a consensus with Party A about the posture of the two people. After obtaining Party A’s consent, the parts that should be covered were covered and the live broadcast began. 

A minute later, fans came in one after another.

[Oh~ My divorced ex-wife came back with the children to see me]

[Do you know how I lived without you?]

[What is this?! Wife! Kiss! What is this?! Wife! Kiss!]

[Reporting! Pants are ready for takeoff!]

[Ahhhhh I’m drinking CP! Thank you to sponsor daddy, 555~]

[Wah! Is this posture really not going to break? Hehehe]

When Lu Qi said hello, the little black pig came over curiously and meowed.

The barrage also said: 

[Understood, Wifey turned into a cat!]

[I am holding my unfilial son by the neck and asking him why he remains unchanged.]

At this point, the members of the pants-flying group were pretty much in place, and there were occasionally a couple of people behind them asking technical questions. Lu Qi patiently spoke a few words.

Little fans posted a string of thanks, but before they could finish thanking him, the special effects of a captain entering the live broadcast room shot out. Lu Qi looked at the ID on the captain’s bow and hummed in surprise.

[Antlers 21] Leonid: Wifey~ I missed you so much! (Happy Heart)

Lu Qi: ……

His hands went still and he looked at the time. It was during work hours. Mu Nanqiao must be slacking off.

After posting this sentence, there was no more movement from Mu Nanqiao. He was probably busy with work during the live broadcast.

It felt like the two were working together. Lu Qi pursed his lips in a smile, and a small pear dimple appeared on his left cheek. 

Lu Qi’s live broadcast was slow in pace. Many people said hello and then went to do other things. There were eventually fewer messages, so when an argumentative person appeared, they were particularly obvious.

[What is this? Two men?]

[Is the artist a female? They talk like a girl]

[You girls, stop living in a fantasy, okay? In reality, there is no such big **** at all.]

Lu Qi grew angry when he saw this, and was about to kick him out when he saw the special effects of a captain’s message slowly appear.

[Antlers 21]  Leonid: Do you not have one? (question mark) (question mark)

[Antlers 21]  Leonid: If not, you should be called mother when you have children in the future (thumbs up) (thumbs up)

[Antlers 21]  Leonid: Or do you not have a mother, so you don’t know what that means? (bewildered) (sudden realization) (crying)

Lu Qi: ……

This profound sarcasm made him laugh.

Unexpectedly, the dissenter popped up again after a while.

[Disgusting, you can kiss ass so well, why don’t you become a governor?]

[Antlers 21]  Leonid: .

The other side: ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

In the next second, the special effects for a governor popped up with a blue-haired little man wearing sunglasses. Standing on the bow of a ship and holding a glass of red wine in his hand, the golden word “Governor” when he took office was blinding.

[Antlers 21]  Leonid: Sticking to wifey~ (heart fingers)

The barrage suddenly became lively, and the scoundrel was instantly submerged in the rapidly scrolling text. Later, Lu Qi sent him a blacklist package.

He logged off the live broadcast and called Mu Nanqiao.

Mu Nanqiao didn’t answer, but replied on WeChat.

[Baby, my dad is talking and I’m slacking off. It’s inconvenient to answer the phone (kitten fishing.jpg)]

Lu Qi: …..

He replied on WeChat:

[The platform shares a part of the proceeds, don’t tip next time (heartbroken kitten in tears.jpg)]

After waiting for a while, Mu Nanqiao replied: 

[It’s okay, didn’t you just change your phone? This can be considered as giving Baby a boost.]

He had wanted to be a Governor from the very beginning, but feared that a new fan would make Lu Qi suspicious with such a generous act, so this time it wasn’t all because of that bully.

A disorderly mess of privileges popped up on the screen. Looking at the words “You have become the first governor of LU Deer,” Mu Nanqiao suddenly felt that his money was well spent.

After some thought, he sent another message, asking: 

[I’m almost done with work this week. When do you plan to move, wifey Xiao Lu? (cat poking its head out.jpg)]

On the balcony of 501, the autumn sunshine was just right. Xiao Sanhua was beating the little black pig violently, and the two furry ones rolled into a ball. They had no idea that they were about to enter the “canine’s” territory and were still playing around carelessly, sending up a lot of cat hair.

There was something that Lu Qi was a little embarrassed to say.

It was only a week, but he felt that he hadn’t seen Mu Nanqiao in a long time. He was used to seeing that person’s deep and doting features as soon as he opened his eyes in the morning, and was also used to Mu Nanqiao testing his wits and courage against Xiao Sanhua every day for the territory of the “bed.”

Lu Qi rubbed Xiao Sanhua and successfully rescued the bullied little black pig. Squatting on the ground, he replied to Mu Nanqiao:

[If we move, will the new place be close to your place of work?]

After a moment of thought, he added: 

[Even if you are busy or work overtime, can you still go stay at home?]

“Typing…..” The dialogue box flashed. Lu Qi waited for a while, and his phone suddenly vibrated.

Mu Nanqiao directly initiated a call.

Lu Qi clicked to connect.

A familiar low voice sounded at once.

“Do you miss me?” Mu Nanqiao spoke with a smile and a bit of hoarseness after staying up late. “The location of the new place is very close to the company. I will stay there every day from now on, and the rent I charge is also fair.”

Lu Qi blinked: “How much money do you want, ah?”

Mun Nanqiao laughed: “No money, just a kiss in the morning and a kiss in the evening. Is that okay?”

---

[1] Happy Birthday, Beautiful Lady. ⮐

---

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

What did Yue Xuqian mean to Huo Fenglie? Liu Zhenqing still hadn’t figured it out. Aside from their secret rivalry before, Yue Xuqian’s attitude had taken a sharp turn and there was no more ambiguous behavior. Why was there another Yue family girl?

Moreover, Huo Fenglie had gone to see her behind his back, which was truly suspicious.

After a moment of surprise, he was pulled by He Lan to the gate of the courtyard next door.

They had been living temporarily in the other courtyard these days and knew that the Yue family mistress was living in the area, and they were going to thank her for her hospitality in the future.

He Lan pointed at the wall with a meaningful look. “Zhanyuan was supposed to take over before, but he was replaced by Yue Xuqian’s shadow soldier. I thought he was delayed by something, but when I flew back, I passed by and saw him accompanying a woman. I just took a quick glance and saw that the woman was very good-looking, and the most important thing was that it was only the two of them.”

Qin Yu, who followed along, looked at He Lan speechlessly and then turned to ask Liu Zhenqing: “Do you want to look? I’ll send you up.”

It was impossible to go next door, as it would be too rude, but he could still sneak in by taking a look on the wall.

It wasn’t until this moment that Liu Zhenqing returned to his senses and hurriedly stopped the two of them. “That’s also rude, ah. After all, we’re all outsiders.”

Although he was very curious about this matter, he still had more of a sense of propriety than He Lan and Qin Yu. He urged the two of them to go back.

He Lan said with a dull expression: “Are you really not curious at all? Isn’t it okay to just take a look? I really think the Yue family is eyeing Zhanyuan. A man didn’t work, so they used a girl instead.”

“Maybe she’s just an old friend.” In fact, Liu Zhenqing was puzzled. Back then, there was no Yue family girl playing with Er-gou, ah.

Qin Yu glanced at Liu Zhenqing’s expression and said: “But Zhanyuan never spends time with women alone. It is indeed strange.”

These words were like a hidden weapon, stabbing Liu Zhenqing.

On the other hand, He Lan couldn’t help but throw a glance at Qin Yu. This look was a bit odd, which also caught Qin Yu’s attention.

But Qin Yu hadn’t exchanged glances with He Lan for a long while, so he just wanted to turn around, but restrained himself.

“If he doesn’t want to look, then go take a look yourself if you’re curious.”

Qin Yu didn’t know what had caused He Lan’s sudden, strange ire, but his tone still aroused Qin Yu’s instinctive confrontational spirit.

“Okay, I’ll go look.”

Before He Lan could turn hostile, Qin Yu had already flown up. Liu Zhenqing didn’t stop him. He Lan also flew up and lay down next to Qin Yu.

Liu Zhenqing was the only one left below who was curious but had to stick to his bottom line.

Very soon, Liu Zhenqing stood under the wall and heard He Lan say: “Look, I was right.”

“She is indeed a beauty, but don’t you think there is something wrong?”

“Ah? What is wrong? Heavens, she wants to play the qin for Zhanyuan to listen to. When has Zhanyuan had such leisure and elegance? Sure enough, it’s a date with a beautiful woman, ah.”

Liu Zhenqing’s breathing went stagnant.

“Lao Qin, what do you think?” He Lan seemed to be challenging him.

He only heard a cold scoff from Qin Yu.

“Why are you unhappy?”

“With your observation skills, I don’t know how you got into the Jinyiwei.”

The conversation between the two turned into an argument.

But gradually, the sound of the qin began to overwhelm everything. The qin player was very skilled, and had an extraordinary level of mastery. She was playing a piece she was good at, because it sounded very soothing and lively in the beginning, full of the charm of a qin.

However, even though the two people were well-rounded, the more they heard, the more surprised they became.

This song was so catchy that if it spread, it would definitely be popular in the Great Zhou Dynasty, but neither of them had ever heard it. Could it be that the woman had composed the music herself and would not release it to the outside world?

And in this case, playing alone to a man, it felt like there was an ulterior motive.

But Liu Zhenqing wore a strange expression. This song was clearly…..

Suddenly, the sound of the qin seemed to miss a beat, and it stopped at once. There was a period of silence, and then it continued to play. As if the player didn’t know what the music score was in the middle, she finished the song and started over again. However, no matter how skillful the beginning was, she always stopped when she reached the key point.

This behavior was odd. It didn’t look like she was showing off her talent to others, but rather like she was asking someone for advice. But since when did Huo Fenglie know how to play music?

The two wore confused expressions, and saw Liu Zhenqing looking thoughtful.

“There seems to be something wrong. Could it be that she’s a foolish girl?” He Lan touched his head, feeling that all the ambiguous atmosphere had been disrupted by the half-baked music that continuously looped.

Qin Yu couldn’t bear it anymore at this moment and said: “Girl? Which girl have you seen wearing her hair in a woman’s bun? That is obviously a lady.”

He Lan was taken aback, and his eyes immediately widened. He didn’t notice the lady’s hair bun, only that she looked young, and was excited to gossip upon seeing this scene.

