The White Moonlight Stole Away the Little Substitute – Chapter Seventeen

Lu Qi seemed to have vomited because he caught a bug. He felt better after vomiting, but his mental state was visibly depressed, and he brushed his teeth and rinsed his mouth with a drooping head.

His eyelashes were wet and pitiful, like a kitten caught in the rain.

Mu Nanqiao stood at the door, wondering if he had given Lu Qi something he shouldn’t have eaten. He called Mu Chuanbai’s personal doctor, and after confirming that the food was fine, he went to the pharmacy downstairs to buy medicine.

Lu Qi lay on the small sofa and gave a melancholy sigh, feeling deeply that he had let down the fruits of Mu Nanqiao’s labor.

Beep—

Mu Nanqiao held a thermometer gun to his forehead. It was 38.7℃.

”You have a small fever.” Mu Nanqiao frowned. “Did you catch a cold in the rain that day?”

Lu Qi did get caught in the rain that day he went to pick up the kitten family, but he felt that he was always in good health. It may be that when he was suffering from insomnia some time ago, the lack of sleep affected his immunity.

In short, it was all the fault of that wicked Lin Yuan.

Mu Nanqiao brought him warm water and watched him take the anti-fever medicine.

The kittens meowed, and Lu Qi looked in the direction of the box. Mu Nanqiao reached out and lightly touched his cheek, moving his head back.

“You rest, I’ll make milk powder for them.” He turned and switched off the projector, then went to the kitchen to boil wate.r

When he came out, Lu Qi was lying on the sofa and drowsily hugging a pillow. The anti-fever medicine had not yet taken effect, and his cheeks were smushed a little under the pillow. There was pink on his cool white skin. From the corner of his eye, he saw Mu Nanqiao’s long legs coming toward him, and he raised his heavy head to say in a hoarse and pitiful voice: “Thank you…..”

“Go to sleep.” Mu Nanqiao reached out to test the temperature of his forehead.

He knew that nothing could be accomplished by this, and only rubbed his soft hair. But perhaps because Lu Qi had a fever and his own body temperature was low, the head under his hand actually moved into his palm twice, like a friendly and docile deer. 

His heart beat faster, as well as the pulse in his wrist. Although he knew that Lu Qi couldn’t detect it, Mu Nanqiao still retracted his hand with a guilty conscience. He crouched down and asked Lu Qi: “How can you get up to take care of the kittens at night when you’re like this?”

Lu Qi stared at Mu Nanqiao’s opening and closing lips with hazy eyes. It took him a moment to realize what he was asking, and he said with a nod: “I can do it. Otherwise, who will feed them…..”

“I’ll watch them for you.” Mu Nanqiao coaxed him: “Sleep peacefully. I’ll come and see them every……two hours, right?”

Lu Qi stared at Mu Nanqiao for a long moment and then smiled softly. “Mu Nanqiao, you’re so nice.”

Mu Nanqiao felt soft and warm from the bottom of his heart. He lowered his eyes with a gentle gaze. Just as he was about to speak, he heard Lu Qi murmur to himself: “No wonder……Lin Yuan can’t let you go……”

Mu Nanqiao: ……

Damn, what a wretched thing.

Lu Qi was dazed, but not entirely because of the fever. He hadn’t slept well during this period, and slept particularly deeply due to being sick. He didn’t hear the kittens meowing that night. He was clearly thinking about the little kittens, but couldn’t open his eyes, and vaguely heard the sound of the thermometer gun.

Beep—beep—

It went off twice, inexplicably reassuring.

When the morning light came and his body temperature went down, Lu Qi woke up for the first time and stared at the warm night light at the bedside, feeling that he had forgotten something.

Ah…..” He belatedly recalled that Mu Nanqiao had said he would help him take care of the kittens last night, but he hadn’t given Mu Nanqiao a key. If Mu Nanqiao went back to rest next door, didn’t that mean he would be unable to get back in?

But the kittens didn’t meow that night.

Lu Qi blinked and woke up completely. He put on his slippers and opened the bedroom door. The floor lamp in the living room was still on, and there was a tiny syringe and wet wipes on the coffee table. A tall, slender person was lying on the small sofa, and couldn’t fit onto it at all. His long legs hung out pitifully, and his arms were wrapped around his chest.

A soft white mass moved up and down on his chest. Mu Nanqiao frowned, and when he was about to wake up, Lu Qi quickly leaned over and grasped the kitten by the back of its neck, lifting it up.

It seemed that Mu Nanqiao hadn’t gone back to stay at his place, and just stayed on the small sofa all night. The sound of the thermometer gun before…..

His neighbor not only took care of the kittens, but also took care of him.

This white moonlight was really as gentle and kind as the rumors said, but that bastard Lin Yuan wasn’t worthy of having fantasies about him.

When Lu Qi thought of that rotten man, he couldn’t help but feel sorry for Mu Nanqiao. Encountering such a thing in his youth was really unlucky to the extreme. The more he saw, the more he felt like his neighbor was a poor little guy. He put the little white kitten back into the crate and went back to the bedroom to grab a thick blanket.

He managed to cover those long legs and tuck the blanket under his chin. Only when there was no kitten around did he realize that Mu Nanqiao was not sleeping peacefully. His slender eyebrows were constantly furrowed, laden with anxiety.

His long, thick eyelashes drooped, and the contours of his sharp facial features softened a lot with his eyes closed. Curly black hair half-covered his eyebrows, and his strong, indolent aura dissipated. Lu Qi discovered that this handsome face still had a youthful air.

It wasn’t that Mu Nanqiao usually looked older, but there was always so much hidden in his fox-like eyes that seemed to be smiling but not smiling, and it was hard to see what he was thinking through the haze.

Lu Qi couldn’t see through it, but he had an intuition much like a small animal. Cautiously sticking to him and sniffing, he felt like he could get close.

“Good night,” he murmured softly. “It seems I need to consider changing to a larger sofa…..”

. . . . . . .

Early the next morning, Mu Nanqiao got up and made breakfast, which consisted of a light porridge and two side dishes. When Lu Qi smelled the aroma of food, he felt like a chef had come to his house. 

He didn’t know when Mu Nanqiao went back to change clothes. The shirt he had worn the night before was replaced by a white short-sleeved shirt. His slender forearms had smooth muscle contours as he held a pan and fried perfect eggs. He was also wearing Lu Qi’s small plaid apron, and looking at him from behind, he had broad shoulders and a narrow waist.

Lu Qi covered his nose, fearing that he would have a nosebleed.

He was indeed bent. It was really unbearable to face such beauty so early in the morning.

All in all, the innocent little deer didn’t realize that this shining man had clearly tidied himself up. His hair looked casual but was fluffy and fresh, and he had even shaved and sprayed cologne.

In any case, Boss Mu, who was worth hundreds of millions, spread his tail feathers perfectly in the small kitchen.

After confirming that there was no nosebleed, Lu Qi walked over. His nose was blocked due to the cold, and he spoke in a low, muffled voice, “Getting up in the morning, I see a male bodhisattva in the kitchen. I’m so happy.”

Mu Nanqiao had been surfing the internet intensively for the past two days, focusing on watching Wife Xiao Lu’s videos. After understanding the essence of the comments in the comment section where pants were flying all over the place, he could already understand the deeper meaning behind ‘male bodhisattva.’

“I like the sound of that.” Mu Nanqiao plated the fried eggs. “It makes me happier than a polite thank you.” 

Unexpectedly, Mu Nanqiao knew what ‘male bodhisattva’ meant. Lu Qi was drinking water, and coughed and choked, his eyes turning red.

He really didn’t mean to tease Mu Nanqiao, and had just said it smoothly after waking up. Under Mu Nanqiao’s half-smiling gaze, Lu Qi ducked into the bathroom to wash up.

While brushing his teeth, Lu Qi couldn’t help but think that he and Mu Nanqiao were like roommates, ah. He wondered if Mu Nanqiao had any intention of moving. If they rented a two-bedroom apartment, the rent would be much cheaper, and Mu Nanqiao was a really nice roommate.

He had no temper, was warm-hearted, and could also cook.

Of course, if they became roommates, Lu Qi would also cook with him!

At this time, the warm-hearted Boss Mu was answering his phone on the balcony.

“The person placed next to Mu Rui got the job done.” The person on the other end of the phone said, “Now that Mu Rui has listened to her words and left the hiding place Mu Chuansong arranged for him, he’s preparing to stow away into Myanmar.”

“Very good.” Mu Nanqiao chuckled and reached behind him with one hand to untie the knot of the apron. “Doesn’t he have many friends in that area? He will definitely be taken care of when he gets there.”

There was silence on the other end of the phone for a moment, as if the other party didn’t know what to say.

The Mu family had been in turmoil during this period, with all kinds of conspiracies and plots taking place in turn. No one had expected that the fourth child of the Mu family, who had long been ruled out, would ultimately hold the power.

Mu Chuanbai was scheming and clever, and had given birth to a son who was courageous and capable. This father and son went into battle together. On the other hand, Mu Chuansong’s eldest son died in a car accident while racing, and his younger son was proficient in prostitutes, gambling, and drugs.

If Mu Rui hadn’t found some kind of drug addict to conduct an “assassination,” Mu Chuansong wouldn’t have been ousted so quickly and would have just wiped his son’s butt.

Mu Chuansong had to pull away from Mu Rui before going in, but what was the point? Mu Nanqiao found a woman somewhere and with a few words, she convinced Mu Rui that she had a “friendship” with some people in Myanmar, so just like that, he sent himself out.

When all the money left to him by his father was completely gone, he probably wouldn’t even be able to keep his ass.

The other party became increasingly careful when speaking. After a few polite words, he was about to hang up the phone when he suddenly heard Mu Nanqiao say, “Do you want a little sugar added to the porridge?”

That voice was low and gentle. En, more or less sweet.

The other party was so frightened that he hung up the phone at once.

After breakfast, Mu-shifu went to work. Lu Qi’s condition was vastly improved, and he chose a more inspiring custom drawing from the platform. After communicating about the requirements, he began the line drawings.

After drawing a few poses and finally settling on one, Lu Qi thought about it and then started a live broadcast.

He hadn’t made an appearance for a long time. As soon as he opened the live broadcast room, people came in. Fans asked him with concern how he was doing recently and if he was affected by this incident. 

Lu Qi answered while drawing a line draft: “I was definitely affected. I couldn’t sleep for a while and was very anxious.”

The barrage expressed their distress, but Lu Qi thought of something and suddenly gave a soft laugh.

This laugh was indescribably light, with a rising tone at the end.

“But because of this incident, I also met a good friend. They are a very, very good person.”

The pen in Lu Qi’s hand paused for a moment as he recalled the misunderstanding between the two of them at the bar. That was their first meeting, and they weren’t on the same wavelength at all. As a result, he basically regarded Mu Nanqiao as a little duck.

The corners of his lips curled up, and the small pear dimple on his left cheek emerged. He added, “En…..they’re very good-looking.”

The barrage asked if they were a boy or a girl.

Lu Qi replied: “A boy.”

As soon as he spoke, Bilibilli’s unique reward effect suddenly appeared, and someone became Lu Qi’s “Captain.”

Lu Qi rarely received tips from fans. During his live broadcast, he always asked his fans not to tip him, but some fans thought this could be regarded as a “tuition fee,” and occasionally one or two people would “come on board.”

After receiving the reward, Lu Qi subconsciously thanked the person. After a moment, a colorful barrage emerged.

That was a privilege after boarding the ship, but Lu Qi didn’t expect that the other party was a level 2 side account, and behind the pitiful level 2 account was a level 21 fan account.


Lvl 2 Leonid: [Deer antlers 21] (finger heart) (finger heart) (finger heart)

Lu Qi glanced at the side account, and after the live broadcast, he silently gave them a major membership.

On the other side, Mu Nanqiao frowned and asked his assistant: “Why did my name turn pink?”

The assistant: “…..Because you are now a distinguished member. Look at the message, someone sent it to you.”

Then he saw that proud smile on the boss’s face again, as if what the other party had given was not a fifteen-yuan per month website membership, but a fifteen thousand yuan per month membership card.

Just now, his boss was depressed because he had to go on a week-long business trip, but after being successfully coaxed by the fifteen yuan, his mood had turned from gloomy to sunny.

. . . . . . .

The next week, Mu Nanqiao suddenly became busy. He said he was on a business trip with his boss, and sent Lu Qi a WeChat message to inform him of his departure so that he could feel at ease as a neighbor.

Drawings were delivered and a small profit was made. The kittens were now able to crawl all over the floor, and escaping from their crate had become their latest hobby. Lu Qi simply let the cat bugs crawl on the floor and was just careful not to stop on them. 

On a fair-weathered Sunday, Lu Qi went to pick up the mother cat from the pet hospital.

During this period, the mother cat, Xiao Sanhua, gained some weight and her shed hair grew back, but she also needed one or two medicinal baths. The doctor brought some medicine to Lu Qi and asked him to give Xiao Sanhua a bath when he went home.

When Lu Qi took the cat carrier up to the fifth floor, he first saw a pair of long crossed legs.

Mu Nanqiao was sitting on his suitcase, playing on his mobile phone with his head down. When he heard him coming up, he immediately raised his head and his fox eyes lit up. He asked confidently: “I lost my house key and the locksmith hasn’t arrived yet. Asking a kind soul to take me in.”

The person he hadn’t seen for a week had appeared in front of him. Lu Qi blinked, surprise filling his face little by little. The pear dimple appeared faintly, and he subconsciously quickened his pace. 

“Okay, ah, you can be taken in.” Lu Qi pursed his lips in a smile and lifted the carrier with sly eyes to show Mu Nanqiao. “But you have to work for me!”

Mu Nanqiao and Xiao Sanhua in the carrier looked at each other.

Xiao Sanhua licked her paw, slanted her green eyes, and said proudly: “Meow~”

. . . . . . .

It was difficult to bathe a cat, but it was even more difficult to bathe a stray cat!

Mama Sanhua’s nails had been clipped, but a meow meow fist greeted Mu Nanqiao’s hand mercilessly, and it seemed that the omnipotent Mu-shifu had hit a wall with this little cat. He was splashed by the little cat, and water droplets slid down the straight bridge of his nose. His eyelashes also stuck wetly together. Holding the cat, he looked at Lu Qi helplessly.

The white short-sleeved shirt he had just changed into was wet and clung to his body, revealing the faint outlines of his chest and abdominal muscles. Lu Qi watched the entertainment with mischievous intentions, snickering all the while. He coughed and pretended to be serious, “Thank you for your hard work. I ordered milk tea from the shop near Hengjin Secondary School, so I’ll treat you to a drink later.”

Mu Nanqiao raised his eyebrows and suddenly laughed. He put the cat down and grabbed the hem of his shirt with one hand, raising it to remove the nearly-soaked shirt. He shrugged his shoulders and said: “Too wet, it’s uncomfortable.”

Lu Qi: ……

Fearing that the cat would be cold, they had turned on the heating lamp in the bathroom, so when a water droplet rolled down, it had a halo of light. It went all the way down his collarbone and finally along the mermaid line, wetting the waistband of his home clothes and leaving a wet mark.

The little neighbor’s smile froze. His eyes widened and his cold white ears and cheeks turned pink little by little. Finally, he turned around and closed the bathroom door with a bang.

Also locking in Mu Nanqiao’s wanton laughter.

“Not abiding by masculine virtue…..” Lu Qi muttered softly. When he heard the doorbell ring, he rubbed his hot cheeks with the back of his hands, straightened out his expression, and walked over to open the door.

He thought it was the milk tea delivery, but there was a scumbag standing outside the door.

The moment he saw Lin Yuan, Lu Qi’s smiling eyes immediately lost their warmth. He automatically tried to close the door, but Lin Yuan was crazy for some reason and slipped through the crack.

The stylish Mr. Lin, who liked to put on airs, was squeezed awkwardly and his black windbreaker was covered in white wall plaster. He stood at the entrance, and before he could have time to rejoice at entering Lu Qi’s house again, Lu Qi smacked him in the face with a pillow.

“Scram!” Lu Qi pushed him out like a little creature whose territory had been invaded. “I’m going to call the police, you’re breaking into a private residence!”

Lin Yuan clasped his wrist with one hand and, for the first time, begged him in a low voice: “Xiao Qi, listen to me. I have no other intentions, just…..”

Lu Qi felt sick when he touched his wrist, but the more he pulled, the harder Lin Yuan squeezed. Just when he was about to punch Lin Yuan in the face, a hand reached between them and touched Lin Yuan’s wrist with apparent lightness, but his hand lost all strength. Lu Qi managed to break free, and was pulled behind and shielded securely.

There shouldn’t have been anyone else in the room, unless Xiao Sanhua had become particularly proficient.

Lu Qi stared at Mu Nanqiao’s bare back, his head reeling.

It’s over, it’s over.

The mad dog had seen the white moonlight. 

Lin Yuan also didn’t expect a man to jump out of Lu Qi’s room unclothed. Feeling a kind of jealous rage, he cursed fiercely: “Fuck! Who the hell is poaching from laozi?!”

He raised his eyes and met a familiar yet unfamiliar face.


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Chapter Sixteen << Table of Contents >> Chapter Eighteen

After Rebirth, the Prime Minister Just Wants To Call It Quits – Chapter Forty-Five

Wan Zhao Tower was the best restaurant in Tongmao Prefecture, and its popularity could be felt as soon as they entered the door. Because they arrived late, the only empty seats were on the second floor. Once they sat down, Huo Fenglie ordered skillfully, and Liu Zhenqing realized that it was no coincidence. Huo Fenglie had a good grasp of what he liked to eat.

Liu Zhenqing looked at Er-gou with a smile, and felt that although Er-gou had been a closed-up gourd since he was a child, he was thoughtful and observant. 

However, Huo Fenglie felt a little uneasy with Liu Zhenqing looking at him. “What?”

Liu Zhenqing deliberately teased: “Do you want to drink?”

Huo Fenglie suddenly looked embarrassed, because last time on the ship, He Lan had betrayed Huo Fenglie in a carefree manner when he accidentally mentioned that Huo Fenglie could outdrink them all and not be drunk after a thousand cups.

Only then did Liu Zhenqing find out that Huo Fenglie had deliberately deceived him when they were at the General’s Manor.

However, Liu Zhenqing didn’t think too much about it, and only thought it was because he had gradually developed his drinking capacity. He didn’t think this person had lied to him when he was a child. Therefore, he proudly teased him with it.

Huo Fenglie’s face was full of embarrassment, and he begged for mercy in a low voice: “Qing-ge, I was wrong.”

Liu Zhenqing smiled and said: “If it were before, I would have a drinking contest with you to see who wouldn’t get drunk after a thousand cups. But now, forget it. If I drink, I’ll just end up acting crazy.”

Huo Fenglie’s eyes were soft: “It’s fine, I’ll look after you.”

“Wouldn’t that mean you’d be watching me make a fool of myself alone? Forget it, forget it.” Liu Zhenqing thought it over. In order to avoid being slapped in the face in the future, he just said: “If I really want to drink, we can discuss it.”

Huo Fenglie nodded obediently.

Before the food was served, they heard people around them talking about the Imperial Examinations.

It seemed that there had long been problems in the south. Everyone was suspicious but dared not speak out, and it was not until there was a problem in the north that they spoke freely.

The shopkeeper had come out at this time, likely to greet the regular customers, and they couldn’t help but complain to each other.

“The candidates are staying and the shop’s business is booming, ah.”

“No way, ah, ordinary candidates around here can’t afford it.”

Ai, shopkeeper, I heard you say before that business isn’t easy. This place is full of people. Shopkeeper must be purposely crying about poverty.”

Heh, that’s because you don’t know how much our taxes are.”

“Is that so, ah? I wonder if the taxes will be reduced if these officials are arrested.”

“Taxes are stipulated by the Imperial court, they can’t just be reduced, ah. I’m afraid you’ve drunk too much and are confused.”

“But although our area is not as devastated as Yanqiu Prefecture, it has also been affected. I heard that taxes were reduced before.”

Ai, don’t mention that. There are more corrupt officials now. If the emperor just takes action and captures them all, life in Yanqiu Prefecture would be easier in the future. On our side…..ai, we can only wait and see.”

Hearing this, Liu Zhenqing raised his head and looked at Huo Fenglie. He pushed a plate of deboned fish in front of Liu Zhenqing and said quietly: “Tongmao Prefecture reported flooding and asked for relief. The emperor gave consent.”

Heh, it’s indeed the same old routine again. Comments about the common people being bullied never reached the throne room.”

They used the most unyielding face to levy taxes, but bewailed their poverty and paid less, seeking huge profits in the middle. As long as every official was capable of doing their own accounting, they could hide it alone, making it less likely to be discovered than the disaster relief money. These old accounts were very complex. There were only a few channels that could deliver messages, and it was very easy for them to be intercepted. In ancient times, it wasn’t very good to be unreasonable. As long as you didn’t overdo it and force the common people to struggle for survival, there would naturally be no explosion.

When Liu Zhenqing was in office, he felt that this wouldn’t work, so he taught Yuan Jue to learn from the wise emperors of the Yuan clan’s ancestors to cultivate his own eyes and ears and dead soldiers. Perhaps because of this, Yuan Jue heard some movement even though it was well-concealed here.

Afterwards, the two went to all the Liu family’s shops, but they were all operating according to their duties, and there were no problems.

This actually let Liu Zhenqing breathe a sigh of relief. If the Chamber of Commerce had problems, that would mean they truly colluded with the rebels. It would be difficult for the Liu family to break away from them. If it was just a few individuals, then they had been deceived and used, and the Liu family still had an excuse.

When they returned to the government office in the evening, they saw an extra person in their courtyard.

At the stone table in the courtyard, a man was sitting with Bai Su. He was middle aged and wearing a black fox fur cloak. His skin was as white as snow, and he occasionally coughed, short of breath.

It could be seen that Bai Su was chatting with him in high spirits, and seemed to enjoy the conversation with the man.

When Bai Su saw them returning, he quickly stood and introduced them. The man also turned to greet them with elegant manners and an open face. As expected, this man was none other than Prefect Cheng Xi, who had been mentioned several times before.

Huo Fenglie had the highest status here, and Cheng Xi naturally tried to kneel down and salute, but Huo Fenglie stopped him. “Cheng-daren is not feeling well. There is no need to do this.”

“This subordinate has been feeling unwell for a long time. It is not a serious illness,” Cheng Xi explained calmly with a comfortable smile. 

In Bai Su’s introductions, Liu Zhenqing naturally became the friend accompanying Huo Fenglie. Although he didn’t know his identity, Cheng Xi was still polite to him. He was older than everyone else, yet still humble, polite, and dignified. When spending time with him, you really couldn’t find any faults at all.

He was indeed someone whom people were happy to associate with.

“I saw that Cheng-daren was tired after discussing the case with the investigation team members all day long, so I invited him out to come catch his breath and have dinner by the way,” Bai Su explained to the two of them.

“Many thanks to Young Master Bai for helping me clarify my thoughts and making the investigation team understand. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to escape.”

Bai Su wore an embarrassed expression, and looked at the two of them helplessly.

Obviously, no one in the investigation team could think as fast as Bai Su and Cheng Xi. Working with them would be exhausting, and since Cheng Xi was inferior to the investigation team from the capital, he had no choice but to deal with them.

As Cheng Xi spoke, he looked at Bai Su in a daze and said: “Young Master Bai is just like his elder brother. He has a quick mind and extraordinary insight. Even their looks are similar.”

Perhaps Cheng Xi’s eyes were too sincere and full of emotion, because Bai Su was stunned when he was told this, and there was some discomfort on his face. “Cheng-daren is over-praising me.”

Liu Zhenqing watched with interest. It seemed that Cheng Xi and Bai Yu had a really good relationship back then.

But Huo Fenglie looked at Cheng Xi, somewhat lost in thought.

Having heard that Qin Yu was still interrogating, He Lan also went to the interrogation room to help after returning, so the four of them ate together.

Du Dongfeng was busy running back and forth, and the hospitality was spot-on.

During dinner, apart from the taciturn Huo Fenglie, Liu Zhenqing also had a brief chat with Cheng Xi. Listening to his analysis of the case and summary of future investigation directions, his finishing sentence subdued everyone’s hearts.

“Do you think that if this case involves loyal members of the Imperial court, the emperor will be willing to continue the investigation?”

This sentence was a notion that astute people thought but dared not speak.

The Imperial Examination was not only related to the Ministry of Rites, but the next level up, the Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister of the dynasty not only held great power, but his eldest daughter was also the current empress and could not easily be moved. 

So far, this matter did not seem to have any connection with the Prime Minister, but in essence, did the Prime Minister really know nothing about it? It was hard to say.

Huo Fenglie suddenly said: “Wherever the evidence points, we will investigate them.”

Cheng Xi’s heart was naturally put at ease with just a few words from the country’s general, but at the same time, everyone also understood that investigating the Prime Minister was very difficult. “This is natural. Everything should be based on evidence.”

And Liu Zhenqing was currently more and more interested in Cheng Xi.

His family was in decline, he was a son from a poor family, and he relied on studying to make a living. According to this setup, he had originally thought he would be a lone flower admiring itself, talentless, proud but inferior, and with a lot of psychological problems. He never imagined that this person would be so insightful. He had to say that if Cheng Xi had not been hampered by his illness, he would have been a bright, upright and talented person. According to Liu Zhenqing’s judgment, if he was allowed to serve as an official in the capital, he could also become a high minister.

Liu Zhenqing truly admired people with such a nature, and understood why Bai Su was able to converse happily with him in just one day.

In fact, Bai Su had come here to look for his brother’s lost paintings. Cheng Xi had two of the paintings, and when talking about this, he sighed and said: “To be honest, if Young Master Bai hadn’t asked for them, I would have been reluctant to return them. After all, Wangshu didn’t leave me many mementos either.”

When Bai Su heard this, he was a little startled. Seeing Cheng Xi’s expression, he couldn’t help but feel a few strange emotions. “Actually, when my father was collecting my brother’s scrolls, he found that two were missing, so…..”

Cheng Xi waved his hand and said: “Property should return to its original owner. Since Wangshu isn’t here, they should naturally be given to relatives such as yourself, but I have one capricious request.”

“Cheng-daren, please speak.”

“Actually, I was copying those two paintings before you came. I wanted to keep them as a reminder. It’s just that the investigation case has delayed me recently, but they are almost completed. I would like to ask, can I return them before you leave?”

Bai Su would naturally not refuse Cheng Xi’s sincere request, and felt envious that his brother could have such a close friend. 

“Of course. In my brother’s letters before, he often mentioned that Cheng-daren’s painting skills were superior to his, which made him very envious. Please let me take a look after you finish copying them.”

Cheng Xi was stunned, his face full of emotion. “He really said that?”

Bai Su nodded. “Brother also said that when matters were finished, he hoped to travel with Cheng-daren to complete a map of the country.”

Cheng Xi trembled all over.

Bai Su smiled and lowered his head, saying: “The map of the country was a shared ambition of my brother and I. Originally, I blamed my brother for not completing it with me, but I didn’t expect that he had a close friend to complete it with.”

“Yuzhou,” Huo Fenglie warned him suddenly.

As soon as Bai Su raised his head, he found that Cheng Xi on the other side had frozen, his eyes slightly red. When he came to his senses, he suddenly coughed and covered his face, then excused his rudeness and got up to leave.

Bai Su stared blankly as Cheng Xi left, not knowing what to say.

Huo Fenglie glanced at Liu Zhenqing and saw that he was staring straight ahead. He remembered that pure and intelligent young man.

Bai Yu, Bai Wangshu, was the son of the Imperial Teacher. He was a top scholar, but chose to take the most difficult road. It was obvious that his simple character was not suitable for officialdom, but he said firmly that he would follow Liu Zhenqing, no matter how many insults followed him, because he knew that he was not following the wrong person. But Liu Zhenqing had heard him unintentionally mention wanting to draw a map of the country once it was stabilized. 

Now this was impossible.


It was all his fault.

Liu Zhenqing’s heart was cold. Then he felt his cold, stiff hand being held by someone, warmth spreading across.

Startled, Liu Zhenqing looked up. Although the other’s expression was straight, a bit of worry and distress could be seen. 

As an older brother, how could he make a little brother worry?

Liu Zhenqing raised his eyebrows and smiled, perhaps to fight against some bad feelings. Regardless, he raised the hand held by Huo Fenglie and rubbed his mouth with the back of it, wiping all the oily residue of the soup on the back of Huo Fenglie’s clean hand. Then he watched Er-gou’s reaction with a grin.