Qin Yu looked at Liu Zhenqing as he said: “This fool is making noise, let’s go.”

Liu Zhenqing gave a faint smile, looking like he really didn’t care about anything.

There was no knowing if Huo Fenglie went to spy on the enemy or if he stayed with the woman the whole time. In any case, he returned at night.

He tried to speak several times, but hesitated. Liu Zhenqing didn’t rush him. It was rather fun to see him struggling.

In the end, Huo Fenglie didn’t speak even when they were going to sleep, so Liu Zhenqing couldn’t resist teasing him: “I heard from He Lan that you didn’t take over today. Where have you been?”

Huo Fenglie felt ill at ease for a moment, and his eyes which were so firm in the past wandered a bit now. “I just went to pay my respects to the Yue family elder.”

Liu Zhenqing suppressed a laugh and didn’t continue to ask, leaving Huo Fenglie scratching his head. This kid was too inexperienced to play tricks with him.

Liu Zhenqing lay down on the bed to sleep. Huo Fenglie stood beside the bed and asked when he didn’t see the cloth: “No more binding?”

Nodding, Liu Zhenqing said: “The wound is healed, and my movement won’t affect it.” Having said this, he moved aside to make room for Huo Fenglie.

But Huo Fenglie didn’t get in, and only stood there silently.

Liu Zhenqing looked up to see Huo Fenglie lowering his eyes as he said: “Then I…..will go back to sleep next door.”

Liu Zhenqing suddenly realized, yes, ah, Huo Fenglie’s condition had stabilized long ago. If his own injuries were healed, was there any reason for them to continue sleeping together?

Only, he had recently gotten used to it.

Of course, sleeping together only meant sleeping under the covers, just like when they were children. But now that Huo Fenglie had gotten older, there were extra rooms and the place was safe, so there was no reason to continue sharing a bed.

What’s more, sleeping together in the first place was only his idea…..

Liu Zhenqing was dumbfounded for a moment, watching as Huo Fenglie gave a restrained goodbye and turned around, leaving without hesitation.

Liu Zhenqing wasn’t happy, but he could only watch him go.

After he left, Liu Zhenqing grabbed the pillow and tossed it hard. Only then did he feel the tightness in his chest dissipate.

“Such a fool, ah. He didn’t think to take advantage of my lack of reaction to stay with me, and didn’t even make excuses.”

Liu Zhenqing always felt that Huo Fenglie really observed etiquette most of the time when facing him, continuing to maintain the relationship of elder brother and younger brother, as if he was suppressing something. At this moment, Liu Zhenqing wondered if he had guessed wrong.

He didn’t understand. If he really liked him, then he should show affection, pursue him, and cross the line a little bit every day. If he was afraid that a failed pursuit would destroy the relationship between them, then he could find various reasons to pursue him secretly. What was the point of delaying like this?

Nowadays, it was as if Huo Fenglie was running ahead and looking back frequently, making Liu Zhenqing think that Huo Fenglie wanted him to catch up and become his companion. And while Liu Zhenqing was still hesitating over whether he should do it or not, this kid didn’t stop at all or even look back for him. Usually he could take the initiative to look back and pull him along…..

Could it be that Huo Fenglie had no experience in this field and didn’t understand how to pursue a person?

Ai? Wait, wasn’t he also afraid that Huo Fenglie would express himself further to him? Why was he troubled by this strange behavior, ah?

Did he, the “admired,” still have to figure out a way for the “admirer” to pursue him? This was simply unreasonable.

Ahhhh, it was annoying to death.

The next day, when Yue Xuqian came to dine with them, there was a sad look on his face. Huo Fenglie asked him about it privately.

Yue Xuqian said: “I was going to ask you, what did you say yesterday when you and my aunt were alone to reminisce about the past? She stayed up all night after she went back last night and fell ill in the morning. Her body has been weak since she gave birth to a child, so she can’t get too agitated.”

When Huo Fenglie heard this, his face became solemn. “She just asked me if I remembered a piece of music that Qing-ge played back then.”

Yue Xuqian was stunned for a moment, and then recalled, “It turns out she is still struggling with this problem, ah.”

Yue Xuqian gave a light sigh, remembering those days in the Lanling manor, receiving visitors from the Huo family and inviting some local young people to play together. His aunt danced gracefully and was one of the best. Everyone invited her to perform, and his aunt agreed, hiring a qin master to play as an accompaniment.

After the dance, everyone was amazed, and praised her. Only Liu Zhenqing drank and remained silent. At that time, Liu Zhenqing was already a well-known talent, and with his face, he was the target of attention from other young masters. Someone stirred up trouble by asking Liu Zhenqing if he didn’t like auntie’s dancing.

Yue Xuqian really suspected that Liu Zhenqing was drinking and chatting with Huo-dage at that time and wasn’t paying attention at all.

So when the person asked, Liu Zhenqing was taken aback for a moment, and while holding the wine cup in his hand, he immediately boasted: “Yue-guniang’s dancing is unparalleled. Her body is as flexible as the clouds, and lotus flowers grow with her every step. It is my honor to watch her dance.”

“Oh, please. You didn’t respond at all just now.”

Liu Zhenqing stood up and said with a smile: “That’s because the qin player is no good and didn’t bring out the most beautiful parts of Yue-guniang’s dance. I only regret that the performance was not perfect, not that I think Yue-guniang’s dance was not perfect.”

Liu Zhenqing had a silver tongue and made it difficult for anyone to find fault, but it made Yue-guniang feel that although he was handsome and talented, he was glib and insincere. He clearly hadn’t watched her, and even said that the qin player was no good. This was the best qin player in Lanling.

Naturally, this girl from the Yue family was no pushover, so she directly demolished Liu Zhenqing’s excuses on the spot. “This little girl has long heard of Young Master Liu’s talent. He must be proficient in music. Since Young Master Liu doesn’t like the dancing music played by a qin master, why doesn’t Young Master Liu give a perfect performance?”

At that time, Liu Zhenqing was truly dumbfounded. After all, with just his face, he was invincible in front of women. He never expected that he would be embarrassed by Yue-guniang.

Everyone started to jeer. Huo Feihan and Li Xingruo didn’t help him, because they knew that Liu Zhenqing’s talent would not cause him to be embarrassed.

Liu Zhenqing said helplessly: “I’m not that good at well-known music, but I do know a few private tunes. If Yue-guniang is willing to try, she can listen to it first.”

Yue-guniang just thought that Liu Zhenqing would counterattack and use a rare song to embarrass her, but she loved dancing music and was naturally well-informed. Even if she had never heard it before, she could still work with it.

However, when Liu Zhenqing plucked the strings with his fingers and the music swelled in the wind, lingering in her ears, the girl froze.

When it was played for the first time, everyone present was astonished. They hadn’t expected that this person was so proficient in music, and the folk tune he played was so different. Not only had they never heard it before, but the style seemed different from the trends in Great Zhou.

“Yue-guniang, I don’t know if this song is suitable for dancing. If it won’t work, then just forget about it.” Liu Zhenqing regarded Yue-guniang with a smile, which instantly caused her mood to fluctuate. She knew that Liu Zhenqing was trying to leave a way out for her, but this song…..seemed to give her the urge to dance to her heart’s content, as if it was specially chosen for her.

“This is a very good song.” Yue-guniang looked at Liu Zhenqing with a very different expression this time, full of appreciation.

Thus, on the water platform under a willow tree, there was a song of drifting clouds and flowing water, a dance as graceful as a soaring swan. Her every smile and frown was full of charm, and the young man was leisurely and carefree, doing as he pleased.

After that, Yue-guniang got to know them, and they often traveled together. Yue-guniang truly wanted Liu Zhenqing to teach her this piece of music, but it was in Liu Zhenqing’s nature to stir up trouble. He deliberately refused to teach it to her, and teased another family’s young girl until she lost her crush and couldn’t even learn a finished song.

Due to an emergency, the Huo family and entourage had to leave in a hurry, and in the end, she still did not learn the complete piece of music. With fragments of memories, she could only restore so much through what Huo Fenglie had heard before.

Yue Xuqian no longer remembered it all. She had seen Li Xingruo over the years and asked people who were present one after another, but in the end, nobody could recall it. Therefore, when Huo Fenglie passed by, his aunt couldn’t help but ask if Huo Fenglie had any impressions. Even if he hummed a little tune to help her complete it, this could be considered setting her mind to rest, but Huo Fenglie also let her down.

Yue Xuqian complained: “My aunt fears that she will have to carry this regret with her for the rest of her life. Let it pass, it encountered its fate and so did Liu Zhenqing. Why did he not leave his own music score behind?”

When he heard Yue Xuqian’s explanation, Huo Fenglie fell silent.

Yue Xuqian left after speaking, and Huo Fenglie walked back lost in thought. As soon as he exited the doorway, he turned the corner and saw Liu Zhenqing sitting in the corridor not far away, pretending to look at the sky.

“Qing-ge,” Huo Fenglie called as he approached.

“I just came out for a walk. What, are you done chatting with Yue Xuqian?” 

Liu Zhenqing hadn’t come over to take a look after he saw Yue Xuqian pull Huo Fenglie away alone. He just came out to digest.

When he finished speaking, there seemed to be a struggle in Huo Fenglie’s dark eyes. Liu Zhenqing asked in confusion: “What’s wrong?”

Huo Fenglie finally spoke: “Qing-ge, when you went to Lanling with us, did you…..ever play a piece of music you composed yourself in public?”

Liu Zhenqing was taken aback, and the expression on his face changed slightly. “I remember, ah. But you’re mistaken, I didn’t compose it myself. I heard it, but no one else had heard of it. You were there at the time.”

Huo Fenglie nodded and said: “En, I just…..suddenly remembered. Can you write the music score?”

“What for? If you want to listen, I can play it for you anytime, ah. Why do you need the music score? You can’t play it,” Liu Zhenqing said deliberately.

Seeing Huo Fenglie’s eyes flash with obvious struggle and embarrassment almost made Liu Zhenqing laugh to death.

But Huo Fenglie found a reason and said: “Yue Xuqian still remembers it and wants this score.”

This reason…..Liu Zhenqing was dissatisfied. Forget it, he didn’t want to embarrass the child anymore. Liu Zhenqing turned to Huo Fenglie and said: “Come with me.”