He saw Er-gou stiffen for a moment and look at the back of his hand in a childlike manner, as if he was being bullied but couldn’t react. Liu Zhenqing smiled, but didn’t notice Er-gou’s reddish ears, uncontrollably quivering pupils, and the inexplicable deep color of his eyes.

Lost in his thoughts as he was, Bai Su did not see this ridiculous scene, but He Lan, who had sneaked out to get something to eat, saw it.

He Lan: They’re not even concealing it anymore! But he still won’t admit it!

After that, Bai Su went back to his room with his thoughts. Liu Zhenqing had initially planned to rest early, but he couldn’t sleep, and lay on the windowsill to look at the moon. Huo Fenglie made the bed behind him.

“Er-gou, Bai Su brought Cheng Xi here today. His original intention should be that he wants us to help see if Cheng Xi can be trusted, but I quite like him, so I may not be able to judge fairly. What do you think?”

“You like him a lot?” Huo Fenglie’s voice suddenly sounded behind him with an unclear tone.

Liu Zhenqing turned around and said doubtfully: “Yes, ah. Why, do you think there is something wrong with him?”

Huo Fenglie’s mouth flattened for a moment before he said: “I think he liked Bai-dage.”

“Ahem!” Liu Zhenqing was shocked. He was asking if Cheng Xi could be trusted, but what did Er-gou say? Was this what he thought it was? “Ah? When you say ‘like’……do you mean that?”

Liu Zhenqing touched two fingers together.

Huo Fenglie nodded.

Liu Zhenqing shook his head. “Where did you see that? No matter how I look at it, I see the love of a close friend and brother, ah.”

Huo Fenglie’s eyes flickered. “I just saw it.”

Liu Zhenqing expressed his doubts that Er-gou, this emotionally inexperienced fellow, could be the only one to figure this out. At this time, Du Dongfeng came to the inner courtyard to check the candles. Liu Zhenqing saw him and called him over.

“My lord?”

“Xiao Du, let me ask you, is your Prefect Cheng married? How is it at home?”

Du Dongfeng thought for a moment and said: “Prefect Cheng used to have a wife and a mistress, but now there is no one left. He doesn’t even have any heirs. He only focuses on serving the people and doesn’t talk about matters of love.”

Liu Zhenqing was a little surprised. “What happened to them?”

“I heard that the wife was originally part of a marriage contract. Prefect Cheng’s family was in decline then, and the wife’s family initially did not recognize the marriage. But later, when Prefect Cheng became an official again, they rushed to marry, so there was no affection. Later, because he was infatuated with his mistress and didn’t come home often, his wife took the initiative to divorce him. She died of illness later, and he never remarried.”

Indeed, a person couldn’t be judged by their appearance. There was actually a romantic affair.

Hearing this gossip, Liu Zhenqing raised his eyebrows and glanced at Huo Fenglie. The other person also looked surprised, as if he couldn’t believe he had guessed wrong.

Nobody was perfect. Cheng Xi’s previous performance was too good before, which made Liu Zhenqing instinctively feel that something was wrong. Now that he had heard this gossip, he suddenly felt that the man was a normal person, so he relaxed and went to bed first.

Late at night, someone shook him awake.

Although Liu Zhenqing didn’t have a temper upon being woken up, he was still somewhat resentful. He raised his hand to hit the person, but his hand was gently grabbed.

“Qing-ge, it’s time to get up. Qing-ge.”

Liu Zhenqing’s head gradually cleared up. Right, it was agreed that they would get up in the middle of the night and go to the archives room to secretly investigate the tax account books.

When he sat up in a daze, Huo Fenglie began to help Liu Zhenqing put on his cloak and shoes. Liu Zhenqing yawned all the way and ordered him about.

It wasn’t until Huo Fenglie carried Liu Zhenqing and flew to the roof that he was awakened by the cold wind.

But Huo Fenglie soon noticed this and adjusted his cloak to cover Liu Zhenqing’s face again.

In the darkness, Liu Zhenqing could only hear Huo Fenglie’s slightly faster heartbeat and feel the shallow rise and fall of his chest. He felt safe even though his feet weren’t touching the ground.

In the blink of an eye, they arrived at a quiet room. Liu Zhenqing stepped down and lifted his cloak to see stacks of bookshelves.

Since they couldn’t light a lamp, they could only use the moonlight to investigate carefully. Fortunately, the moonlight was good tonight.

He had just browsed through one county and discovered where the problem lay. Then Huo Fenglie, who was helping him get a book behind him, put down the book and suddenly grabbed Liu Zhenqing, dodging into a shadowed corner.

Before Liu Zhenqing could react, he heard a slight movement. Someone was gently pulled the door bolt.

It turned out there was someone coming here in secret at night?

Was his purpose the same as theirs?

Liu Zhenqing and Huo Fenglie exchanged glances, but it was too dark to see one another’s expressions. Liu Zhenqing could only sign “wait and see” on the back of Huo Fenglie’s hand.

After a moment, they saw a cautious figure grope for the same bookshelf under the moonlight, rummaging for something. Listening to his movements and footsteps, he sounded like a martial artist.

Suddenly, he seemed to be aware of the breathing of other people here, and the visitor couldn’t help but take two steps in their direction.

They were hiding a bit close, and Liu Zhenqing could just see the man approaching from his angle of sight. At this moment, Liu Zhenqing blamed the moonlight for being too good.

Huo Fenglie also turned around and looked over. Just as he was thinking of a solution, Liu Zhenqing suddenly tugged Huo Fenglie and pointed to a place where boxes of books were stacked nearby. There were several rows of boxes here, and there was a gap between the boxes and the wall that was barely wide enough for one person to lie down. As for the height, even if three or four people were stacked up, they would not be noticed. Liu Zhenqing chose to believe that Huo Fenglie’s martial arts would make them silent, so without waiting for him to react, he took the lead to embrace Huo Fenglie and turn around. Huo Fenglie quickly put his hands and feet on the ground, and almost like a gust of wind, the two people stuffed themselves into the corner. Even if someone passed by, they wouldn’t be able to see the two people stuffed into the darkest place at the back of the book boxes.

But Huo Fenglie had only concentrated on holding Liu Zhenning and making no sound, and didn’t pay attention to the angle. So now, Huo Fenglie was lying on the ground, and Liu Zhenqing was lying tightly on top of him.

As the other party drew closer, even though he knew that they were low enough, Liu Zhenqing instinctively pressed tighter tighter, hugging the other person so that the gap was narrower. He even wanted to find a gap to place his legs so that there would be no excess space.

And this resulted in the two of them embracing each other very tightly.

Liu Zhenqing was not distracted by this, and was wary of being discovered, but Huo Fenglie could no longer control his thoughts. He felt that Liu Zhenqing’s aura completely enveloped him, causing his mind to tumble and his body to involuntarily stiffen.

As the man found nothing, Liu Zhenqing became more courageous. He sat up slightly and looked through the gap in the boxes of books to see what the other person was going to do.

But he didn’t know that the internal energy of the person under him had become disordered due to where he was sitting.


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

After Playing the Fool And Marrying the Blind Villain – Extra Fifteen

Pei Yi woke up in a warm bed.

He felt the familiar presence beside him and clung to it. “Er-ge.”

Bo Yueming had already woken up, and kissed his forehead. “You’re awake? Did you sleep well?”

Pei Yi dazedly opened his eyes, and it took a few seconds before he responded with a smile, “En, what time is it?”

Bo Yueming replied, “Almost four o’clock.”

They had taken advantage of the New Year’s holiday to book an exclusive hotel with a hot spring on a snowy mountain in western Sichuan, and changed the booking to the last flight the night before. They chartered a car to go to the hotel, and it was already five o’clock in the morning when they arrived.

Then after the tiring journey and washing up, they embraced each other and fell asleep.

Pei Yi saw the familiar bed sheets and quilt cover, and felt an indescribable sense of satisfaction—

Bo Yueming had always known about his habit of being familiar with is bed and quilt, so when they went on a trip this time, he specially brought the sheets and quilt that Pei Yi was accustomed to.

Even though they were both exhausted when they arrived at the hotel in the early morning, Bo Yueming took the time during Pei Yi’s bath to change everything and even light some incense to help him sleep.

Pei Yi saw this kind of meticulous care and noted it down in his heart.

Bo Yueming asked in a low voice, “Are you hungry? I’lll ask the hotel to bring you some food. Let’s soak in the hot springs this evening and get up in the morning to see the sunshine on the mountains.”

“Okay!”

The hotel they booked was in a very good location. The floor-to-ceiling windows faced the stunning scenery of the snow-capped mountains, and there was a hot spring sourced from a major engineering project.

Although the trip was a bit tiring, Pei Yi was still very satisfied with the vacation spot they had chosen.

. . . . . . .

The hotel’s hot springs had private bath configurations.

Pei Yi untied his bathrobe, slipped into the water, and couldn’t help but let out a satisfied sigh.

After sleeping and eating well then soaking the hot springs during the cold winter, all of the post-travel fatigue was driven away.

Bo Yueming brought over the fruit platter delivered by room service. Seeing Pei Yi’s look of comfort, he smiled and asked, “Do you feel good?”

“Definitely.” 

Pei Yi smacked the water and said, “Er-ge, come in quickly.”

Bo Yueming handed him the sliced apples and a fork, then took off his warm bathrobe and got into the water.

Pei Yi bit into the fruit, but his eyes followed Bo Yueming’s movements—

Bo Yueming’s figure was well-proportioned and well-trained, with wide shoulders and a narrow waist, abdominal muscles, and smooth but not exaggerated muscle lines.

The more Pei Yi stared, the more obvious he became, until his thoughts were practically written on his face.

 Bo Yueming’s breathing became tight as he was stared at by his kitten, and he had to put a stop to it. “Have you seen enough?”

“Nope,” Pei Yi answered calmly.

He glanced down at his slim, flat figure, and then poked Bo Yueming’s abdominal muscles, admiring them with a hint of envy, “Er-ge, why can’t I train to be like this?”

Bo Yueming laughed and said, “You’re very good the way you are.”

Everyone’s physique was different. Pei Yi, who loved sweets and sleeping in, had never gained weight in these years, and others would be jealous of him. 

Pei Yi took the last slice of apple and reluctantly accepted Bo Yueming’s comfort.

Bo Yueming took his fork. “Do you want more?”

Pei Yi shook his head. “I’m full after dinner.”

He lay on the edge of the hot spring, gazing at the stars through the glass skylight. “Er-ge, look. The stars here are very bright.”

Bo Yueming looked alongside him and said, “I asked the hotel manager, and they allow small fireworks to be set off here. I bought you a box. They will transport it up from the foot of the mountain tomorrow and you can play tomorrow night.”

Pei Yi was immediately in high spirits. “Really?”

As soon as he spoke, he hid his smile and said, “Those are just for children to play with.”

Bo Yueming asked, “Aren’t you a child? The last time you held such a small firework stick instead of a candle, wasn’t it because you wanted to play?”

Pei Yi laughed after being called out and moved closer, holding Bo Yueming’s arm. He asked knowingly, “Er-ge, why do you know everything? I can’t hide any of my little thoughts from you.”

Bo Yueming hugged the person in his arms tightly and kissed his lips.

Pei Yi looked into his eyes and saw himself clearly in those blue irises. He suddenly wanted to freeze time at this moment. “Er-ge, were you serious about what you said in front of Father Yan last night?”

Bo Yueming replied in earnest, “I was serious.”

Pei Yi asked again, “Will we be like Father Yan and Father Rong in the future, and get the certificate, get married, and stay together forever?”

“Pei Yi, I meant what I said.”

Bo Yueming gently grasped the back of his neck with his warm hand. “As long as you are willing, then when you graduate and reach the legal age for marriage, we will go and get the certificate.”

Pei Yi received Bo Yueming’s repeated vows, and the remaining uneasiness and confusion deep in his heart completely vanished.

They had only been dating for over a month. Compared with the long and distant future, this sort of contact was often insignificant, but now Pei Yi was confident—

Bo Yueming would hold his hand until the end, until they reaped the same happiness as Father Rong and Father Yan.

“Er-ge.”

Pei Yi wrapped him up with his hands and feet.

“En?”

The inadvertent touch caused Bo Yueming’s temperature to rise another degree, and he quickly stabilized himself. “Be careful, don’t act recklessly and choke on the water.”

Pei Yi wasn’t afraid, and moved continuously closer. “You said that some things between lovers must be carefully considered before taking action. I’ve already considered them clearly.”

“…….”

Bo Yueming’s heartstrings tightened slightly, and then he heard Pei Yi’s continued confession.

“I know you may think that what I’m going to say next is impulsive and rash, but I’m certain that I’ve figure it out—”

“I don’t just like you. I love you.”

“I love you, so I want to explore more beautiful things and create more memories with you.”

The love of young people may be reckless or impulsive, but it was certainly the most sincere and passionate.

“Since I was ten years old, I have been growing up under the protection of Father Yan, Father Rong, and you. You guys always think that I’m ignorant and you’re afraid that I’ll be hurt, but I know what I want.”

“We can’t choose where we come from, but we can choose where we end up.”

Just like then he was ten years old and acknowledged Zong Baiyan and Xu Rong as his adoptive parents, and when he was thirteen years old, he acknowledged Bo Yueming as his friend and brother.

Even now, he believed that Bo Yueming would be the one who would love him and stay with him for the rest of his life.

Pei Yi took a deep breath and said with firm, brave sincerity, “Er-ge, my home is you, and I also hope that your home is me, okay?”

Bo Yueming’s heart flared with heat, and he said solemnly, “Okay.”

They kissed inseparably, wrapped in sweetness and love.

Pei Yi took a rare moment to breathe and teased, “Er-ge, do you want me?”

Bo Yueming’s Adama’s apple bobbed, and he couldn’t refuse. “Are you sure?”

A flash of shyness crossed Pei Yi’s face. He tilted his head and whispered in his ear, “I actually bought those items. They’re hidden in my backpack. I don’t know if the size is suitable.”

Bo Yueming bit his lip as if in punishment. “Who taught you this? You really want to set a fire?”

Pei Yi had thought about it, and was still ready to make a move.

He gave the boldest invitation in the most innocent tone, “Then, then let’s do it?”