When he returned to the room, Liu Zhenqing took out the music score he had written and gave it to Huo Fenglie, then leisurely watched his reaction.

When Huo Fenglie overcame his shock, he lowered his head like a child who had done something wrong. “Qing-ge, you knew?”

“I had a decent friendship with Yue Xuqian’s aunt. Why did you have to hide it from me? It’s fine if I meet her once,” Liu Zhenqing said with a frown.

Huo Fenglie no longer dared to look at Liu Zhenqing, but his tone of voice revealed his dissatisfaction. “A decent friendship. You used to go shopping with her, listen to music, go boating, and watch the river lanterns…..”

Huo Fenglie listed them out in detail for a while, and the situation changed in an instant, making Liu Zhenqing’s head spin. “Wait, did I?”

“Clearly you did. Now you just need to give her a jade pendant.”

Liu Zhenqing felt that he had been misunderstood. “Even if all that happened, it was still with a group of people. Don’t say that I was having a private rendezvous with her. We were just normal friends.”

Suddenly, Huo Fenglie raised his head and regarded Liu Zhenqing with his dark eyes, which made Liu Zhenqing feel guilty. “What? I’m not lying.”

Huo Fenglie said: “When we were leaving, Sister-in-law asked you what you thought of Yue-guniang. Do you not remember how you answered?”

Liu Zhenqing stared at Huo Fenglie in astonishment. He really didn’t remember. Who would remember his casual remarks?

“You said that she was rather cute, and that she was your type. It would be great if she were the one you were engaged to.”

Liu Zhenqing: ……

He really said that?

“Ai, no way, I obviously said this to spite your sister-in-law. I didn’t mean it at all.”

Suddenly, Huo Fenglie said seriously: “Then what were you thinking at that time? Nowadays, do you still have…..other ideas? You should know that she liked you back then, and now you also understand that she still misses you.”

Liu Zhenqing reacted at once and took a deep breath. This boy turned out to be so jealous, and didn’t want him to know that Yue-guniang from back then was next door. It turned out that this was the reason. Why…..why did it seem cuter the more he thought about it?

Liu Zhenqing couldn’t help but think about how much Er-gou liked him, enough to drink this aged vinegar with gusto. The scent of it could be smelled in the air.

Feeling itchy, Liu Zhenwing narrowed his eyes slightly, looking like he was pondering it. “Since she’s still thinking about my music score, I……ai, but I don’t know if she’ll accept me as I am now, ah. If she doesn’t accept me, I will…..”

Huo Fenglie froze in front of him as soon as these words came out, and his expression could be said to have become a little scary. His eyes were fixed on Liu Zhenqing’s face. Where Liu Zhenqing couldn’t see, he slowly raised his hand with all of the blue veins showing.

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

When Huo Fenglie emerged, Yue Xuqian felt that his guest was in a trance. He was clearly fine when he went in, but now he seemed as if his essence had been sucked out by an alluring spirit.

When it was time for acupuncture, Huo Fenglie concealed himself while taking off his clothes, and when he came out, his hair hung loose to one side. This was strange no matter how one looked at it.

“What are you doing?”

“Nothing.”

Even though one sentence drove this person back, Yue Xuqian was more thoughtful, and noticed that Huo Fenglie’s shoulder seemed to be stiff on the side with the loose hair. There must be something wrong, so he took a peek while Huo Fenglie was getting dressed.

As a result, Yue Xuqian suddenly didn’t feel good.

Those…..those obvious teeth marks were not there before the medicinal bath!

Yue Xuqian took a deep breath, unable to imagine what Huo Fenglie had done for half a shichen after going in.

Or what Young Master Liu had done to Huo Fenglie.

After all, looking at Huo Fenglie’s dazed appearance, it was clear that he was the “victim,” ah.

Yue Xuqian had thought of many ways to test him before, but it was fine now. If someone said that this clear evidence meant nothing, he wouldn’t believe it even if he died.

So it was a one-shot kill, and there was no need to try again later?

After looking at Huo Fenglie, Yue Xuqian immediately lost interest.

A few days passed in the blink of an eye, and nobody was disappointed when there was finally big news from the Lord of Qi.

Yue Xuqian had sent his own shadow soldiers to investigate, and He Lan cooperated with them.

It was soon discovered that the Lord of Qi stopped going out recently. He seemed to be nervously preparing for something, and the blacksmith shops were also working on weapons day and night, as if they were in a hurry. The batches of weapons piled up were more exaggerated than anything Yue Xuqian had ever observed.

“It seems that they’re aware of the failed assassination and are worried we will find them here, so they told the Lord of Qi to process them quickly and make as many as possible, then transport all the weapons out. They should be planning to give up this location,” Liu Zhenqing said.

“En, you’re right, that’s how I feel. I saw that the Lord of Qi looked extremely desperate. When his favorite concubine came to see him, he scolded her away in anger without having any other thoughts at all,” He Lan said with a scoff.

“Do you want to arrest him immediately?” Qin Yu looked at Huo Fenglie.

Huo Fenglie said contemplatively: “No.”

“If he is arrested, dead men tell no tales. We can only use shady means to get rid of the Lord of Qi,” Yue Xuqian said indifferently.

Liu Zhenqing said: “Although we’re letting go of a small fish, we can still catch the big fish. It’s worth a try. Otherwise, with how cautious they are, we may lose another chance to seize the truth. And the emperor will know how to deal with the Lord of Qi, so this isn’t a problem. The trouble is……”

Yue Xuqian looked at Liu Zhenqing in astonishment. The others were used to it, but Liu Zhenqing’s performance took him by surprise. After all, how could such a talent be a good-for-nothing in the capital?

The current Young Master Liu did look a bit like Liu Zhenqing. It was no wonder Huo Fenglie was addled by him.

“The trouble is tracking them, right? I’ll have my shadow guards follow them to the end. There are so many things, and their goal is huge, which makes it perfect for tracking.”

Liu Zhenqing shook his head and said: “I fear they’ll use the water transport. Once the water transport connects with the sea transport, it will be too difficult to track them.”

“If they want to do it this way, the preliminary preparations will definitely take time. We can only watch them at that time,” Qin Yu said.

No one had a better way. They could only watch.

Huo Fenglie’s condition had stabilized after the medicinal baths and acupuncture. He planned to take He Lan’s place tonight and do the handover at that time, making it less likely that they would miss important news.

Qin Yu was still a little behind, so he could only continue to cultivate. 

That night, Yue Xuqian accompanied them to wait in the courtyard, chatting casually.

Setting aside the initial negative implications left by Yue Xuqian’s testing of Liu Zhenqing, they all lived in harmony afterward. 

It could be said that Yue Xuqian was liking Liu Zhenqing more and more. After all, it was easier for a clever person to get along with other clever people.

During the conversation, Qin Yu and He Lan marveled at Yue Xuqian’s strategic talent many times.

He Lan couldn’t help but finally say: “To be honest, a man like Young Master Yue could be ranked in the top three, so why did you stay in Jiangnan? Maybe if you go to the capital now, you will be the next prime minister.”

Qin Yu nodded in agreement.

Yue Xuqian gave a slight smile and said nothing.

He Lan was really curious, and said: “The Yue family is considered to have a solid foundation. Don’t you want to have a prominent official position and be famous throughout the ages? I’ve seen a great many scholars waiting for the Imperial Examinations to become an official. As long as there is a great scholar in the family, no one would refuse to join the court. Especially when there was a shortage of talents in the past few years, the Imperial Examinations made many exceptions. If you go to the capital, you will probably be treated like a treasure by the emperor.”

Yue Xuqian gave a slight smile and said: “Many people have told me this.”

He Lan and Qin Yu were loyal to the court and couldn’t help but want to recruit talents when they saw them. Yue Xuqian was naturally familiar with such talent-seeking, but Liu Zhenqing was the only one with a somewhat indifferent look in his eyes. This was probably not only because the Liu family could not join officialdom, but that they were also more worried about their distant relative Liu Zhenqing, which Yue Xuqian could understand.

After a moment of thought, he took a sip of wine and spoke what was in his heart, which he seldom did: “Maybe it’s a natural inclination. Our Yue family is not as iron-blooded as the Huo family. If I had not met a master whom I sincerely served, I would have rather been a mediocre person and stayed in the south to live a stable life.”

“A master? Young Master Yue, you dare to say this?”

“Why wouldn’t I dare? Look at my friendship with Fenglie. You all won’t speak carelessly, and even if you did, no one would believe it. So I will tell you straight, it was after seeing the Great Zhou Dynasty that Liu Zhenqing maintained at that time that I decided not to be an official.”

Liu Zhenqing was stunned for a moment, and felt that he had been inexplicably scolded. Hadn’t this guy been defending him when they arrived?

Qin Yu and He Lan had already changed their minds about Liu Zhenqing after what happened before. Upon hearing what he said, they couldn’t help but want to speak out to clear Liu Zhenqing’s name.

Yue Xuqian laughed: “I didn’t say he was bad. The situation in the capital was not optimistic at that time, with internal and external troubles. I thought about it for many years and asked myself whether I would do better than him in his position. That would have been a fatal mistake. I analyzed it and found that if the new emperor was unable to secure his position, the remaining three kings each had their own shortcomings, and no one was suitable to support the Great Zhou Yuan clan.”

In fact, Yue Xuqian had been hiding in the south at that time and felt that the Yuan family would soon meet their demise, so he didn’t want to emerge and sacrifice himself. He was not as foolish as the Huo family.

“So I didn’t dare take the risk of becoming an official. After that…..Liu Zhenqing saved the Yuan clan’s lives by sacrificing himself and Huo-dage. It was such a tragedy, so cruel, ah. You all have your own loyal people, but you must have been taught since childhood that emperors are merciless. My ancestors were wealthy, and I received all the honors I deserved. I didn’t have any dreams that needed to be realized, so I naturally had no motivation and didn’t bother.”

As supporters of the Yuan clan’s Great Zhou Dynasty, He Lan and Qin Yu naturally felt that what Yue Xuqian was wrong, but…..they seemed to understand thoroughly.

Thus, they didn’t say much more.

Qin Yu said curiously: “You seem to know very well what Liu Zhenqing has done.”

“Because I was very curious about how he survived that situation. Eight years after his death, I often studied some of his practices back then. It took me a long time to understand many of them, but they were still incomplete.”