Bo Yueming revealed an ambiguous smile. “Kitten, are you underestimating me or overestimating yourself?”

In the next second, Pei Yi had no time to quibble, and was dragged into the abyss of desire by the person in front of him.

. . . . . . . 

. . . . .

 . . .

The alarm clock that had been set in advance rang on time.

Bo Yueming immediately awoke and pressed the alarm on his cell phone. He slowly turned on the dim bedside light and looked at the person in his arms.

Pei Yi was still curled up in the quilt and sleeping deeply. His arms and the sides of his neck were stained with “indescribable” marks left over from the previous night’s tossing. 

Bo Yueming stared at these for a while before his reasoning broke free from his dreams.

He confirmed that the sun had risen and electronically opened the curtains. Outside the floor-to-ceiling window was a gleaming snowy scene, and snow-capped mountains slept in the distance.

The weather was pretty good, and they could pretty much see all the beautiful scenery they wanted.

Bo Yueming drew closer and coaxed, “Kitten, are you awake? It’s sunrise.”

After the two confirmed their feelings for each other the previous night, they naturally started to behave more intimately.

Pei Yi had talked a lot of nonsense before starting, but in fact, it didn’t take long for him to cry and beg for mercy. Bo Yueming didn’t want the first time between the two of them to go too far, so he stopped and pampered him.

It was just that Pei Yi didn’t forget about getting up early to see the sunrise before he fell unconscious, so Bo Yueming woke up at this time.

“Uh…..”

Pei Yi was still immersed in sleep and frowned unhappily, retracting his head further into the bed.

Bo Yueming had long become accustomed to staying in bed, so he gently pulled down the quilt. “Still sleepy? How about we wait until tomorrow?”

Pei Yi gave a coquettish wu and raised his eyelids with difficulty. “……Er-ge.”

His voice was no longer as clear as before, dry and hoarse.

Bo Yueming immediately understood and responded softly, “Wait for me, I’ll get you warm water.”

Pei Yi nodded slightly.

Half a minute later, Bo Yueming reclined back with a glass of warm water.

Pei Yi leaned into his arms, drinking the water as his reasoning slowly pulled him back to the present.

The sky was getting brighter, and the anticipated sunrise was getting closer.

Pei Yi slowly drank half a glass of water, saying, “Er-ge, I just had a very fantastical dream.”

Bo Yueming’s eyes narrowed slightly. “What was it?”

“I dreamed that we lived different lives. We went through a lot of hardships when we were young, and ended up together by chance.”

Pei Yi couldn’t describe the dream step by step, so he chose to briefly describe it, “In the dream, you were still part of Bo Group, and I had a game studio. We also had a cat.”

Pei Yi found it interesting that they had a life of hardship and joy in his dreams, and couldn’t help but look sideways at Bo Yueming. “When I graduate from university, let’s raise a little black cat, okay?”

Bo Yueming heard what Pei Yi said and felt that it was destined to happen.

He did not doubt the authenticity of his lover’s dreams at all, and only said, “Okay, we’ll call him Inspector. He’ll come.”

Pei Yi was startled. “How did you know I wanted to name the kitten that? I……”

“Shh.”

Bo Yueming stopped his curious inquiry and said, “Look out the window.”

Golden light scattered atop the snow-capped mountain, holy and magnificent. It was a kind of beauty that could not be described in words, enough to wash away all fatigue and haze in the soul.

Pei Yi was so shocked that his eyes widened. Perhaps because he hadn’t gotten enough rest after the previous scene, he stared at it for a long time before being able to utter a single sentence.

When Bo Yueming saw his silly appearance, he couldn’t help but clasp his fingers. “It is said that all the wishes of those who see the sun shining on the golden mountain will come true.”

“Really?”

“En.”

Bo Yueming had never liked making wishes, but now he confided in a whisper with a pious heart, “I wish that either in dreams or reality, we will be together forever.”

Pei Yi nestled into Bo Yueming’s arms, “I wish the same thing.”

The endless snow-capped mountains outside the window were shrouded in golden light while inside the house they clung to each other, still in love at the best age.

T/N: Aaaand that’s a wrap! This is officially my longest finished translation. I hope you enjoyed the story! Please support the author if you haven’t already, I’ve provided their jjwxc link in the table of contents. And I appreciate any donations so freakin’ much. In all honesty, your support has helped me make ends meet lately.


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Extra 14/15 <<Table of Contents

After Playing the Fool And Marrying the Blind Villain – Extra Fourteen

After washing up, Pei Yi sat on the bed, the curve of his mouth still not going down.

Footsteps sounded at the door as Bo Yueming came back from outside with a glass of warm water.

Seeing this, Pei Yi hurriedly got up from the bed and threw himself into the other person’s arms. “Er-ge!”

“Careful.”

The water in the cup overflowed onto his hand, but Bo Yueming didn’t get angry with Pei Yi. He just encircled the other person with one arm and placed the cup firmly at the bedside with the other.

Pei Yi knew he was too excited, and picked up a tissue to wipe his hand. He was still immersed in happiness and couldn’t extricate himself. “Er-ge, does, does this count as being in a relationship?”

Bo Yueming sat on the bedside and gestured to him. “Come here.”

Pei Yi withdrew his intention and sat face-to-face in his arms. “En?”

“Were you confused by the sweetness of the cake?” Bo Yueming encircled Pei Yi tightly and tossed the question back. “With us like this now, do you think we are in a relationship?”

“Of course we are!”

Pei Yi answered confidently with a hint of pride. He asked curiously, “Er-ge, when…..when did you treat me differently?”

Bo Yueming understood his question and answered honestly, “There was no specific time. By the time I realized, it was already too late.”

Too late to return to the status of “brother,” and too late to stop “liking” Pei Yi.

Pei Yi didn’t think Bo Yueming’s answer was perfunctory. He considered carefully before responding, “It seems to be the same for me.”

Years of being together day and night had caused them to trust each other, rely on each other, and fall in love with each other. There was no strict timeline of emotional transition.

If he had to point out a time, perhaps the unexpected encounter at the racecourse had destined their fates to intersect, and today’s wish had completely tied the two together.

“Er-ge, you should have realized your feelings before I did. Why didn’t you tell me earlier?” Pei Yi was a little regretful. He felt that—

If Bo Yueming had guided him and enlightened him earlier, the two might have been together long ago.

Falling in love early…..it was very exciting to think about.

With a look from Pei Yi, Bo Yueming knew what kind of medicine he was selling in his gourd. He patted the other’s little head full of wandering thoughts and answered seriously, “Kitten, I like you, but I never want to force you to be with me.”

“If I used my status as your ‘brother’ to deliberately lead you into a trap unawares, then I would not be worthy of your love.”

Bo Yueming would not deny that he was selfish, but after realizing his feelings, he restrained himself to the greatest extent.

He waited, waiting for the moment Pei Yi realized it himself.

Pei Yi’s heart warmed, and he replied jokingly, “En, that’s right. If you had abducted me two years earlier, my family wouldn’t have agreed.”

Bo Yueming smiled.

He could see how much Zong Baiyan and Xu Rong loved Pei Yi, and feared he would have to undergo another wave of tests in the future.

Pei Yi gazed at Bo Yueming’s features. Even though they had been together for five or six years, the more he looked at them, the more excited he became. For a moment, he became “lustful,” and moved closer to kiss Bo Yueming’s forehead and the tip of his nose—

Finally, he landed on the corner of his mouth like a dragonfly touching water, and his ears turned red.

“Er-ge, thank you.”

“Why are you thanking me?” Bo Yueming saw the joy on Pei Yi’s face and his heart felt soft. 

“I’m thanking you for liking me.”

Bo Yueming chuckled. “You’re welcome. Thank you for liking me too.”

Pei Yi’s eyes lowered, and he couldn’t help but kiss the other’s Adam’s apple, still only having a taste. “Er-ge.”

“……”

This place that was rarely touched burned a red that could start a prairie fire. 

Pei Yi seemed to have discovered a new continent as he rubbed it with his fingertips.

Bo Yueming was tickled by the temptation of the kitten in his arms and reached out to gently clasp the back of his lover’s head, nuzzling his nose. 

“You only want to play this way?”

“Huh?”

“How about this—”

Those slightly cool lips gently kissed his mouth, and an indescribable heat arose from the caress.

In a brief moment of confusion, Pei Yi felt his teeth being pried open with ease, and being led by the person in front of him stirred up another lingering sensation.

The sounds of their breathing intertwined.

Pei Yi’s entire face turned red, but he still responded awkwardly and sincerely.

After an unknown amount of time, the kiss that seemed to last forever finally stopped when Pei Yi cried out for mercy.

“……”

Pei Yi opened his lips slightly, taking in the hard-won fresh air.

Bo Yueming tried hard to steady his breathing, and his eyes fell heavily on his lover’s lips. Their red color was a masterpiece left by his kiss.

Bo Yueming wiped away the moisture at the corner of Pei Yi’s mouth with his fingertips, feeling an indescribable satisfaction. “Feeling better?”

Pei Yi nodded his head again and again, his head a mess, and finally buried his face in Bo Yueming’s neck, feeling embarrassed and excited. “Er-ge, your kissing skills seem to be very good.”

Bo Yueming was taken aback for a couple of seconds, and then laughed. “Really?”

Pei Yi’s Adam’s apple bobbed, and he answered hesitantly, “It seems so, ba. Today is the first time I’ve kissed someone.”

Bo Yueming’s smile deepened and he kissed his ear. “What a coincidence. This is the first time I’ve kissed someone.”

Within a few seconds, Pei Yi reacted and burst into foolish laughter.

Bo Yueming had grown up with him, and had now become his first love. This wonderful feeling filled him with joy.

“Are you thirsty?” Bo Yueming relaxed his embrace and picked up the warm water beside him. “Didn’t you just say you were thirsty?”

Pei Yi didn’t refuse and drank half the glass, then handed the remaining water to Bo Yueming. 

Bo Yueming didn’t mind this, and drank the remaining water in one gulp. 

It was already past eleven o’clock as the two satisfied people lay on the bed embracing each other.

Pei Yi suddenly recalled the “stimulation” he felt after getting up early last time, and was too embarrassed to sleep with Bo Yueming again. It had been three or four months now.

“Er-ge?”

“En?”

Pei Yi thought of the kiss just now and the sensation of being ‘helped’ that time and felt a bit overwhelmed. “Now that we’re lovers……can we do those things?”

Bo Yueming was knocked speechless by the curious kitten’s straight ball and grasped the back of his neck lightly. “You really want to?”

These low words fell into his ears.

Pei Yi shrank down sensitively and added, “N-no, ah, I’m just asking casually.”

Since they were a couple wasn’t it normal to sleep together?

If it were anyone else, Pei Yi may not have been able to accept such a fast pace, but since it was Bo Yueming, he felt that it was okay no matter what.

Pei Yi was thinking to himself when he heard Bo Yueming say seriously, “Pei Yi, there’s no rush.”

Ah?

“I like you and I respect you.”

While caressing Pei Yi, Bo Yueming solemnly explained, “You will be driven to do many things according to your ‘preferences’ and ‘age,’ and you will be curious to explore everything that interests you. 

Bo Yueming was firm in his emotional choices, but was also willing to give Pei Yi more room to think and grow.

“Everyone’s first time is precious, and so are the first feelings of love. So I hope that the first intimacy between us can be based on affection and devotion.”

The moment Bo Yueming finished speaking, Pei Yi understood what he wanted to express.

This was love.

It was a lasting love that was more than simple ‘liking.’

Pei Yi was moved, and buried himself in Bo Yueming’s arms. “Er-ge, I understand.”

They still had a lot of time. Their liking would condense into love, and their love would inspire them to accomplish more happy and fulfilling things.

Bo Yueming kissed his forehead and said, “Go to sleep. Good night.”

Pei Yi closed his eyes. “Good night.”

. . . . . . . 

Since Pei Yi and Bo Yueming had established their relationship, every day was like a kite floating in the sky and they were so happy that they couldn’t tell north from south.

Pei Yi had initially planned to wait until the end of the holiday before revealing their relationship to Zong Baihan and Xu Rong.

It was just that the best laid plans couldn’t rival those of the heavens—

Pei Yi looked at Zong Baiyan who was keeping a straight face on the sofa, and then at Bo Yueming standing at his side, feeling a rare sense of uneasiness.

After finally reaching the New Year’s holiday, Pei Yi had planned to escape the school environment and live a two person life with Bo Yueming.

In the evening, the two of them packed some light luggage and prepared to drive to the airport. But they couldn’t help kissing once they got in the car, and were unexpectedly caught by Zong Biayan…..

Then they were “caught” on the spot and sent home!

“I say, I haven’t seen you come home on the weekends recently! How old are the two of you? Are you living together?” Zong Baiyang narrowed his eyes, directing a rare serious look at Bo Yueming.

Pei Yi saw the look in his father’s eyes and subconsciously defended his lover, “Father Yan, w-w’ere not, Er-ge respects me very much.”

“I didn’t tell you to speak.”

Zong Baiyan blocked Pei Yi’s assistance but softened his tone.

Xu Rong walked up with freshly brewed fruit liqueur as soon as he spoke, as calm and gentle as ever. “Why are you still standing here? Take a seat.”

Pei Yi seemed to have seen his savior, and quickly mellowed his tone. “Father Rong.”

Xu Rong received this beseeching look from his child and handed the first glass of warm red wine to Zong Baiyan. “Xiao Yi has been part of the Bo family since he was a child. This isn’t the first day you’ve known about it, so why are you being so strict now?”

“…..Rong-ge.”

Zong Baiyan took the fruit wine from his lover. He restrained his helplessness and pretended to be serious. “How is the situation the same now? These two boys started dating without telling us!”

Zong Baiyan felt an indescribable feeling of melancholy when he thought about the kitten he had raised lingering in another person’s home all day long. 

He looked at the tall Bo Yueming and said, “Boy, when did you come up with this idea?”

Pei Yi retorted, “Father Yan, it was me who had intentions toward Er-ge. I confessed first.”

“……”

Zong Baiyan was truly speechless at this moment, and was so aggreived that he didn’t know what to do. 

Xu Rong was inwardly amused, and didn’t console him at all.

He poured two more glasses of warm fruit wine for Pei Yi and Bo Yueming respectively, and hinted warmly, “Come, everyone sit down and talk.”

“Thank you, Father Rong!”