“Ai? Come on, say it, we’re all very curious. What did he do? Why did he gain so much infamy?” He Lan said.

Such a conversation caused Liu Zhenqing to feel inexplicably embarrassed, as if he was wearing a disguise and eavesdropping on how others were analyzing him.

Yue Xuqian thought deeply. “For example, what you mentioned before. The current Prime Minister Jiang was once the Deputy Prime Minister, and he brought together a group of officials to reorganize the cabinet and replace Liu Zhenqing’s influence so that the new emperor could smoothly transition to power.”

“I did hear that he was suppressed by Liu Zhenqing.” He Lan looked at Qin Yu.

Qin Yu nodded. He had naturally heard it inside the palace.

“At that time, those old ministers were ready to kill each other. Prime Minister Liu only said one thing — don’t dirty the palace,” Qin Yu recalled.

He Lan shook in response. “So cold.”

Liu Zhenqing touched his face in embarrassment, annoyed at being forced. 

Yue Xuqian smiled slightly and said: “He was quite amazing, as he should be. Isn’t it funny that a group of old fools were ignited by a group of people with ulterior motives and wanted to destroy everything Liu Zhenqing built?”

“What do you mean?” Qin Yu said.

“Think about when they proposed it.”

Qin Yu frowned. “The first two kings were dead, and the third was about to lose.”

“The emperor had not yet reached the age of taking over the reins of government, but they chose such an awkward time. Hadn’t they just finished using Liu Zhenqing and found him to be an obstacle, so they wanted to kick him away before the emperor took charge? This way, couldn’t they take power themselves and control the right to speak in front of the emperor?” Yue Xuqian gave a slight smile and said: “If nothing else, do you think that many of the other ministers were like Liu Zhenqing, willing to risk their lives to support the little emperor? After sharing Liu Zhenqing’s power, would these few people not control the emperor? Even worse, could there be someone with evil intentions who wanted to take advantage of such laxity to rebel against the army? To turn the tide?”

As they followed Yue Xuqian’s suppositions, Qin Yu and He Lan’s expressions gradually changed.

“Although I have no evidence, what I said may be something Liu Zhenqing worried about and considered when he was in office, so…..”

Liu Zhenqing’s eyes flashed. Yue Xuqian was indeed a member of the Yue family. Like a fox, he actually analyzed it completely.

“That…..I also heard that he conveniently imprisoned a group of loyal veterans in the Imperial Prison…..” He Lan said. It was his cousin who had just taken office at the time and was forced to follow the orders to imprison them, so He Lan was relatively clear on this.

Yue Xuqian said: “This part is just my guess. I think it had something to do with the last king. That person was very capable, and Liu Zhenqing was probably afraid of implicating these pillars of the Imperial court. As long as they were imprisoned in advance, who would think of venting their anger by killing them? It was certainly an excellent way to save their lives. When the last king was defeated, didn’t the emperor immediately let them go? He also became a wise emperor in the hearts of the veterans. I think it was Liu Zhenqing who deliberately played the part of a villain and asked the emperor to cooperate. This would be more conducive to the emperor’s future administration and regaining the hearts of the people. Although there is no evidence, and I don’t know exactly what he was thinking at the time. After all, weren’t all those ministers not harmed at all?”

In fact, Liu Zhenqing didn’t remember much about it. There were too many things going on at the time, and locking up the old men was just a trivial matter. He only remembered the sight of them cursing him until they were foaming at the mouths.

There were actually many clever people like Yue Xuqian in the world, who could analyze and guess the possible causes and effects, but they might not necessarily believe it even if they did guess. 

Because of their two previous experiences, this guess sounded very reasonable to He Lan and Qin Yu.

“Is there more, is there more?” He Lan was addicted.

“There is. For example, imprisoning the royal family and ostracizing clan members.”

“En, I heard that the Three Kings were planning to leave the capital, but Liu Zhenqing didn’t allow it, so the Three Kings rebellion was because of him.”

Yue Xuqian gave a light scoff and said: “People in the world are stupid. No official would say such a thing.”

Yes. He Lan and Qin Yu didn’t dare to speak.

“Actually, I don’t feel it’s right either. Who knows if they had any intentions of betrayal? If there was a problem, wouldn’t it be better to let the tiger go back to the mountain?

Qin Yu nodded.

Yue Xuqian smiled and said: “As long as we don’t look at the issue with animosity, there were still clear-headed people. The Three Kings rebellion began as early as when the former emperor was on the throne. Even if the crown prince succeeded the throne, he may not have been able to stabilize it. It was just that they were keeping a low profile at the time. From the first time Liu Zhenqing confronted them on the crown prince’s behalf, he should have understood what these people were thinking. Then the crown prince was killed and the new emperor succeeded the throne. The three kings were a serious concern, and it was safest to keep them close. Otherwise, he might not even have had the chance to help the new emperor slowly develop on a single-plank bridge.”

He Lan and Qin Yu felt their hearts surge uncontrollably upon hearing this.

Yue Xuqian took another drink and said: “I’m not sure about the other rumors yet, but I truly admire him for taking back the new emperor, winning over people’s hearts, establishing prestige, seizing power, ending the chaos of the three kings, and establishing capable ministers in the Imperial court and the six ministries. Who was not supported by him alone? He also dared to break tradition and let the Empress Dowager listen to government affairs behind the curtain in the early stages, have the Taifei help handle government affairs, and gave Huo-dage all of all the military power to guard the border. He took control of the court, gradually stabilized the new emperor, and stabilized the Zhou Dynasty. This was very, very difficult, and anyway, I couldn’t do it.”

He Lan and Qin Yu could only fall silent after hearing this, their expressions solemn and tragic. They raised their glasses to the moon in melancholy. A crunching sound disrupted the mood, and the three of them looked over to see Liu Zhenqing holding peanuts.

Seeing everyone look over, he smiled awkwardly.

Yue Xuqian said in amusement: “Why aren’t you concerned about your family affairs, ah?”

There was no need for Liu Zhenqing to speak. The other two assisted him by saying: “He’s lost his memory, so he doesn’t have such feelings.”

Liu Zhenqing nodded in response. Besides, it had been so long since it all happened, so what was there to say? It was embarrassing for the person listening.

Soon after, He Lan went to switch places with Huo Fenglie. During the handover, Huo Fenglie saw that he had a strange look on his face. When he asked and learned about their chat, his eyes darkened and he rushed back to the manor.

He went directly to Liu Zhenqing’s room and heard him call out: “You’re back? Come and tie me up, I’m sleepy.”

His tone of voice didn’t seem the least bit affected, and when he got closer, he saw that the other person was already lying in bed reading a book.

After not hearing a reply for a long time, Liu Zhenqing turned and saw Huo Fenglie looking at him blankly.

“What is it?” Liu Zhenqing leaned his head on one hand, looking at Huo Fenglie.

Huo Fenglie’s eyes flashed, but he didn’t say anything in the end. He had been useless back then, and bringing it up now would remind the other of unhappy things, so it was better not to mention it.

“Did you like the food today? You haven’t had it for a long time. I’ll ask the doctor if some fresh river food can be made for you tomorrow.”

Liu Zhenqing’s eyes instantly lit up when he heard this. “Good, good, good. The food lately has been bland. The grilled fish you cooked last time at Qingcheng Mountain was delicious. I want to eat it.”

“Okay.” Huo Fenglie smiled gently.

Under the candlelight, those focused and tender eyes with the look of having fulfilled the other person’s wishes truly made Liu Zhenqing’s heart move inexplicably.

It was as if he had wished for the stars in the sky, and Huo Fenglie intended to satisfy him.

But he was not so silly, and only asked teasingly: “Today, the doctor gave me medicine and said that all my injuries are healing, even the tooth marks. What about yours?”

Huo Fenglie, who was still in a state of tenderness, was instantly embarrassed when Liu Zhenqing said this. He simply said he was going to wash up, and then fled.

Liu Zhenqing was so amused at the sight that he couldn’t stop laughing. Sure enough, teasing Er-gou was the most fun thing in the world. However, they had been sleeping in the same bed for so long, and Liu Zhenqing was still being tied down. So why had Huo Fenglie not messed around from beginning to end?

He didn’t even sneak a kiss.

Of course, he didn’t want Er-gou to secretly kiss him. He didn’t have such a thought, but only felt that something was strange. After all, his sweetheart was right next to him, and he shouldn’t be able to bear it.

Likely because he had something on his mind, he woke up very early in the morning. Huo Fenglie untied his restraints and went to change places with He Lan. As a result, He Lan returned and came to see him excitedly, and Qin Yu happened to be there too.

They heard He Lan gossip: “Do you know where Zhanyuan is now?”

The two of them were taken aback.

Liu Zhenqing said: “Isn’t he spying?”

Qin Yu frowned: “Don’t keep us in suspense.”

He Lan glanced at Qin Yu and then said, fearing that there would not be enough chaos in the world: “He’s walking in the garden next door with a beauty. Hehe, unexpectedly, he kept it a secret from you two. Why, it turns out not to be the Yue family brother, but the Yue family lady.”

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

Although Mu Chuanbai said this, and couldn’t just stand by and watch with his son flirting coquettishly, he didn’t want to get too involved in the young couple’s affairs. They were young after all, so after giving a warning, he closed the door and went to video chat with his wife.

Lu Qi pursed his lips and snickered, and Mu Nanqiao reached out to touch his dimple.

Airline meals tended to be western-style. Lu Qi didn’t eat western food often, so he couldn’t tell if the food was authentic or not. In any case, he enjoyed his meal very happily. After finishing a dish, it was taken away and another dish was served. Every time the flight attendants came, he smiled like a small animal looking forward to being fed.

Most first-class passengers were very prideful, and this was likely the first time they had seen such a handsome and smiling young man. During the serving time, three young ladies took turns, and there was a young brother who came. Everyone took a turn to look.

Mu Nanqiao lost his composure because of this smile. He really wanted to kiss him in front of others to declare his sovereignty, but doing so would be odd and lovey-dovey. There was also cream of corn soup on the table in the middle, and it wouldn’t be good to spill it all over.

He endured it for a long time, and Lu Qi excitedly watched the flight attendants make the bed after dinner, also trying it on his own under their supervision. By this time, everyone had realized the relationship between the two men, and their smiles became much more reserved, gradually converting to the benevolent smiles of melon-eaters.