“Thank you, Uncle Rong.”

The two of them responded in tacit agreement and sat down on the loveseat. 

Even though they didn’t act intimately, their invisible barrier that isolated outsiders made Zong Baiyan’s temples twitch.

Xu Rong walked back to Zong Baiyan and said, “Xiao Yi had a heart-to-heart talk with me before, and I already knew what was going on between the two children.”

Zong Baiyan never had a bad temper with Xu Rong. “Rong-ge.”

Xu Rong was aware of his temperament, and half coaxed and half teased, “What? You, as a father, are against love before marriage?”

Zong Baiyan gave a long sigh.

Of course he was not such a pedantic parent. When children reached a certain age, they should naturally enjoy the beauty of love.

He just hadn’t expected it to happen so quickly.

Zong Baiyan’s gaze focused on Bo Yueming again, and he sounded him out covertly, “Yueming, you should know what I want to say?”

The Bo family was one of the wealthiest in the Imperial Capital.

As Old Mrs. Bo’s valued grandchild, some people fawned over Bo Yueming openly while some people targeted him secretly.

To say the least, both of them were still young.

Whether it was dependence or affection, habit or liking, could they really tell the difference? What if they broke up in the future?

Zong Baiyan favored his own family. Of course he hoped that Pei Yi would meet the right person and live a happy and worry-free life, but he also feared that he would get involved in the unnecessary disputes of the wealthy because of Bo Yueming.

Bo Yueming stood up and bowed solemnly to Zong Baiyan and Xu Rong. “Uncle Yan, Uncle Rong, I understand your thoughts and concerns.”

“I am still young, and Pei Yi is even more so. Apart from our family backgrounds, we are still not strong enough to be completely independent, but please believe me—”

“In any case, I am three years older than Pei Yi. I will try to gain a foothold and establish my career before he graduates. He will never become a pawn or an abandoned piece in the competition between wealthy families.”

Bo Yueming was very clear about his feelings for Pei Yi, and also understood what he wanted.

“Pei Yi lacked a sense of security when he was a child. You have done your utmost to protect him these years and don’t wish for him to suffer. I promise you now—”

“Unless Pei Yi gets tired of me in this life, I will never give up on him. If you two can trust me, and if Pei Yi is willing, we will get the certificate after graduating from university.”

“…….”

Graduate from university? Get the certificate?

Pei Yi’s eyes suddenly lit up, and something seemed to surge out of his heart. In an instant, he was filled with flowers of expectation. “Yes, ah! I’ll do it!”

Zong Baiyan coughed upon seeing his child’s unrestrained smile.

Pei Yi simply held Bo Yueming’s hand, facing it together. “Father Yan, you watched Er-ge grow up. Don’t embarrass him.”

“We have a sense of proportion and won’t act recklessly.”

“…….”

Zong Baiyan took a sip of fruit wine and said nothing.

Xu Rong glanced at Zong Baiyan’s lowered eyes. How could he not know his lover’s true thoughts? It was likely that he had been persuaded by Bo Yueming’s sincere confession just now.

What’s more, Pei Yi was right. In the past five or six years, they had witnessed Bo Yueming’s care and protection of Pei Yi.

If they wanted to find someone to replace Bo Yueming, there was really no such person.

Xu Rong remembered that Pei Yi and Bo Yueming had been ‘caught’ by Zong Baiyan and took the initiative to ask, “Where were the two of you going originally?”

“ The Egret Private Hot Spring Hotel, to see the snowy mountains and soak in the hot springs.” Pei Yi took a peak at Zong Baiyan and complained, “This attraction just opened, and tickets are really hard to get.”

Xu Rong saw him carelessly reveal his childish temperament and answered for him, “You go on. When you come back, we’ll have a good meal together.”

“It’s getting cold, so be sure to keep warm when you get there.”

Hearing Xu Rong’s words, Pei Yi took Bo Yueming’s hand and prepared to run away. “Thank you, Father Rong!”

It was probably not too late to rebook a later flight!

Bo Yueming had originally thought that he was about to undergo a tug-of-war test, and was stunned and unsure. “Uncle Rong?”

Pei Yi tried his best to suppress his smile and revealed in a low voice, “Er-ge, don’t be afraid. Father Rong is the boss of this family.”

“……”

Zong Baiyan pretended to drink, so “angry” that he felt suffocated.

What was this scenario where a grown daughter could not remain unmarried for long? Even when they were so old, they couldn’t stay!

Pei Yi cheekily pulled Bo Yueming away and waved goodbye in a conscientious manner before leaving.

It wasn’t until the two of them left the house entirely that Zong Baiyan put down the cup he had already finished drinking. “Rong-ge, why didn’t you protect my image? You let my child laugh at me.”

“How old are you? You’re still losing your temper with them?” 

Xu Rong sat to the side and asked with a smile, “Just admit it. Other than Yueming, you wouldn’t accept any others taking him away from you.”

As for their concerns, even if Bo Yueming encountered difficulties in the future, his family would help protect him.

Zong Baiyan stood up and moved closer, walking around Xu Rong to grasp his shoulders and neck. “I just didn’t expect these two children to grow up so fast. Tell me, what is the difference between how they are now and when they’re living together?”

“Yueming is a measured person. He won’t mess around, and Xiao Yi can protect himself well.”

Xu Rong trusted Bo Yueming’s character, and trusted his own child even more.

“Besides, it’s normal for young people to be impulsive. Living together or not living together—” Xu Rong turned to the side and raised his head, a smile in his teasing eyes. “When you pestered me to live together, you seemed to have been a year younger than Yueming.”

“……”

Zong Baiyan smiled with a hum. “How reliable was I back then?”

“Yes, ah, pretending to cry in order to get me to agree was very reliable.” Xu Rong exposed him and patted the back of his lover’s hand. “Don’t worry, I have a hunch that they will be as happy as we are.”

Zong Baiyan had long since lost all the objections in his heart, and held Xu Rong’s hand in return. “En, it’s up to them to make their own decisions.”


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Extra 13/15 <<Table of Contents >> Extra 15/15

After Playing the Fool And Marrying the Blind Villain – Extra Thirteen

Dingding.

The bell rang—

The afternoon class had just ended. Pei Yi closed his laptop with a snap, slipped out of the lecture theater through the back door, and walked non-stop to the School of Economics next door.

He entered the No. 1 teaching building with ease, and before he could get on the elevator, he heard an argument in the corner.

“Fuck, I’m telling you, don’t meddle in other people’s business!”

“What’s the cleaning aunty’s problem? Didn’t I say I’d compensate her for her cell phone? It’s her who thinks the money isn’t enough and is trying to get more!”

Pei Yi heard this angry accusation and stopped unconsciously.

Instantly, there was another anxious, tearful voice, “Young man, the amount of money isn’t the point. Although my phone is a bit worthless, it contains photos of my child before his death. I….I…..”

Pei Yi frowned and walked over, driven by curiosity.

Perhaps the entanglement had been going on for a long time, because the two boys on the other side were a bit impatient. “Don’t try to flaunt your age, if you don’t want this money, then forget it. Lao Zhou, let’s go!”

“Where are you going!”

A fair-looking boy with a slender figure stood in front of them. “You just pushed Auntie to the ground, and her hand is obviously broken. You need to take responsibility!”

“Weren’t you just bragging about your wealth? And you’re trying to escape this small amount of medical expenses? You have no quality or education!”

The voice was cold and overflowing with ridicule.

Pei Yi’s eyes shifted from the boy’s face to the auntie who was being protected by him.

Sure enough, the latter was holding her left hand, her expression one of extreme and forbearing anguish.

It was pretty much clear who was in the wrong.

The two boys causing trouble exchanged glances, and their impatience instantly reached its peak. They didn’t dare do anything to the cleaning lady there, so they had to transfer their emotions to the boy who was blocking their path.

“Fuck, I told you to stop meddling in other people’s business!”

Pei Yi saw that the boy was at a disadvantage, and rushed forward at once with quick strides!

. . . . . . .

Twenty minutes later, in the department head’s office.

When Bo Yueming arrived, the department head’s lecture and criticism regarding the fight between Pei Yi and the others had just come to an end. As an outer courtyard “invader,” Pei Yi actually kept a straight face and maintained a rare “refusing to give in” attitude.

Bo Yueming knocked hesitantly on the office door. “Director Sun.”

When their eyes met, Director Sun obviously recognized Bo Yueming, who was an outstanding student. “Yueming, ah. This classmate Pei Yi claims to be here to see you. Do you know him?”

“I know him.”

Bo Yueming approached and looked at Pei Yi. “He’s my little brother.”

When their eyes met, Pei Yi’s kitten-like appearance vanished instantly, and he lowered his head with a guilty conscience—

It was too embarrassing for a dignified college student to have his family come to claim him after a fight!

“All right, it’s nothing serious, just a small dispute.” The department head confirmed Pei Yi’s status as a student and didn’t exaggerate the matter.

The fight between Pei Yi had just begun when the department head passed by after getting off work, so it didn’t lead to a big transgression.

“Pei Yi isn’t from our school, so let’s forget it this time.”

“Li Yuan, Zhou Zekai, and Lin Yi, each of you will write me a letter of apology! Submit it to me by Monday! I’ll give you a warning first this time, but if it happens again, you will be punished!”

. . . . . . .

Five minutes later, a group of people exited the department head’s office.

“Just wait and see!”

The two boys who had caused the trouble sneered angrily and left at once. They left as soon as they said this, but looking at their backs, they especially deserved a beating.

Pei Yi’s anger had yet to subside, and immediately surged up. “Fuck, I still haven’t beaten them into behaving…..”

He couldn’t help but blurt out a curse, and before he could rush forward, Bo Yueming grabbed him by the nape of the neck. “Pei Yi, stop!”

“……”

His threatening attitude immediately vanished.

Pei Yi turned around honestly and obediently and said: “Er-ge, they started it. I just dropped by to help, honest!”

“I can vouch for him. He really did just drop by to help.” Someone behind the two suddenly spoke up.

Pei Yi’s eyes shifted over and brightened slightly. “Li Yuan, right? Hi, I’m Pei Yi.”

The two were in the same camp during the fight just now, so they would naturally greet each other in a friendly manner.

Li Yuan gave a restrained nod and expressed his gratitude. “Thank you, ah.”

Pei Yi raised his head and said, “You’re welcome. I just did what should be done. Are you from the School of Economics too?”

“En, I’m a sophomore.” Li Yuan glanced at his phone and said bluntly, “Let’s talk if we have a chance. I’ll take that auntie to the hospital for an X-ray first.”

If follow-up treatment was needed, he could also take advantage of the department head’s prestige to go to Lin Yi and the other guy and discuss a compensation settlement.

Pei Yi recalled the auntie’s situation and nodded. “Wait, why don’t you find someone to go with you? I’m afraid those two guys will cause trouble again.”

Normally, Pei Yi might have accompanied him personally, but today was a special day and he couldn’t waste too much time on other things.

Pei Yi glanced at Bo Yueming, who was in the same school as  Li Yuan. “Er-ge, please call someone to help him.”

Li Yuan didn’t like to trouble others. Just when he was about to refuse, he heard Bo Yueming follow Pei Yi’s wishes and open his phone interface. “I’ll find Yan Cen. He has a car, and happened to come to school today to drop off some documents.”

“……”

Li Yuan bit back his words.

Pei Yi didn’t notice anything and directly agreed. “Okay!”

The three of them shortly reached a consensus, and after deciding to talk another day, Li Yuan took the cleaning lady to find Yan Cen.

Soon, only Pei Yi and Bo Yueming were left in the corridor outside the office.

The eyes of the two met again, and Pei Yi admitted his mistake without fear of embarrassment, “Er-ge, I was wrong. I won’t do it again. Don’t tell Father Rong.”

Helpless, Bo Yueming led him away. “Are you hurt?”

Pei Yi regained his spirit. “No, I’m perfectly fine.”

Bo Yueming could do nothing about him, so he simply said, “You’re not allowed to do this next time. If you’re going to fight across schools, plan it in advance.”

When he heard this, Pei Yi immediately remembered his purpose in coming here. “Er-ge, it’s your birthday today. Are you going home tonight?”

Bo Yueming didn’t like birthday parties, and in the past, he kept everything simple when celebrating. At most, he had a simple home-cooked meal with Old Mrs. Bo, Pei Yi, and others.

However, Bo Yueming was still happy that Pei Yi had remembered his birthday.

“En, I’m going home. Are you coming?”

“I was just about to tell you—” A glimmer of light flashed through Pei Yi’s eyes, and he pretended to be calm. “Er-ge, you and the Old Madam and the others eat first tonight. I’ll come find you around seven or eight o’clock.”

“……”

The corners of Bo Yueming’s mouth flattened slightly. “You have something to do?”

Pei Yi did his utmost to hide his inner thoughts. “En, I have an appointment with someone else, so I have to come later.”

Bo Yueming’s smile vanished. “Fine.”

Pei Yi snuck a glance at him. “You’re not angry?”

Bo Yueming noticed his deliberate questioning and wasn’t fooled. “No.”

Pei Yi suppressed a smile. “Oh.”

A month ago, Pei Yi had confirmed his intentions under the guidance of Xu Rong, but didn’t act rashly. Instead, he carefully thought about his plan of pursuit for a long time.

He and Bo Yueming knew each other so well that any “abnormality” would be spotted.

Instead of using the methods of normal people, it was better to remain calm and get along together “normally,” and wait until the time was right before taking action.

Today, Bo Yueming’s birthday, was the right time for him.

The two of them walked out of the No. 1 teaching building, and Pei Yi simply played his trick and ran away. “Then I’ll leave first! Er-ge, see you in the evening!”

With that said, he simply ran off under Bo Yueming’s gaze.

“……”

Bo Yueming watched Pei Yi leave without looking back, and his deliberately restrained emotions turned into a furrow between his eyebrows.

He had initially thought that after the last “misunderstanding,” it wouldn’t take long for Pei Yi to come to a realization, but unexpectedly, a month had passed and everything was still business as usual.

Bo Yueming frowned endlessly, feeling that he should find a way to speed up the process.

There was no time like the present. If there was a chance that night, he would have to pierce this layer of window paper himself.

. . . . . . .

Pei Yi kept his word and came to the door with a cake before eight o’clock in the evening.

“Er-ge, happy birthday!”

Seeing his smiling face, Bo Yueming’s inner gloom that had been building up all afternoon lifted instantly. “Where are you coming back from?”

He was still very concerned about who Pei Yi was with after saying he had “something to do” tonight.

Pei Yi couldn’t help but laugh, and continued to hold up the cake in his hands. “Look, I made it myself! I asked Father Rong to teach me this evening!”

Xu Rong had a class this afternoon, and Pei Yi could only ask for advice after the class was over.

Bo Yueming understood the truth from his few words, and carefully examined the cake covered by a transparent layer of plastic.

Pei Yi proceeded to show off. “How is it? Not bad, right? Father Rong gave me guidance and I did it myself.”

Bo Yueming’s lips finally curled up. “En.”

This crooked thing didn’t look like the decorating technique of a regular cake shop, but in order not to ruin the kitten’s enthusiasm, it was best not to say anything about it.

Pei Yi confidently handed over the cake. “It must be delicious.”

Bo Yueming chuckled. “You say it’s a birthday cake for me, but won’t it all go into your stomach later? Was this cake made according to your favorite flavor?”

Pei Yi covered his lips and refused to admit it. “Nonsense, if you can eat it all, I definitely won’t compete with you.”

The two went up to the second floor.

Bo Yueming was in a good mood, and placed the cake on the bar table. “What kind of wine do you want to drink? Kangdi?”

Pei Yi happily agreed. “You’re willing to give me this wine? Okay, ah!

Bo Yueming took advantage of his height to take down the red wine from his collection, and opened the bottle while Pei Yi carefully opened the plastic outer packaging of the cake and looked with satisfaction at his first dessert creation.

Pei Yi looked over and said, “Er-ge, do you want to watch fireworks?”

Bo Yueming stopped pouring wine and asked, “What?”

“Look, I’ll conjure them up for you—” Pei Yi took out two numbered fireworks sticks from his black backpack. “We’ll use these instead of birthday candles today.”

Bo Yueming shook his head. “Childish.”

Pei Yi inserted the fireworks sticks representing his age into the cake, his smile undiminished. “It can’t be helped. Who told the Imperial Capital to ban fireworks? I could only use these instead. They’re supposed to burn for one minute. Is that enough for you to make a wish?”

Bo Yueming took out a spare lighter from the cabinet and let him arrange the process.

“Er-ge, have you decided what wish you want to make?”

“Not yet.”

Bo Yueming was telling the truth.

He had never been keen on celebrating birthdays, but he met Pei Yi later on and every birthday became a day for him to indulge in eating cake, which was also pretty good.

Rather than making a wish, Bo Yueming preferred to watch Pei Yi eat cake contentedly.

Pei Yi revealed in a low voice, “They say that birthday wishes come true easily.”

Bo Yueming asked, “What wish do you make every year?”

“It’s very ordinary. I just wish for everyone around me to be healthy.” Pei Yi paused, and said in a softer voice, “I, I don’t know my specific date of birth. If I make a big wish, it will probably fail.”

“……”

A trace of distress overflowed from the depths of Bo Yueming’s eyes, and he changed his words. “Then make a wish for me.”

Pei Yi’s thoughts moved slightly. “Me?”

“En, I give you permission to say whatever you want.”

Bo Yueming turned off all the lights in the small living room, then used the lighter for illumination and walked back to Pei Yi. “Say it, and I will help you realize any wish that you have.”

Pei Yi’s pupils sparkled in the firelight. “Really?”

Bo Yueming lit the firework candles and said, “Really. Come on.”

A cluster of fire split the darkness and illuminated their smiling eyes.

Pei Yi looked at the dancing firelight and felt an indescribable nervousness in his heart. “The first wish is for Bo Yueming to be free from illness and misfortune, and be safe and happy.”

“Okay,” Bo Yueming responded.

“The second wish—” Pei Yi took a deep breath imperceptibly. “I wish for Bo Yueming to be with the person he likes during this new year and stay together with them forever.”

Bo Yueming was stunned for a moment, and something seemed to surge from his chest. “……Okay. What’s the third wish?”

“The third wish—”

Pei Yi gazed at Bo Yueming through the candlelight, his heart beating faster and faster. 

One second, two seconds, three seconds.

The firework candles were still burning brightly, and seemed to have burned away the invisible layer of window paper between the two of them.

Just before the flames were about to bottom out, Pei Yi finally heard his nervous and trembling voice say, “The third wish is for the person Bo Yueming likes…..to be me.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the whole room fell into darkness.

Pei Yi didn’t know how to describe his emotions at that moment. He was overwhelmed with anticipation, and so nervous that he wanted to cry.

He didn’t know if the confession he had made through his wish would be reciprocated. He was even more afraid that he would lose the relationship he already had with Bo Yueming.

Even so, Pei Yi pretended to be relaxed and asked in the silence, “Er-ge, I like you. Do you want to be my boyfriend, ah?

One second, two seconds, three seconds. Even the smell of smoke from the extinguished candles was lost in the air.

In the darkness, Pei Yi felt a heat on his lips, and as their breaths entangled, he finally received the answer he wanted.

“Okay.”

One word. Simple, firm, and clear.

— I give you permission to say whatever you want. I will help you realize any wish you have.

— I wish that Bo Yueming will always like me and be with me.

— Okay.


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Extra 12/15 <<Table of Contents >> Extra 14/15

Strong Winds Return Home – Chapter One Hundred Sixteen

Perhaps because he was worried that if he spoke a lot, his secret would be revealed, Yuan Yu did not say much. After asking about his identity and the causes and effects of the incident, he lay back weakly, panting slightly with chapped lips and looking half dead. Chang Xiaoqiu was still young and lacked focus, so he found an excuse to get away early in order to avoid laughing again. He was carrying a ripple of teenage thoughts and originally wanted to tell Liu Nanyuan about this fun thing, but Song Changsheng stopped him halfway and said: “Where are you running to? Come and help.”

“Oh.” Chang Xiaoqiu was forced to put away the little pink waves in his heart. He walked over and asked, “Song-xiansheng, what can I help you with?”

“His Highness requires that all weapons be delivered within five days. We don’t have enough manpower.” Song Changsheng still had an apron hanging around his neck. “There are many people in the forest who don’t even have enough time to eat. I’m here to assist.”

“Okay, then I’ll help,” Chang Xiaoqiu agreed. “But I can’t help for long. Third Young Lady Liu will go to another town for a free clinic soon. The prince sent me to lead people to protect her.”

After all, just staying in the Valley of Ten Faces would limit their influence. And it was currently the most beautiful season in the entire southwest, with flowers blooming and butterflies fluttering, so they should let the rivers of joy wash away in all directions. Liu Nanyuan herself had no objection to this. She even wanted to drag her Er-ge with her, but was ruthlessly rejected.

“Why?”

“Because it isn’t necessary.”

Second Young Master Liu had always avoided doing unnecessary things if possible, and besides, it was really tiring to play the role of an immortal. His belt was so tight that he couldn’t take even two bites of rice, and the jade button on it was heavy. Liu Nanyuan was shocked by this outrageous reasoning. Your jade button is only three fingers wide and half a finger long, how heavy can it be? 

But Liu Xian’an persisted. He quickly changed into his comfortable old clothes and lay down flat on the couch under his sister’s gaze.

Liu Nanyuan: “……”

The prince also can’t manage you.

But Liang Shu would not manage him. Others loved to see the immortal young master in brillant clothing, but he liked it all and was blinded by love. He felt that the jade button truly was heavy, and that he shouldn’t wear it if he didn’t like it. On this day, after finishing the military affairs at hand, he returned to his residence under the moonlight and picked up the drowsy man from the bed, asking him: “Why didn’t you wait for me?”

Liu Xian’an replied deceptively, I waited, and fell asleep while waiting. He stretched hard and just barely opened his eyelids: “Has the prince seen the fake Commander Ku?”

“I saw him. He doesn’t appear to be too lively,” Liang Shu said. “But I don’t have time to play around with him anymore. The army’s route has been decided. After two more tests to ensure safety, the army can march straight in and overthrow the Baifu Sect’s lair.”

Before Liu Xian’an fell asleep again, he did not forget to emphasize that before heading straight in, it would be best to rescue Commander Ku first.

And the fake Commander Ku soon made fresh movements. He no longer lay in bed all day long, but instead dragged his sick body to walk around the military camp on crutches. 

“Don’t!” Gao Lin stopped him and advised earnestly, even if you have lost your memory, you are still the commander of the Southwest Garrison. The commander must be strong and powerful, but look at you now. You are blind and sick, with broken ribs, and crooked like a shrimp that has been left in the pot. You look very unpresentable, which is detrimental to the morale of our army.

Yuan Yu said: “I want to listen to the sounds here, perhaps I can remember more.”

Gao Lin donned a look of embarrassment that was also full of brotherhood. He thought for a long moment and said: “Then take a walk nearby and don’t go too far. Come, I’ll accompany you.”

Yuan Yu used a stick to explore the path and walked forward step by step. His pace was very slow, and Gao Lin did not rush him. He followed quietly, waiting to see what kind of mischief the other party was going to do. Yuan Yu looked at the surrounding military camp and soldiers through the thin silver gauze covering his eyes. After a long time, he asked hoarsely: “Where is the prince?”

“Ahead.” Gao Lin pointed at once. “It’s that black-roofed bamboo house. Oh, I’m sorry, gege forgot that your eye disease hasn’t healed. Come, I’ll take you there for a walk.”

Yuan Yu walked toward the bamboo house ahead.

As dusk fell, the camp was buzzing with the thrum of summer insects, noisy and fretful.

“Why are there so many bugs?” Cheng Suyue brushed off the black spots on her body. “I can’t even get rid of them all.”

“Nanyang’s secret technique is called Gu Army.” Liu Xian’an held up a butterfly in a glass jar. “I caught this in the prince’s study today.”

Cheng Suyue was greatly surprised, mainly because Second Young Master Liu was able to catch a butterfly. This was too nimble. But in fact, Liu Xian’an did catch it himself. He specially made some bait, sat on a chair with a net, and soon caught two pure white butterflies with the sit-and-wait method.

“It looks very ordinary.” Cheng Suyue drew closer and asked, “Is it any different from the ones commonly seen in the rapeseed flower fields?”

“It looks just the same, but the scale powder on its wings is highly toxic. If a person inhales a certain amount, there will be hallucinations and pain,” Liu Xian’an explained. “But my Da-ge has worked with several girls from the Scimitar Silver Moon Clan to prepare the antidote. It will be mixed in the soup and distributed to the soldiers in the next two days.”

Cheng Suyue felt that the important points of every sentence she heard tonight were a little off. First Young Master Liu and several girls from the Scimitar Silver Moon Tribe?

Liu Xian’an gave an ‘En.’ “Da-ge showed no expression during the entire process, just like a block of ice. It is best not to provoke him these days.”

“I am going south with Young Head Escort Chang and Third Young Lady Liu. Did Second Young Master Liu forget?” Cheng Suyue said, “We must leave tomorrow.”

She therefore prepared several more beautiful dresses and also a box of jewelry sent by Liu Nanyuan, which were awkward no matter how she wore them. Liu Xian’an nodded and said, “I understand. Playing the role of an immortal is indeed physical work.”

But being drowned in the cheers and laughter of the common people was indeed very pleasant.

Liu Nanyuan carried her own small medicine box and rode her Er-ge’s chubby red horse, leading her team to leave the Valley of Ten Faces in a majestic manner. When she first set out, there were only about a hundred soldiers and disciples from Baihe Mountain Village. Later, the team grew larger and larger as many people joined in and volunteered to help, coming one after another.

Cheng Suyue disliked the gorgeous dress , which could be called simple compared with the clothing of the southwest people. She soaked up folk songs every day, and her originally tone-deaf voice could actually sing along with a few lines. Liu Nanyuan’s singing voice was even more melodious. The old ladies in the village couldn’t remember her name, so they simply called her A-Ying and praised her, saying that even the most beautiful oriole in the world did not have a voice as sweet as hers.

Chang Xiaoqu also learned a few songs and hummed them in his free time, but didn’t expect to cause many girls to join him. He blushed deeply on the spot, jumped off the tall tree, and ran away, causing a lot of laughter behind him.

It seemed that wherever this procession went, happiness would flow.

The news also spread to the depths of the miasma forest.

A maid said: “Now the whole southwest is praising her beauty and kindness.”

Wumeng Yunle sat on a chair, wringing her handkerchief tightly as she looked at her pale face in the mirror.

“The Holy Maiden is naturally more beautiful than her.” The maid leaned in slightly, looked at the person in the mirror, and held her shoulders with both hands. “Don’t worry, the leader won’t let that medical woman be proud for too long.”

Wumeng Yunle said with dissatisfaction: “But she has been proud for long enough.”

The maid smiled: “That is because many people have never seen the beauty of the Holy Maiden, so they will naturally be attracted by her.”

“Master doesn’t let me go out easily.”

“Then the Holy Maiden should go beseech the Leader.”

The maid’s voice was like a snake constricting around a person: “The Leader loves the Holy Maiden the most and will definitely let you out. Just like the medical girl, you will meet many, many people. Or to be more precise, you will meet many, many men and they will go crazy for you.”

Wumeng Yunle stroked her face: “Okay, I’ll go find Master right now.”

It was noisy outside. Ku You closed his eyes and judged the footsteps of the person who had arrived, which were as light as if they were stepping on clouds.

“Commander Ku.” La Yue ‘floated’ sideways through the crack of the door.

This was the second time the two of them had met. The first time, La Yue also squeezed into the room like a ghost, and gained his initial trust with one of Liang Shu’s military talismans. Ku You had rubbed the familiar lines with his thumb but did not speak. Seeing that he remained silent, La Yue thought he still had doubts in his heart, so he continued: “His Royal Highness Xiao Wang said that if Commander Ku still has doubts after seeing this military talisman, I should mention the blindfolded cavalry shooting event in the northwest camp a few years ago. All the soldiers who participated had ten rings. Only Commander Ku missed the target twice, which was worse than—”

“That’s enough.” Ku You couldn’t bear it anymore. “Before that mounted shooting event, I had been fighting wolves for three days and three nights…..forget it, let’s get down to business.”

“I’m here to take Commander Ku out of this hellish place,” La Yue said. “The path is ready. We can evacuate tonight.”

Ku You said: “I want to wait a few more days.”

La Yue was puzzled: “Why?”