The lights on Mu Chuanbai’s side were turned off, but there were still faint voices whispering in Russian.

Lu Qi accomplished the achievement of bathing in the sky. He came back with wet hair and threw himself on the bed, wearing his yellow pajamas. Unfortunately, the cabin space was limited no matter how luxurious it was, and the double bed was not very spacious for two people. With this pounce, he ran directly into Mu Nanqiao’s arms like a deer entering a fox’s mouth.

Swish—

Mu Nanqiao closed the curtain, completely isolating the small space from the outside world. Lu Qi groaned when Mu Nanqiao pressed him against the pillow and kissed him twice.

“What are you doing…..” Lu Qi hummed in his throat and nervously grabbed Mu Nanqiao’s clothes. “Don’t cause trouble, be careful that Uncle doesn’t make you relive your childhood and put you to sleep…..”

Mu Nanqiao kissed him a few more times and raised his eyebrows with upright pride. “I’m shameless, so I don’t care about him seeing.”

But Lu Qi had shame, ah, so he had no choice but to grasp the clothes on his chest and carefully and meekly raise his head to kiss him. There was an ambiguous wet sound as their lips and tongues entangled, and his eyelashes trembled uneasily like frightened little butterflies.

With the sound of their lips parting, Lu Qi covered his mouth and stared at Mu Nanqiao’s smiling face.

“Okay, okay…..” He lowered his head and kissed the other’s forehead, then kissed his eyelashes comfortingly. “I won’t bully you anymore. You’re tired from catching the plane, so let’s go to sleep.”

Lu Qi was so angry that he pulled his hair and whispered: “Why are you pretending to be a good person…..you got a bargain and you’re still currying favor…..”

He pulled out a few hairs and hummed contentedly, turned his back with a slightly swollen mouth, and prepared to go to sleep.

Mu Nanqiao was left to touch his painful scalp, thankful that his hair was thick.

. . . . . . .

It was already the afternoon of the next day when they arrived at the hotel, and the performance was scheduled to start in the evening.

Although the environment in the first class cabin was the very best, they were still on a plane, after all, and they would still feel tired after disembarking. Lu Qi took another nap when they arrived at the hotel.

When he woke up, Mu Nanqiao was speaking Russian with others at the door. After a moment, he closed the door and came in with two sets of clothing in his arms.

Lu Qi grasped his hair and sat up in a daze, asking: “The clothes have been delivered?”

After all, they were going to watch the ballet. Lu Qi himself had already prepared a formal suit, but before they left, Mrs. Talia had prepared outfits for the three of them and hoped that they would wear the clothes she had prepared.

Lu Qi could only agree when she said this, and took the heavy bag with a gilded logo from Mu Nanqiao’s hand.

As he was carrying the bag and about to try it on, Mu Nanqiao stopped him again and gave him a small bag, explaining: “Here’s a shirt clip. Do you know how to use it?”

He seemed to be expecting Lu Qi to say that he didn’t know how. Thinking of the place where the belt was tied, Lu Qi’s ears warmed up. He took the small bag and replied: “I can do it!”

Mu Nanqiao touched his nose regretfully.

They had booked a suite at the hotel. Mu Nanqiao carried his own set of clothes into the room, also intending to change. He often wore this kind of three-piece suit on more formal occasions. When he finished putting it on, he straightened the collar and cuffs in the mirror to make sure there wasn’t anything wrong.

He opened the door and saw Lu Qi coming out. As expected, Mrs. Talia had chosen white for Lu Qi. Predictably, Lu Qi looked good in it.

The well-tailored outfit perfectly accentuated his tall frame and narrow waist. He hadn’t folded the burgundy scarf on his chest properly, but the shape turned out to be very beautiful, like a blooming rose. Holding a bow tie in his hand, he walked up to Mu Nanqiao and stretched out his hand, saying: “Help me, it won’t fasten…..”

Mu Nanqiao lowered his head and put it on for him, then briefly helped him arrange the silk scarf.

If one didn’t wear these kinds of clothes often, they would feel a little tight. What’s more, Lu Qi was used to wearing loose, comfortable clothes and felt a little uncomfortable in his movements. But the young man in the mirror had indeed lost some of his boyishness and become noble and elegant. 

Lu Qi patted his waist and sighed happily: “Fortunately, I’m not too fat to wear these clothes…..”

Then he turned to look at Mu Nanqiao. “When are we leaving?”

“Wait a minute.” Mu Nanqiao came over.

He was wearing the same three-piece suit with a dark pattern, and with his wide shoulders and long legs, his steps were pleasing to the eye. Lu Qi secretly admired him and tilted his head, asking: “Wait for what?”

Mu Nanqiao said: “I want to kiss you.”

Thus, unsurprisingly, his mouth was a little swollen when he went out.

. . . . . . .

The seats Talia left for them were in the first row, with an excellent viewing angle. The audience came in one after another before the start of the performance. Lu Qi found that some people were overtly melancholy, and even a few elegantly dressed ladies had slightly reddened eyes.

Mu Nanqiao lowered his voice and explained to Lu Qi: “Many of those here today are loyal viewers of my mom.”

It was always sad to say goodbye. Lu Qi sat up a little straighter, and was a bit regretful that he had only just met this excellent ballet dancer.

As if he could read his thoughts, Mu Chuanbai sitting to the side said: “Xiao Lu, don’t be sad. She is only bidding farewell to the stage. This is also a new beginning. In the future, she will have more time to dance for the people she loves.”

Also, Talia would be engaged in choreography and teaching after she retired, which would be a new life journey.

After the host went up to make a simple announcement, magnificent music sounded, the lights onstage dimmed, and the symphony came to an abrupt end. There was silence for a few seconds, and then the curtain opened slowly.

The ballad “Fairy Maiden” officially began.

On the stage, under the dim lights, a man sat asleep on a high-backed chair. As the music became cheerful and playful, a figure leaped out from behind the chair, spinning and jumping, every step so light.

Lu Qi’s eyes widened in pleasant surprise, refusing to miss any detail.

Talia was a fairy. She wore a long white silk dress with flanges on her upper arms, and there were two cute little wings on either side of her slender and powerful waist, symbolizing her fairy status. They trembled slightly with her movements.

As if in a dream, she completed the solo dance under the spotlight. Then, the man sleeping in the chair woke up, and it turned out that the fairy had appeared in his dreams.

After one scene, there were not many scenes where the fairy appeared. Mu Nanqiao explained in a low voice, “I think she chose this show because it was her first performance onstage.”

That was when she was still a fourteen-year-old girl. Now the years had passed by and she was already a mother, but as long as she was onstage, she was the spirit of ballet. Time had not passed, and she was still dancing happily like a young girl.

Lu Qi didn’t even notice the time change, and it was already the last scene. 

The man finally put the gauze scarf given by the witch onto the fairy, trying to bind her with his selfish desire. And the fairy struggled painfully, her wings fell off, and she finally died.

After the performance, there was thunderous applause. The actors took a bow and exited, leaving Talia behind, who remained bowing deeply to everyone.

She took the microphone and said farewell to the stage.

Mu Nanqiao translated her words to Lu Qi in a low voice.

“I want you to be happy for me. From now on, I can enjoy the food that I never ate in my former life. Once I danced for you, and after today, I will dance for myself…..”

“Mrs. Talia is so beautiful, ah…..” Lu Qi whispered. “It’s like she’s shining.”

After Talia finished her speech, amidst the deafening applause, the unexpected happened.

Mu Chuanbai struggled to stand up from his wheelchair, wearing a silver-gray outfit that Talia had chosen for him. Holding a bouquet of roses in bloom, he staggered toward the stage step by step and walked toward his lover.

This was his gift to Talia. He walked with such effort that sweat broke out on his forehead. It was rare for the handsome man to be in such disarray, but Talia remained patiently waiting for him, tears gradually filling her eyes.

When the two finally embraced, Lu Qi’s eyes grew uncontrollably hot. Amidst the cheers and applause, he silently reached out and hooked Mu Nanqiao’s little finger. 

With his hand held in a reverse grip, Mu Nanqiao lowered his eyes to gaze at him. Only the shadow of Lu Qi reflected in his narrow fox-like eyes. He raised his eyebrows and silently asked Lu Qi why he had suddenly held his hand, his features full of focus and tenderness. 

“Let’s go out for a walk.” Lu Qi stood on tiptoe and whispered in his ear: “I left the gift for Auntie backstage. Let’s not disturb them for a while.”

Mu Nanqiao nodded. He called for Mu Chuanbai’s bodyguard to come over, whispered a few words, and then took Lu Qi’s hand and quietly exited the warm atmosphere of the theater.

The street lights had gradually turned on, and the tall theater building looked solemn under the cover of night, like a church. Lu Qi looked back and breathed out softly.

There was a heavy weight on his shoulders as Mu Nanqiao put his coat on him. He lowered his eyes and smiled softly. “What are you thinking about?”

Lu Qi shook his head and pulled Mu Nanqiao forward along the street.

“I just feel that with parents who love each other so much, you have always had the ability to love someone.” He thought of something and couldn’t help but laugh. “It’s just that you hid this ability. Fortunately, I found it.”

He shook Mu Nanqiao’s hand and said softly, “Suddenly, I feel that I’m very lucky.”

Mu Nanqiao hummed with a smile, and said without blushing: “You are indeed lucky.”

His lack of modesty made Lu Qi choke. His deer-like eyes widened slightly, and he didn’t know how to continue.

Mu Nanqiao laughed out loud. He stopped in his tracks and raised his arms to hug him.

“What I mean is, I got lucky.”

Perhaps his life’s luck had been spent on two things. One was his parents, who loved each other and loved him. They gave him the ability to love someone, like planting the seed of a rose. 

And one was meeting Lu Qi.

The sunshine found the cracks in the soil, and the seeds took root and sprouted. Facing the biting wind and snow, the roses bloomed at last.

---

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

Huo Fenglie and Yue Xuqian were in the room beforehand.

Huo Fenglie took a medicinal bath while Yue Xuqian drank tea. After his bath, Yue Xuqian didn’t leave.

“How long do you plan to stay?” Huo Fenglie asked.

Yue Xuqian smiled slightly and said: “Although there is no expression on your face, I can still see your impatience. You have been my brother for so many years, it would be shameful for me not to watch over you.”

Huo Fenglie frowned and said: “I really don’t need this. I won’t sleep well with you here.”

“Won’t sleep well with me here? Then what about Young Master Liu?” Yue Xuqian raised his eyebrows with a smile.

Huo Fenglie didn’t want to talk to him anymore, and was about to turn around and walk toward the bed, but the moment of silence in the room allowed him to hear footsteps outside the window.

Huo Fenglie paused, then turned around and walked toward the door. Yue Xuqian said in surprise: “No, you really want to drive me away?”

“He’s back. I want to ask how his wound is doing after changing the dressing.” Huo Fenglie kept his eyes straight and prepared to open the door.

Yue Xuqian stepped forward to stop him and said: “You care about him so much. The other two are good brothers you have known for many years, and they are both more injured than him. I haven’t seen you care about them this much.”

The impatience on Huo Fenglie’s face was already obvious. “When did you become such a gossip?”

Yue Xuqian gave a slight smile and said: “I’ve always been a gossip. I just gossiped secretly when I was a child, and now that I’ve grown up, I gossip openly.”

Huo Fenglie ignored Yue Xuqian and went to open the door. Yue Xuqian gave it some thought, and then cooperated to stand beside him.

But when the door opened, there was nobody outside.

Yue Xuqian was about to ask when he saw Huo Fenglie look in confusion toward the rockery to the side.

Yue Xuqian suppressed a smile as he too saw the figure under the moonlight. It turned out he was hiding.

Seeing such an interesting scene, Yue Xuqian skewed his eyes and suddenly called out to Huo Fenglie. Then he turned and put his hands on his shoulders, moved closer, and whispered in his ear. “Listen, hold onto me quickly.”

Yue Xuqian’s tone was very serious, which confused Huo Fenglie into cooperating.

And in Liu Zhenqing’s opinion, such an angle was an angle of doom.

Liu Zhenqing promptly walked out, and the movement naturally caused the two people who were close to separate.

Huo Fenglie was about to ask what Liu Zhenqing was doing there just now. He felt that something wasn’t right.

But Liu Zhenqing was the first to speak: “What are you doing?”

“I heard a sound and came out to look for you.” Huo Fenglie froze for a split second and spoke frankly.

Liu Zhenqing narrowed his eyes slightly and glanced at Yue Xuqian, saying: “Really? Could it be that I saw wrong?”

“Oh, what did Young Master Liu see wrong?” Yue Xuqian said with interest.

Liu Zhenqing’s brow twitched, and he said with a faint smile: “I thought the two of you came out specifically to admire the moon. I wanted to remind Er-gou not to let the wind blow on him.”

Yue Xuqian savored the taste of Liu Zhenqing’s combativeness, and was about to retort when he suddenly paused. “You…..what did you call him?”

Huo Fenglie was also stunned for a moment. Thinking that Liu Zhenqing had made a slip of the tongue, he was about to make an excuse.

Then he heard Liu Zhenqing say with an innocent smile: “Aiya, my apologies, I forgot for a moment. Young Master Yue should know, this is Brother Huo’s nickname. I call him this in private, but I generally don’t address him like this in front of outsiders.”

Yue Xuqian looked at Huo Fenglie, and his breathing cut off several times.

“You let him call you…..your nickname?”

In his impression, only the elders and those three people could call him that, ah. Even he himself couldn’t address him this way.

Although Huo Fenglie didn’t understand Liu Zhenqing’s intentions, he felt that Liu Zhenqing wasn’t happy, so he naturally chose to follow his lead and said: “En.”

Presently, Yue Xuqian already felt as if a thunderbolt had struck him. Wasn’t this transfer of feelings too much? Was he completely treating Liu Xiaozhu as Liu Zhenqing?

Liu Zhenqing walked over with a tranquil expression and said directly: “Er-gou, how was the medicinal bath? Are you feeling better?”

Huo Fenglie said: “En, I feel much better. Did you change the dressing? Your wound…..”

Yue Xuqian continued to be struck by lightning, and then saw Liu Zhenqing glance at him. “There is nothing wrong with the wound, as long as I sleep calmly and don’t bump it again.”

After saying this, Liu Zhenqing smiled and said: “Then I won’t disturb you anymore. I’ll go back and sleep.”

Seeing Liu Zhenqing’s performance just now, Yue Xuqian thought that he would not leave easily. But then he turned around neatly, leaving Yue Xuqian a little confused about his routine.

Wasn’t he jealous just now? Shouldn’t he do something? Did he think he had won just because of “Er-gou?”

Although it was very impactful, did Liu Zhenqing not care at all even though the one staying with Huo Fenglie day and night was him?

Just as Yue Xuqian was confused, Liu Zhenqing had already entered the room and closed the door, and seemed as if he really didn’t care. But Huo Fenglie suddenly said, “You go back.”

“Ah? I…..”

Before Yue Xuqian could speak, Huo Fenglie headed directly toward Liu Zhenqing’s room.

“Ai? Wait, what do you mean, ah.” Yue Xuqian was shocked. He had never made such a miscalculation.

Huo Fenglie said with a frown: “I’m going with him. He can’t sleep alone or he’ll bump his wound.”

Yue Xuqian stared blankly. “That isn’t the case, he said he’ll pay attention.”

“He won’t pay attention at all when he’s asleep.”

“Then I’ll find someone to look after him well.”

“Other people can’t take care of him, he’ll still hurt himself when he pulls them. Don’t worry about it, go back and rest.”

Huo Fenglie said no more, and raised his hand to knock on the door. Once he received permission, he pushed open the door and went inside.

Seeing Huo Fenglie walk in, Yue Xuqian was truly shocked. Why were things the exact opposite of what he expected?

Shouldn’t Young Master Liu have followed into Huo Fenglie’s room out of jealousy? Why did Young Master Liu leave on his own, and then Huo Fenglie followed him?

Wait, was this Young Master Liu’s deliberate design?

Impossible. Not to mention whether or not he was that clever, even if he was, he shouldn’t have been able to calculate Huo Fenglie’s reaction so accurately.

It must be a coincidence.

But Huo Fenglie let him call him Er-gou!

Was this because his brother was using the person as a substitute, or was he being controlled by the other person?

Yue Xuqian’s lips curled slightly. He shook his head and slowly left, feeling that this was much more interesting than investigating a case.

And at this time, Liu Zhenqing was already standing by the bed and taking off his outer layers. When he saw Huo Fenglie come in, he asked with a puzzled look: “Why did you come in? What about Young Master Yue?”

“I asked him to go back. Qing-ge, let’s rest together tonight. It isn’t suitable for you to put pressure on your wound, but you don’t sleep calmly, so this way is better.”

Liu Zhenqing sat on the side of the bed and gestured to Huo Fenglie.

Huo Fenglie walked over and saw a strip of cloth on Liu Zhenqing’s bed.

“This is…..”

“Tie me up.”

“Ah?” Huo Fenglie was shocked.

Liu Zhenqing said: “Of course I know that I’ll hug the pillow and exert force while sleeping. For this reason, I plan to use a strip of cloth to secure myself. You came just in time, tie me up.”

Huo Fenglie frowned and said: “No need, I’ll watch over you.”

Liu Zhenqing said with a thoughtful expression: “Like this, ah, let me think about it. En…..otherwise, it’s better to tie me up, but I’ll still bother Er-gou to sleep next to me. I can also help you with your situation, and you can help me out if I need anything.”

Huo Fenglie was going to say more, when he heard Liu Zhenqing say: “If you won’t help, then I’ll find someone else. You can call a servant over and have him sleep next to me. Apart from this, I won’t accept any other way.”

Speechless, Huo Fenglie could only step forward and take the cloth.

“Very good.” Liu Zhenqing finally laughed.

After getting ready for bed, Huo Fenglie fixed the knots according to Liu Zhenqing’s instructions so that he wouldn’t turn over.

When he finished, Liu Zhenqing moved around. He couldn’t move his limbs and waist too much, which perfectly ensured that the wound would not be pressed, and if he tried to hug the pillow, he would definitely not be able to.

“You’re really not uncomfortable?” Huo Fenglie sat on the outside of the bed and looked down at Liu Zhenqing.

Liu Zhenqing smiled and said: “En, it’s just right. Aiya, Er-gou, how do you think I look like this?”

Huo Fenglie followed the trend and asked: “How do you look?”

Liu Zhenqing raised his eyebrows and said mischievously: “Like…..you’re a bullying landlord, and I’m a poor woman who’s been kidnapped. You tied me to the bed and intend to do whatever you want to me.”

Huo Fenglie instantly choked. If he didn’t have other thoughts, he would have laughed naturally, but he did have other thoughts, so he laughed awkwardly.

Liu Zhenqing deliberately raised his voice and said: “What do you intend to do to me? I won’t give in. Let me tell you, even if you take my body, you can’t take my heart.”

Liu Zhenqing was having fun again. Seeing that Huo Fenglie was becoming more and more embarrassed, he felt very happy. But suddenly Huo Fengle’s expression changed slightly. “Qing-ge, stop playing, it’s time to rest.”

Although Liu Zhenqing didn’t understand, when Huo Fenglie extinguished the lamp and lay down next to him, he still said, “Give me your wrist.”

Huo Fenglie reached out, knowing that Liu Zhenqing was going to check his pulse.

“Put your head closer.”

Puzzled, Huo Fenglie stared blankly but moved closer to his side. Liu Zhenqing unexpectedly came over and put his forehead against his. Although there was no candlelight, the little bit of moonlight was enough for Huo Fenglie to see everything clearly. Liu Zhenqing was close at hand, his eyes closed, breathing gently. As long as he raised his chin slightly, he could kiss those slightly open red lips.

Huo Fenglie felt as though his acupoints had been tapped, and he didn’t dare move. He could only suffer, feeling Liu Zhenqing’s breaths coming one by one.

The knot of Huo Fenglie’s throat rolled uncontrollably. Just as he was about to retreat, Liu Zhenqing took the lead and backed away.

“En, no fever.”

It was to feel his temperature, ah? Right, what else could it be?

Huo Fenglie was having complicated thoughts when he heard Liu Zhenqing say: “How long as it been since you’ve seen Yue Xuqian?”

It wasn’t as if Huo Fenglie hadn’t noticed anything, so he said straightforwardly: “Qing-ge, do you dislike Xuqian? I remember that when he was a child, you liked him quite a lot.”