“This group of evil cultists have been making preparations and training recently, so they should be making their next move.” Ku You said, “I have developed an informant here, and he is still hesitant about whether to cooperate with me. I want to win him over.” He turned his head and ‘looked’ at the other person through the silver gauze, continuing, “Since you’re here, why don’t you stay and help me, brother? By the way, I don’t know what to call you?”

Just like that, he got himself an extra helper.

La Yue’s figure was agile, and he could float better than a ghost’s shadow. He ran out to gather information when he had nothing to do, and gained quite a lot. This time, he also said after entering the door: “That enchantress who wants to marry you will leave soon.”

Ku You guessed: “Mu Zhe wants to use her to win over people’s hearts again?”

“Yes, and according to the words of the cult leader, he has been inciting her to give more.”

“Give more?”

“Use her body to capture men.” La Yue explained, “He said that Third Young Lady Liu uses her body to gain fanatical followers, and she has a more beautiful body than her. There were also some dirty sentences, so I won’t describe them in detail. He meant just what he said, but the demon girl didn’t react to it. She wasn’t even angry.”

Ku You said: “Because she doesn’t know it is wrong. She only knows that what Mu Zhe says is right.”

“She has contributed much to the Baifu Sect’s rapid expansion, but now she has ended up in this situation. I don’t know if it is abominable or tragic.”

“Abominable and tragic are not mutually exclusive. Although she bears much blame and has killed as many people as Mu Zhe’s sword, she does not deserve to be humiliated like this.” Ku You asked, “Is there any way you can take her away?”

La Yue was puzzled: “Yes, there is. Commander Ku wants to save her?”

“I’ll leave her to the prince, and Dayan’s laws can punish her,” Ku You said. “Moreover, she is extremely important to Feng Xiaojin. Holding her in our hands gives us one more bargaining chip.”


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Chapter One Hundred Fifteen << Table of Contents >> Chapter One Hundred Seventeen

The White Moonlight Stole Away the Little Substitute – Chapter Sixteen

“I gave the set of Ru porcelain to you,” Mu Nanqiao said. “I didn’t ask you to pass it on to Mrs. Talia.”

“En.” Mu Chuanbai nodded. “I understand. What you mean is that there is no problem with giving your dad two empty spots.”

Mu Nanqiao held his forehead. His hair fell down, and his handsome features were filled with helplessness. “Dad, you don’t need those two bowls. I gave them to a very important person…..so what exactly are you here for?”

Mu Chuanbai said nothing, gazing out at the community through the car window.

In addition to the geographical advantage of being close to Hengjin Secondary School, the Garden Community could be said to be “old and broken,” at least according to the few well-established families in Shanghai.

But his son, who had spent almost all of his secondary school years alone here, was forced to change his nature and pretend to be weak and foolish at the age when he should be the most energetic.

Many scars still could not be healed, and this person suffered from a severe stress disorder in dark environments. It was difficult for him to enter intimate relationships, and there were still violent emotions and self-destructive tendencies that were constantly suppressed.

And he was to blame for all of this. Because of his negligence and stupid blind trust in his “relatives,” he had nearly lost his child.

He was in a coma for two months after the car accident, and it took him another half year to be able to sit up and move around. Later, when it was revealed that the car accident may have been related to Mu Chuansong, Mu Chuanbai and his wife nearly went crazy, because Mu Nanqiao was staying in the old house and seeing the murderer every day.

But every time Mu Nanqiao contacted them, he said he was doing well.

Whether their son was coerced, or he hid his situation because he didn’t want them to worry, or both, Mu Chuanbai and Talia were so frightened that they returned home overnight and took Mu Nanqiao away.

If someone hadn’t stopped her, Talia would have tried to use a chair to wake Mu Chuansong directly. She had almost lost her husband and almost harmed her son. This Russian woman practically demolished Mu Chuangsong’s home. She smashed all the furniture in sight like a hurricane, and the slender ballet dancer burst out with the destructive power of a warrior. 

Mu Nanqiao was already taller than Talia at that time, but he was very thin, with a pair of cold, calm eyes. When he was hugged by his mom, there were some slight ripples in them. He raised his hands and hugged Talia back, but this maturity made his parents’ hearts twist even more.

Mu Chuanbai had become a father at the age of twenty-one. He had not even finished graduate school at that time. Although the little lion’s arrival was an accident, when he actually took the wrinkly baby into his arms, he vowed to protect Talia and this little boy for the rest of his life.

But he didn’t do it well, so he deserved to never stand up again.

Mu Chuansong was now in prison and would have no chance to come out in his lifetime. This father and son became the true masters of the Mu family, but if he could change things and make a different choice, he would rather be a man who was abandoned by his family and opened a small shop. At least then, his son would still be a cheerful and lively child.

It was only that he couldn’t go back in time. Fortunately, there was still sunlight shining through the broken cracks.

“You gave the bowls to a person you like?” Mu Chuanbai asked slowly, “What kind of person are they?”

A person he liked…..

These words fell into his ears unexpectedly and then rolled into his heart like thunder, an awakening from hibernation, the growth of the first grass sprout in a barren land. From then on, everything began to recover silently, and everything went as it should.

Mu Nanqiao looked stunned for a moment, but soon laughed.

“It was love at first sight.” Mu Nanqiao looked at his father with a bright light flowing in his beautiful narrow eyes. “Dad, you don’t know what it was like when I first met him. It would be difficult not to fall in love at first sight.”

“Very good,” Mu Chuanbais said. “Your mom and I also fell in love at first sight.”

Mu Nanqiao shrugged noncommittally: “You two fell in love with physical appearances.”

Mu Chuanbai was dissatisfied: “It was love at first sight, why are you trampling on your dad?”

Mu Nanqiao said: “I didn’t see his face. I was bruised and swollen at the time.”

Mu Chuanbai: “You win, son.”

The clouds cleared and the sun suddenly dawned. Mu Nanqiao was in a good mood and wanted to see Lu Qi as soon as possible, so he issued an eviction order to his old father, “You go back, I’m going to cook for him.”

He got out of the car, then suddenly remembered something and frowned.

“Dad, the person I like is a man.” He hesitated. “Mom, she…..”

In Russia, the gay community was an ostracized group, even among young people. They all had an indifferent attitude of not supporting or opposing it, as long as it had nothing to do with them, while older generations had a more conservative attitude.

Mu Chuanbai lowered the car window and waved his hand toward him: “Your mother said that if one day you are willing to embrace another person, she is willing to do whatever it takes.”

This should have been a very touching scene, but for some reason, after saying this, his father suddenly took a black mask out of nowhere and put it on, winking at him.

Mu Nanqiao: ? ? ?

“Mu Nanqiao!” Lu Qi ran over, slightly out of breath. “Xiao Bai is okay. You didn’t come back for so long. I was afraid you had bought too many things, so I came to pick you up.”

He noticed the person in the car and stopped hesitantly. “I’m disturbing you and……”

Mu Nanqiao: ……

He knew why his dad put on a mask so quickly. This way, nobody could see the copied and pasted faces of the father and son.

So he said calmly: “My boss.”

Mu Chuanbai smiled in greeting, although Lu Qi could only see the smile in his finely-lined eyes.

“Hello,” Lu Qi greeted politely.

The boss’s car drove away, and the two carried the shopping bags upstairs.

Lu Qi sneezed and rubbed his nose, saying in a nasally voice: “You’re really related, ah. The boss’s eyes look similar to yours.”

Mu Nanqiao was already beginning to regret his careless words. He had thought he wouldn’t have much interaction with this person back then, so there was no need to explain too much, but now the lies were beginning to snowball.

It was best to find a time to explain things clearly. While Mu Nanqiao cooked, he thought about how to tell the whole story.

But plans were plans, and surprises always came sooner than expected.

Lu Qi was lively and energetic while cooking. He chopped the cod into small pieces with two knives as if it was the virtue-less Lin Yuan. With his help, the two dishes and one soup were completed quickly. Lu Qi was hungry, and ate a lot.

After dinner, Lu Qi asked Mu Nanqiao if he wanted to watch a movie. The two people sat on the sofa, and the small three person sofa was suddenly a little crowded with two tall young men. Lu Qi chose a science fiction movie, and amid the grand music of the prelude, Mu Nanqiao coughed. “Lu Qi, I have something to tell you.”

As soon as he made his opening remark, Lu Qi suddenly covered his mouth, skewed his deer-like eyes, and stood up suddenly.

Mu Nanqiao was startled. He put his long legs down and sat upright, thinking that he hadn’t said anything yet, so why was there such a big reaction?

Then Lu Qi stepped over his long legs, went straight to the bathroom, and threw up loudly.

Mu Nanqiao: ……

Did the truth really nauseate him?

He was stunned for a moment, then quickly got up and went to the bathroom.


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Chapter Fifteen << Table of Contents >> Chapter Seventeen

The White Moonlight Stole Away the Little Substitute – Chapter Fifteen

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


The last notes of the piano music were still echoing in the sky above Hengjin Secondary School. He didn’t know which year the warehouse was demolished. Wild grass grew in the open unused space, and unknown wildflowers bloomed in clusters. The flowers were small and multi-colored, growing enthusiastically.

Mu Nanqiao stood in this open space, looking down at the small flowers swaying in the wind.

There was a rustling sound on the wall behind him. He turned around and caught sight of a boy climbing over the wall. He was wearing a Hengjin Secondary School uniform, and one of his legs had already swung over the wall. He didn’t expect to see anyone here and gave Mu Nanqiao a blank look, asking tentatively: “You are?”

Mu Nanqiao raised his eyebrows and made a welcoming gesture.

The boy breathed a sigh of relief and jumped down from the wall neatly, his movements skilful. It looked like this was not the first time he had done such a thing.

“I thought you were a school leader, big brother. You scared me to death.” The boy patted off his dusty hands, took off his suit-style school uniform jacket, and casually put it on his back. “What are you doing in this wasteland?”

After standing here for a while, the smell of tobacco and alcohol had been blown away by the wind. Mu Nanqiao planned to go back, so the two of them walked toward the sidewalk together.

Regarding the boy’s question just now, Mu Nanqiao answered casually in a lazy tone: “I’m thinking about what to do with this vacant land after gaining control of Hengjin.”

The boy looked up at him in disbelief.

Anyone who said such a thing was most likely talking nonsense, but for some reason, he felt that this person was not joking.

“Damn it…..jumped over the wall and met a bigshot…..” He murmured a few words in a low voice and quickly caught up with Mu Nanqiao. “Boss, how about I buy you a drink?”

Mu Nanqiao: ……

Checking the expression in his eyes, he was a full-level extrovert.

There were many people in Shanghai who wished to have a drink with Mu Nanqiao, but right now he wanted to go back to the old neighborhood and have a drink with his little neighbor on the pretext of watching the kittens.

His face was cold, his refusal obvious. Still, he warned the child: “Minors are not allowed to drink alcohol.”

“Who said anything about drinking alcohol?” The boy pointed to the street corner. “Look, milk tea. This milk tea shop is super tasty, and the queue can reach the school gate after school. I climbed over the wall in advance to buy it for my girlfriend!”

The underage brat had a girlfriend. Mu Nanqiao fell silent.

When he came to his senses, he was already standing at the door of 501 with two cups of milk tea.

He hadn’t drunk something so high-calorie in many years. Not knowing whether Lu Qi would want to drink it or not, he stood at the door and hesitated for a while, then laughed angrily at his tangled appearance.

There was nothing to be hesitant about. He should have invited Lu Qi to drink milk tea a long time ago. He didn’t drink it when he was young, so he would make up for it today. If Lu Qi didn’t like it…..

Then he would just ask him what he liked to drink.

After successfully convincing himself, Mu Nanqiao raised his hand and knocked on the door.

There was a click click sound through the door. After a pause, the door lock popped open crisply.

Mu Nanqiao raised the milk tea in his hand. “I passed by the milk tea shop after getting off work. I don’t know if you…..”

At the door, Lu Qi was wearing beige house clothes, with red eyes and a red nose.

His smile faded at once, and he frowned at the other’s flushed face. “What’s wrong?”

Lu Qi opened his mouth, and finally turned sideways in a huff, saying in a muffled voice: “Come in.”

Mu Nanqiao walked in, hung the milk tea on the coat rack at the entrance, and changed his shoes. He was anxious to find out why Lu Qi was angry. However, this person with long legs and long arms was squeezed into the small entrance and couldn’t move freely, and even stepped on himself. 

There were obvious shoe prints on his handmade Italian shoes, but Mu Nanqiao didn’t care. He entered the small living room wearing cinnamon roll dog slippers, and Lu Qi stuffed a tablet into his hands. A variety show was playing on the tablet, and there was sliced fruit on the small coffee table. It could be imagined that Lu Qi was sitting on the sofa, eating fruit and watching the variety show just now. So how did he get himself angry?

Mu Nanqiao clicked play.

A little star appeared on camera.

In terms of appearance and temperament, this little star actually looked a bit like Lu Qi. Although his facial features were more delicate than Lu Qi’s on camera, that kind of delicateness was too deliberate, and his makeup was heavy.

This person was someone Mu Nanqiao recognized. He was the little star Lin Yuan hired.

But how did Lu Qi know?

He glanced at Lu Qi doubtfully and pretended to be confused: “Who is this person?”

“He’s just a star.” Lu Qi came over and pointed at the screen, saying, “That’s not important, look back.”

As soon as he came closer, Mu Nanqiao was able to see the small tuft of messy hair on his head. It turned out that the reason why that tuft of hair misbehaved was because there was a whorl there.

“That’s it!” Lu Qi patted his arm. “Look at this packed lunch!”

Only then did Mu Nanqiao turn his eyes away from his hair and look down at the tablet.

This variety show was a daily event. The little star’s cooking skills were surprisingly good. When the program team asked them to make a packed lunch, the other guests just fooled around casually. He was the only one who made three dishes and one soup and packed them neatly into an insulated box.

When asked by the other guests why he did so well, he smiled shyly and said: “I have a good friend who had a stomach ache for a while, so I brought him food.”

The other guests immediately started heckling him, saying, isn’t this relationship between friends unusual, ah?

The little star just lowered his head and smiled with his lips pursed. This attitude of neither admitting nor denying was very ambiguous.

Lu Qi squeezed out a sentence through his teeth: “I’ve seen this packed lunch before.”

Mu Nanqiao: ? ? ? 