“Really? I don’t remember much, but I recall that he was a rather clever child.”

“En, you often held him and praised him for being cute and smart,” Huo Fenglie said dully.

Liu Zhenqing was taken aback, thinking, this child was possessive of him even then, so he was drinking vinegar?

The corners of Liu Zhenqing’s mouth curled up. Just now, he had been worried that he would let another person kiss him outside. How could that be possible? With Er-gou’s temperament, if he liked someone, he would definitely like them forever. How could it be possible for him to give warmth to anyone else? Otherwise, scandals would be flying all over the place.

A smile inexplicably accumulated in Liu Zhenqing’s heart. “He was smart and cute, ah.”

Huo Fenglie was silent for a moment before saying: “Then what was your attitude tonight?”

Liu Zhenqing felt that he had no other intentions, but Yue Xuqian kept provoking him, which made him a little unhappy. “When you two suddenly came out, I thought, didn’t he want to take care of you? Why is he not letting him have a good rest?”

Huo Fenglie didn’t think too much when he heard this reasoning. 

But Liu Zhenqing thought about it and couldn’t help saying: “I think Yue Xuqian is very close to you. Your ancestors have a history of intermarriage, so will this kid like you?”

Liu Zhenqing’s direct question made Huo Fenglie choke.

“Ah? Qing-ge, why are you thinking like this? How could it be possible?”

Liu Zhenqing’s heart said that Er-gou was foolish and didn’t notice, but maybe Yue Xuqian was worried that they weren’t just brothers when they showed up, so he just wanted to drive away the person close to Er-gou and slowly get closer without letting him notice. Just like Huo Fenglie was doing to him now.

Huo Fenglie was about to explain why it was impossible, but Liu Zhenqing suddenly changed the topic. He felt that since Er-gou didn’t notice, it was better if he never knew about it. Anyway, they would leave after recovering from their injuries. It was better to do less than to do more.

After talking casually for a while, the two went to sleep. 

At night, the two would instinctively wake up and check on the other person, as if there was something in their bodies reminding them. In fact, it wasn’t good to sleep like this, but both of them looked pretty good the next day.

When he awoke in the morning, he heard Huo Fenglie’s voice in his ear: “Qing-ge, I’m going to take a medicinal bath. It’s still early. You keep sleeping, and I’ll untie you when I come back.”

“En…..” Liu Zhenqing gave a vague response. He seemed to suddenly think of something, and struggled to wake up. But in the end, he didn’t have the perseverance of the previous Prime Minister Liu, and couldn’t wake up from his sleep.

When he woke up again, his hands and feet were still bound, and he felt someone taking off his shirt. He was just wearing an undershirt, and was bare once it was gone.

A chill hit him, instantly clearing his mind. He moved his nose and knew that Huo Fenglie was sitting beside the bed. 

When Liu Zhenqing could react, he was a little embarrassed. What bad thing was Er-gou doing while he was asleep?

Besides, if he wanted to take his clothes off, wouldn’ the first remove the restraints? How could he take them off like this?

Wait, was he afraid that he would resist?

This…..this was okay.

Liu Zhenqing thought wildly for a moment. It was probably because his brain was just starting up that it was so active. His thoughts were messy enough that he even frightened himself. Just as he was about to wake up, he heard the sound of fabric being cut.

The movement came from his shoulder. Liu Zhenqing was speechless. He was checking his wound? This was the doctor’s business, why was he joining in?

Liu Zhenqing was just thinking this when he felt the person next to him pause. The bandage was only cut halfway, why did he stop?

And why did he feel like there was an abnormal silence and an uncomfortable oppressiveness around him?

Covertly opening his yes, he saw Huo Fenglie sitting stiffly on the edge of the bed with a very ugly look on his face, staring with fixed eyes at his wound.

How strange. Why was he so surprised? Even though he had never seen the wound, he had probably expected it.

“Er-gou?” Liu Zhenqing said directly. Because he had just woken up, his voice sounded sluggish, and there was a kind of sensuality that made a person feel itchy. Seeing Huo Fenglie look over stiffly, Liu Zhenqing turned his neck to look right at him and said: “What are you looking at? Do you want to help me change my dressing?”

Is dressing originally had to be changed in the morning, but Huo Fenglie probably saw the medicine boy and took his place so that he could sleep a little longer.

As Liu Zhenqing spoke, he reached out and grabbed Huo Fenglie’s wrist, reading it instinctively.

In the next second, Huo Fenglie grabbed his wrist back. He said in a tone that was very low, even angry, “What is this? Who did it?”

“Ah? Didn’t I say? That man among the Four Evils used a sharp knife…..”

“I’m talking about the teeth marks. Why are there teeth marks? Could it be…..”

Liu Zhenqing promptly reacted, noticing that Huo Fenglie’s face was completely dark. He looked like he wanted to find that man’s body and hack it to pieces, and Liu Zhenqing couldn’t help feeling amused.

Thus, he unconsciously tapped the back of Huo Fenglie’s hand with his own. “Why do you think there are teeth marks? Which dog bit me?”

Liu Zhenqing’s tone was full of teasing. He was overly relaxed, and didn’t seem like he had been bitten by a villain. Huo Fenglie’s brain instantly buzzed. Judging by the time period this wound happened, it could only be…..

“Was…..was it me?” Huo Fenglie asked lifelessly.

Liu Zhenqing narrowed his eyes and said: “Who else could it have been? The bite was so fierce. I call you Er-gou and you actually acted like a dog for once.”

“I-I lost control and bit you?”

“I was going to ask, have you ever lost control due to your condition before? Have you ever bitten anyone? You can’t bite people if you lose control in the future.”

If this was the case, he would probably have to prepare a muzzle for the dog before Master healed his illness. 

But looking at Huo Fenglie’s completely shocked expression, it didn’t seem to be so.

So Er-gou had only bitten him.

“I…..I didn’t know. Qing-ge, why didn’t you tell me, ah?” Huo Fenglie immediately blamed himself. He had no other thoughts, and only noticed that the bite was very deep and may leave a scar. How could he make Qing-ge suffer such pain?

When Liu Zhenqing saw Huo Fenglie blaming himself, he stopped teasing and comforted him: “It’s not a big deal, I know you didn’t mean to do it. Ai, forget it. Let me go first, I won’t sleep. Wait until I get up, and you can change my dressing.”

Huo Fenglie’s brow didn’t relax. He helped Liu Zhenqing loosen the restraints, and waited for him to wash up and rinse his mouth. Then he changed the dressing on his shoulder, but when he looked at the evidence of his crime, his heart felt terrible. Just as he was about to say something, Yue Xuqian’s voice came from outside the door: “Fenglie, are you done? It’s time for your acupuncture.”

Although his voice was low, Liu Zhenqing could certainly hear it now that he was awake.

Liu Zhenqing suddenly realized why he had struggled to wake up before the first time. It was because of the medicinal bath. 

“Young Master Yue came here very early, didn’t he? Will he give you a medicinal bath?”

Huo Fenglie nodded casually and turned around to tidy up.

“Will he accompany you for acupuncture later?” Liu Zhenqing asked while getting dressed.

Huo Fenglie nodded again. “Qing-ge, you eat first. Don’t wait for me.”

Liu Zhenqing stopped talking.

Before Huo Fenglie left, he couldn’t help but say: “Qing-ge, I’m sorry about the wound.”

Liu Zhenqing’s eyes flashed at once, and he said: “You sound so guilty, ah. Then I have a way to make you feel better.” After saying this, he curled his fingers toward Huo Fenglie.

Although Huo Fenglie didn’t understand, he still obeyed and stepped forward until he came to Liu Zhenqing, who had him crouch down and look at him levelly. 

Suddenly, Liu Zhenqing put his arms around Huo Fenglie’s shoulder and tilted his face to the side. Without waiting for him to react, he pulled down Huo Fenglie’s collar.

Huo Fenglie felt a slight pain on his neck, along with a warm breath. It didn’t hurt too much, but it penetrated deep into his marrow, stimulating his heart.

Huo Fenglie froze, and when Liu Zhenqing let him go, he could only stand there staring at him with burning eyes.

“Qing-ge?”

“I gave you one back to make it even.”

---

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

But he wasn’t trustworthy at all. Lu Qi’s hands were sore, and he could only mutter in a low voice, “You’re too slow…..”

Mu Nanqiao kissed him and coaxed him in a low voice, saying that he would be ready soon.

After some coaxing, Lu Qi’s good temper was nearly worn away in the end, and he stopped with difficulty. 

Lu Qi sniffed and rolled out of his arms. Not forgetting to pull up his pants, he shook out the quilt and hid himself under it.

Mu Nanqaio chased after him and hugged the quilt, kissing a tuft of exposed hair with satisfaction.

His hair also shrunk into the quilt, and Lu Qi said in a muffled voice: “You lied, I won’t kiss you.”

“Lu baby, please be reasonable…..” Mu Nanqiao couldn’t laugh or cry. “This is beyond my control…..”

The quilt moved, and a pair of dark blue pajama pants and black boxers were thrown out. Lu Qi wrapped up tighter in the quilt and proceeded to say stuffily: “Go and wash those, and your own too. Don’t let others find them.”

Mu Nanqiao actually wanted to strike again while the iron was hot, but Lu Qi obviously had a bit of a temper, and was very determined to not let him go to bed until the evidence was destroyed. So he had to get another pair of underwear for Lu Qi and put it next to the bed, then went to the bathroom with his clothes.

After he left, Lu Qi poked his head out from under the quilt. He quickly pulled two pieces of tissue paper from the bedside table and then tucked the pair of underwear under the quilt.

Putting on underwear in the dark and finally finding some sense of security, Lu Qi rubbed his hot cheeks under the quilt and began to doubt life.

Why was Mu Nanqiao’s so much bigger than his? Was it a mixed race advantage? Why should the advantage be reflected in that place, ah?! So was it really possible for that to go in?

He admitted that he coveted Mu Nanqiao’s body, and also knew that two people who liked each other would one day do more intimate things, but after taking some hand-to-hand measurements today, the next step was a bit daunting.

Time passed as he was in a bind. Mu Nanqiao came back from washing his pants and opened a corner of the quilt, attempting to get back in bed. Finding that there was no resistance, he dug this person out of the quilt and discovered that he was asleep.

It was unknown what he was worried about, but his brow was furrowed, and he looked a little anxious.

Mu Nanqiao picked him up and rested his head squarely on the pillow. Lu Qi hugged the pillow and nuzzled it sideways. He curled up slightly and subconsciously stretched out his arms to look for a heat source.

Mu Nanqiao’s lips curved, and he was extremely grateful that the weather had turned cooler recently. Lu Qi liked his electric blanket very much. He lay down and pulled this person into his arms.

He thought he would be very excited, and it would be hard to sleep, but this was not the case.

This person was in his arms, his fingers hooked into his collar, and they had just finished doing intimate things. Lu Qi’s eyes had been red, his lips swollen from being kissed, and he scolded him softly with a cry…..

Every bit of this made him feel satisfied.

The rain outside was still falling, tapping on the glass and the window lattice. But inside this small world, he hugged his lover. It seemed as if no matter how heavy the shackles were, they could not restrain him, so he relaxed physically and mentally, and his eyelashes soon lowered.

. . . . . .

The rain stopped in the early morning, and it was sunny the next day.

Mu Nanqiao was awakened by the sunlight leaking through the gaps in the curtains. He raised his hand to cover his eyes, but when he opened them, he saw that the person in his arms was already awake and a pair of dark deer eyes were staring at him.

“Good morning, boyfriend…..” Mu Nanqiao smiled lazily. “Don’t you know that if you stare at someone for more than thirty seconds, you are either going to fight or kiss?”

He drew closer and said, “I’m guessing you’ll kiss me…..”

“Why can’t I just hit you?” Lu Qi angrily showed him his phone.

The search box clearly stated: The benefits of deer meat.^[1]

Mu Nanqiao: ……

Xiao Mu was always eloquent in business, but at this moment, he was suddenly speechless. In the end, he leaned over to act childishly coquettish, hugging Lu Qi and kissing his hair, ears, and nose. 

“I warned you, I said to replace it with something else,” he quibbled in a low voice. “It was you who said you hadn’t eaten it before and wanted to try it.”

Lu Qi kicked his calf under the quilt. “Then you didn’t remind me to eat less? I say, why didn’t you eat any yesterday…..”

“Are you sure you want me to eat?” Mu Nanqiao raised an eyebrow. “If I don’t eat, I’m too slow, but if I do eat, will you still let me into your bed?”

Lu Qi choked. 

“Anyway…..anyway…..” Lu Qi thought for a moment. “Anyway, let’s wait on the matter of moving.”

This was not good.

Mu Nanqiao’s expression straightened. “Did I do something wrong yesterday? Are you uncomfortable? Tell me, and I will improve.”

Lu Qi: ……

How should he put it? He was truly impeccable. Even thinking about it now made his heart beat faster.

Facing Mu Nanqiao’s eyes that were “humbly asking for advice,” Lu Qi faltered for a long moment before giving up and closing his eyes. “Anyway, I’m just scared. That thing of yours is so…..”

He said quietly: “Big…..”

Mu Nanqiao stared blankly for a moment.

No matter how good his attitude was, he still couldn’t solve the problem of his hardware. Mu Nanqiao sighed and hinted tactfully: “Baby, I don’t think it’s big. Could it be that yours…..”

Lu Qi bristled and sat up directly: “Certainly not, Lin Yuan’s is not as good as mine!”

It had been a long time since he had heard the name of this big enemy. Mu Nanqiao even thought about it for a couple of seconds, then asked with a frown: “When did that thing of his pierce your eyes?”

The word “pierce” was used very subtly.

“I saw his package in the car one time.” Lu Qi said expressionlessly: “It was small.”

Mu Nanqiao really couldn’t hold back, and laughed out loud early in the morning.

After laughing, the problem still had to be solved. Mu Nanqiao said without conscience: “It’s really not a big deal…..”

Lu Qi looked doubtful.

“Besides, what does this have to do with moving?” Mu Nanqiao’s smile gradually faded away, leaving only small waves in his eyes. “It’s not like my mind is full of these things. It’s true that I want to be close to you, but I’m not so lustful. Or do you think I will force you?”

This time, Lu Qi shook his head decisively.

“Prosperous Cloud is in a good location and has strict property management. People other than the owners are not allowed in. If you live there, I won’t worry too much when you come back late from school in the evening, and…..” Mu Nanqiao sighed. “Baby, my car was scratched last time. Xiao Zhang went to the property management company to check the monitoring system, only to discover that the monitoring system had been covered in dust.”

How expensive was Mu Nanqiao’s car? Lu Qi knew that this was not a small loss. In the blink of an eye, he forgot that he was angry and gave it serious thought. “Can we move next month? I paid three month’s rent and I won’t get a refund if I move early.”

And his wealthy boyfriend did not look down on these thousands of yuan. His beautiful fox eyes curved, and he said: “Okay.”

When washing up, Mu Nanqiao insisted on crowding in front of the sink with him, the two of them shoulder to shoulder. Mu Nanqiao said: “Mrs. Talia sincerely invites you to go to Russia to watch her performance next month. How about it, Mr. Lu? Do you have the time?”

Lu Qi had the time, but he didn’t have a Russian passport. Just as he was dithering, Mu Nanqiao said: “Her birthday is next month. After this performance, she will say farewell to the stage.”

Lu Qi suddenly remembered that Talia was not young anymore. Ballet dancers often left the stage due to injuries. Their careers were shorter than other jobs, and Talia could already be considered to have a late end.

“Then I must go…..” Lu Qi bit his toothbrush and nodded. “I still need to prepare a gift. Can I give her a painting? Wu, I can only paint…..”

“She will like it very much.” Mu Nanqiao said: “If you give her a “male bodhisattva,” she will definitely pick you up and spin you around.”

Lu Qi felt that this was not possible, and shook his head: “I don’t know if Auntie would be happy or not, but Uncle would definitely not be happy.”

Mu Nanqiao didn’t take it seriously. “My dad still has this kind of tolerance. Just like me, he won’t be jealous when he sees you drawing other men.”

But he would get it back somewhere else.

With assistant Xiao Zhang helping with the procedures, Lu Qi’s passport application went smoothly. Mu Chuanbai and Mu Nanqiao, father and son, worked overtime for several days. After finishing their work, the three of them met at the airport and prepared to fly to Moscow.

When boarding the plane, Lu Qi squinted his eyes and joked: “I thought you bosses would take a private jet.”

Mu Nanqiao turned his head and whispered: “My dad doesn’t think it’s necessary, because he doesn’t go abroad often anymore. I go on all the business trips.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Mu Chuanbai, who was sitting in the wheelchair in front of them, turned around and asked: “Does Xiao Lu want one? You can have one if you wish.”

Mu Nanqiao: ……

Lu Qi: ……

Although it was not a private jet, it was only the three of them in the first class cabin. The person taking care of Mu Chuanbai followed in the business class behind them. After sitting down, Mu Nanqiao laughed and complained to Lu Qi: “We also got an upgrade. Usually, we take business class when we go on business trips.”

Lu Qi glanced at Mu Chuanbai. He found that Boss Mu had closed the sliding door next to his seat, so he quietly asked Mu Nanqiao opposite: “With Uncle like this, I’m a bit nervous. My dad doesn’t have so many expensive surprises for you…..but he said when I was a child that if I had a wife in the future, he would give her two big gold bracelets……”

He paused and looked at Mu Nanqiao: “Do you want them?”

“Yes, ah…..” Mu Nanqiao smiled. The small red mole at the end of his eye shined brightly, and he didn’t seem to mind the title of “wife” at all. “My wrists may be a little thicker than Uncle expected, and it will cost a lot of money.”

Lu Qi reached out and pinched his face, wondering what kind of material this fox skin was made of. He felt that not only did he not mind, but he might even bring the two big gold bracelets to work.

“It seems I’ll need to work hard.” Lu Qi grasped Mu Nanqiao’s skin, looked around, and nodded with satisfaction. He sighed: “That is a face worth two gold bracelets, ah!”

Mu Nanqiao was amused by the appearance of this little bully. He hooked his slender fingers and motioned for Lu Qi to come over.

The two were whispering to each other at the small table in the middle. Lu Qi thought he was going to say something, so he listened carefully.

“It takes fourteen hours to fly to Moscow, and we have to spend the night on the plane tonight. Did you know?” Mu Nanqiao asked.

Lu Qi nodded seriously: “I know.”

“The barrier between your seat and mine can be raised.” Mu Nanqiao continued: “Did you know that the seats on the left and right can be opened to form a double bed?”

“Wow!” Lu Qi’s eyes opened wide. “It can be like this.”

“Yes, ah.” Mu Nanqiao blinked. “Didn’t you say that you have to work hard? This is a good opportunity to turn raw rice into cooked rice. Mr. Lu, when the time comes, give me Uncle’s big gold bracelets, and I will give you…..”

“Mu Nanqiao!” The door on the opposite side opened suddenly. Mu Chuanbai looked over and scoffed, “You are too shameless.”

Turning to look at the little deer, he said in a nurturing voice, “Xiao Lu, you sleep in my place tonight.”

“That’s a double bed, right? Allow Dad to experience it too.”

Mu Nanqiao: “……”

When hooking up with someone, he forgot that his father was still there.

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[1] Venison is considered by some to boost testosterone and improve erections. ⮐

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

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

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

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

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

Repairs to the main house were imperative!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“……”

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

Liang Yu really didn’t want to hear anymore.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The scholar named the wooden figure “Charm.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Liang Shu said: “Coax me.”

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

“Kiss me.”

“Okay.”

Perhaps kissing a couple more times was also fine.

. . . . . . 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Ai!” He was given a shock.

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

“Quickly, get it back!”

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

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

“……”

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

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

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

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

Ca-clack!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Liu Xian’an: “……”

Liang Shu: “Not laughing, not laughing.”

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

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

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

Liang Shu: “Yes.”

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

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

Liang Yu: “That big?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Extra Two << Table of Contents >> Extra Four

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Plop—

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

Mu Nanqiao: ……

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mu Nanqiao stood up. “What is it?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mu Nanqiao laughed in spite of himself.

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

He kissed Lu Qi, but on his palm.

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

“No kiss?” Mu Nanqiao raised an eyebrow.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mu Nanqiao acquiesced ambiguously.

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