“I started thinking that it was just the same style, but then I saw these dishes he made, and the rice that was pressed with a mold to make a little penguin impression…..” Lu Qi took a breath. “When I was in the hospital, all I ate was food cooked by others! I thought it was Lin Yuan who made it, and because I was so touched, I agreed to date him…..”

Mu Nanqiao could imagine, but Lu Qi was about to explode with anger.

Lu Qi had a constitution that was a little bit prone to tears. When he was emotional, his eyes would easily turn red even if he wasn’t going to cry. Right now, for example. He was actually just angry and wanted to use a crowbar to hit Lin Yuan. He was very curious about this person’s brain circuits—maybe he could open his brain and take a look: Oops! This is not an earthling at all!

Mu Nanqiao was speechless for a moment.

How should he put it, he had still thought too highly of Lin Yuan. If this idiot young master Lin wanted to pretend to be “virtuous,” he could have ordered a nutritious meal at his hotel and put it in a lunchbox. And there were always the housemaids at home, right?

In the end, he found another way and gave the meals cooked by his lover to the person he was pursuing.

It was not to save money, which Lin Yuan was not short of. It was just that he didn’t want to put in the effort.

Mu Nanqiao patted Lu Qi’s back gently, as if smoothing a kitten’s fur, but his focus was not on that idiot Lin Yuan. “You were hospitalized some time ago? What was wrong? How is your recovery now?”

“It wasn’t a big problem,” Lu Qi murmured to himself, “Did the doctor stab me in the eye? How could I be with such a person…..”

“Don’t talk nonsense.” Mu Nanqiao rubbed his head. His wish was fulfilled, and he pressed down that unruly hair.

Lu Qi was still in a state of bubbling anger, his head buzzing, until Mu Nanqiao pushed him to sit on the small sofa. Something warm was stuffed into his hands, and he lowered his head subconsciously. It was a cup of milk tea with the straw inserted.

“Drink something sweet.”

Lu Qi took a sip of milk tea and puffed out his cheeks.

The sweet peach flavor and taste of milk tea flooded his mouth. The temperature was just right, soothing his manic depression little by little.

He chewed the soft peach pulp and blinked, saying belatedly, “Thank you, this is delicious.”

Mu Nanqiao also took a sip from his own cup. He had asked for full sugar, but surprisingly, it wasn’t too sweet and tasted pretty good.

It was impossible to persuade Lu Qi not to think about this matter. Anyone who encountered such a thing would be angered to death. The two of them were silent for a moment. Lu Qi was still angry, and Mu Nanqiao was wondering whether Lin Yuan’s broken leg was too minor.

Mew….” 

Fortunately, there were four small creatures in the room who couldn’t give them meaningful looks. Lu Qi drank half a cup of milk tea and gave a long sigh. “I’ll feed the kittens.”

He got up and went to the kitchen, and when he turned around, he found Mu Nanqiao following him.

“We agreed to take care of them together.” Mu Nanqiao unbuttoned his cufflinks and slowly rolled up his sleeves. “I’ll learn how.”

Lu Qi thought about it in confusion. Had he agreed to let Mu Nanqiao help take care of the kittens? Wouldn’t it be too much trouble?

But Mu Nanqiao had already raised his hand to get the milk powder on the shelf. He had no choice but to move closer. The two of them stood in front of the sink, and the space was a bit crowded. Lu Qi put his shoulder against Mu Nanqiao’s arm and looked at the temperature display on the kettle.

45℃. Just right.

Lu Qi directed Mu Nanqiao: “Pour the water first, then put in the milk powder…..”

The man next to him lowered his eyelashes and looked as serious as if he was conducting an experiment. Lu Qi couldn’t help but stare at his hands.

Mu Nanqiao’s hands were beautiful, with long fingers and slightly convex muscles on the back, but his knuckles were red and slightly scratched.

“What happened to your hands?” Lu Qi asked.

The fingers holding the milk powder spoon tightened, and Mu Nanqiao said casually: “I accidentally bruised them.”

Lu Qi thought silently, why do these hands encounter so many accidents?

After the four kittens finished drinking milk, Lu Qi crouched beside the cardboard box to play with them.

Lu Qi rubbed the kittens’ heads with his slender fingers. Just as he was about to say something, his stomach growled.

Mu Nanqiao was standing behind him. When Lu Qi turned around awkwardly, he saw the smile in the other’s eyes.

“It seems there is still a kitten who hasn’t had enough to eat.” Mu Nanqiao glanced at the watch on his wrist. “I don’t have any kitchen utensils over there. How about lending me the kitchen in exchange for dinner?”

Lu Qi looked him up and down and asked uncertainly, “Can you really cook?”

“Who are you looking down on?” Mu Nanqiao raised his eyebrows. “Order whatever you want.”

“But…..” Lu Qi coughed. “I only have two eggs left in the refrigerator. How about fried rice with eggs.”

Mu Nanqiao: ……

How could elementary school homework such as egg fried rice reflect his superb cooking skills? The most important thing was that he wouldn’t be able to outdo that Lin Yuan, who plagiarized all of his elementary school homework.

“I’m going to buy groceries,” Mu Nanqiao said firmly.

Today, this peacock was determined to spread his tail!

. . . . . . .

There was a large supermarket downstairs, which was very convenient for shopping. Lu Qi also wanted to follow him down, but Xiao Bai, one of the four cubs, vomited milk. Thus, he had to stay and clean up, as well as monitor the kitten’s condition.

Mu Nanqiao returned to the bottom of the unit with shopping bags. He was about to press the code to open the door when a low-key black business car behind him suddenly honked its horn.

He turned around and the car door opened. His assistant got out nervously.

Mu Nanqiao frowned and saw a middle-aged man sitting in the backseat through the car window.

Compared to the previous president of Mu Group, Mu Chuanbai could be considered very young. He and his wife had married early, and Mu Nanqiao was their only child. He was only twenty-one years old when they had Mu Nanqiao, so he was still in his prime.

Sitting in the back seat, he flipped through a stack of paper documents. Anyone would be able to see the blood relationship between him and Mu Nanqiao. The father and son had similar features, but Mu Nanqiao’s facial contours were more handsome and three-dimensional, while Mu Chuanbai’s face was much softer, with a natural calmness and elegance.

There was a thick blanket covering his legs. When Mu Nanqiao sat down, he sat on one corner. Mu Chuanbai patted his thigh in dissatisfaction and pulled out his blanket.

“Dad.” Mu Nanqiao sighed helplessly. “What are you doing here?”

“Let me ask you, why is the eight-piece Ru porcelain set you gave me missing two bowls and two spoons?” There were fine lines at the ends of Mu Chuanbai’s eyes. He glanced at his son who was taller than him and smiled very kindly. “Your mother opened it and found two empty spots.”

Mu Nanqiao: …….


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Chapter Fourteen << Table of Contents >> Chapter Sixteen

After Rebirth, the Prime Minister Just Wants To Call It Quits – Chapter Forty-Four

Within five days, civil servants and military officials from the capital took the place over. Prefect Wu was promoted to Magistrate and cooperated with the new officials to reorganize things. Those victims returned to the civilian population and the news quickly spread so that the common people completely understood the truth about the Heaven’s Blessing Sect. When the prisoners were transported away in the prison cart, how much the Heaven’s Blessing Sect had been supported before was now how much rubbish and cursing they received. 

Huo Fenglie also emphasized to the new officials that the so-called bandits outside should be given the chance to reform. As long as they had not killed anyone, they could return and become good citizens. This could be regarded as fulfilling his original promise to One Eye.

Matters in Yanqiu Prefecture ended here, and the five of them set out on the road together. The next stop was Tongmao Prefecture, the location of the Southern Imperial Examination. And as for Huo Fenglie, there was the other tax money issue the emperor had spoken of that must be investigated. 

This time, they traveled directly by boat on the river.

Liu Zhenqing and Bai Su were studying the small mechanism Huo Fenglie had just bought, taking it apart and playing with it, when they suddenly heard He Lan on the front deck call to Huo Fenglie, “Er-gou!”

This call made Liu Zhenqing and Bai Su’s hands shake. Liu Zhenqing’s mouth twitched, and Bai Su looked at He Lan in astonishment.

As a result, He Lan was kicked into the table by Huo Fenglie in the next second.

“Don’t hit me, don’t hit me.” He Lan quickly got up and sat in a chair, drinking tea with trembling hands to indicate that he wouldn’t fight.

Qin Yu, who was sitting on the boat’s canopy, looked down and scoffed quietly.

Huo Fenglie stepped forward with a bad expression. “You can’t call me this.”

He Lan said shamelessly: “Why can’t I call you this? Isn’t it your nickname?”

Huo Fenglie sat down and looked at He Lan with a warning in his eyes.

Bai Su finally recovered from his shock and asked, “How do you know that?”

“You know too?” He Lan responded immediately, “Then why didn’t you tell us, ah?”

“That’s what the elders of Zhanyuan’s family called him. No one has called him that for a long time. Are you saying it to tease him?” Bai Su said with a smile, “I’ve never called him that either, ah.”

He Lan chuckled and pointed at the embarrassed Liu Zhenqing, saying: “I heard him shout it.”

Liu Zhenqing could only give a dry smile and say: “That was an accident. I overheard it while staying in the General’s Manor. I don’t dare to address General Huo that way.”

Liu Zhenqing looked at Huo Fenglie with apologetic eyes. Blame him for not keeping his mouth shut and shouting out his nickname. It was such an embarrassing name that Huo Fenglie probably wanted to forget all about it.

He Lan blinked and said: “We really can’t call you that? It’s so fun.”

“No,” Huo Fenglie said firmly.

Seeing that Huo Fenglie was unhappy, He Lan stopped feeling itchy and asked curiously: “Be honest, who gave you this nickname? It doesn’t seem like the General’s Manor’s style.”

Huo Fenglie’s lips curled up almost imperceptibly. “It wasn’t given by my family.”

“Then who was it, ah? How could anyone give such a rustic nickname to the dignified general who protects the country, ah! They have quite the nerve. Your family actually accepted this?”

Huo Fenglie calmly drank his tea and said: “It’s a secret.”

He Lan instantly became more curious, but even Bai Su didn’t know the origin of the name, so He Lan asked Liu Zhenqing instead.

Liu Zhenqing said awkwardly: “How would I know?”

Yes, it was him!

Er-gou nearly died but was saved by his own hands. After Mrs. Huo woke up, she was naturally grateful to him. There was still an old lady in the Huo Family at that time, and when she heard about this, she immediately made the decision to ask Liu Zhenqing to give Er-gou a nickname for luck. She had heard that giving a child a humble animal nickname would make their life easier, so she had Liu Zhenqing learn how to do so from the countryside. Although Liu Zhenqing didn’t believe in this tradition, for the sake of the old lady’s peace of mind, he could only help her.

It was because of these naming rights and feeling the birth of a new life that Liu Zhenqing suddenly felt connected to the world, and no longer like an outsider. 

He Lan still wouldn’t give up, and couldn’t help but complain: “Then this person must be uneducated. Maybe it was…..Uncle Tian.”

Bai Su chuckled and shook his head: “Uncle Tian has read no fewer books than you.”

He Lan choked for a moment, then looked at Huo Fenglie and said: “You didn’t complain?”

When he asked this, Liu Zhenqing looked at Huo Fenglie nervously.

Huo Fenglie raised his head and thought for a moment. “In fact, I must thank the person who named me, because my family later told me that my elder brother originally wanted to call me Gou Dan.[1] He changed it.”

When these words were spoken, He Lan and Bai Su spurted out tea and laughed non-stop. Even Qin Yu’s eyes widened upon hearing it.

Liu Zhenqing blinked. This was indeed the truth. He couldn’t think of anything good at first, so Huo Feihan directly gave him one, saying that he had heard others use it so that the child would grow up to be strong. 

The second eldest son of the Huo family being nicknamed Gou Dan? Sorry, he couldn’t say it out loud. Forget it, since he was the second eldest son, he should be called Er-gou. Thus, “Er-gou” was born.

But now, Liu Zhenqing decided not to call him that. After all, he had grown up, and it would be too embarrassing to be called that.

Therefore, he decided to call him Brother Huo or General Huo to his face and when away from him. According to the superficial relationship between them, these titles were just right.

But when the two were in the cabin and Liu Zhenqing called out “Brother Huo,” Huo Fenglie suddenly turned around to look at him with a dark and unclear expression. He seemed unhappy, and hesitated for a bit before responding. 

But then, Huo Fenglie still called him Qing-ge in the cabin when there were no outsiders.

Liu Zhenqing had a sharp mind, and when he noticed this, he tried calling out Er-gou again. He saw the young fellow’s eyes light up, and he responded right away.

Liu Zhenqing really had to sigh. This child grew up to be cold and tough, but he still had a cute side.

After two days of sailing, they finally arrived at their destination. They boarded a carriage and began to talk about the Imperial Examinations.

They all knew that Yuan Jue would certainly deal with it in a drastic way this time. The north was fine because it was close to the Imperial City, so even if the First Princess had a protective umbrella, it could be removed in one day.

But in the south, which was far from the central government, the court’s control over the local area would be very weak. There may be invisible local emperors everywhere, with officials protecting each other and all kinds of transfers of responsibility. It could be imagined how difficult it was to conduct a thorough investigation. Even if the source was the First Princess and Rong Shiming, there were only one or two people responsible for liaising between them, and the big fish knew how to hide.

“Before we set off, the news from below was that the main culprit has been captured,” Qin Yu said. 

“Whether it is the real main culprit or not, we will only know after we investigate.” He Lan was lying on his side with his legs crossed, and could touch Qin Yu’s sleeve with a single hook of his foot. “Hey, why don’t we talk to the public first, so we’re not led around by the nose when we go to the government office.”

Qin Yu glanced to the side and moved his arm away. “In the matter of the Imperial Examination, folk rumors are of little use, and confessions are simply extracted through torture.”

Ya, Qin-daren is so cold-blooded,” He Lan called delicately, and received another eye roll. “But when tortured to extort a confession, not many are willing to sell out high officials. In the end, what doesn’t have its own weaknesses?”

Qin Yu looked over and He Lan raised his eyebrows, saying with a smile: “Let’s give play to our respective strengths and act separately? You take the inside and I take the outside?”

Qin Yu had no objections.

“Actually, one of the local officials cooperating with the case this time is my brother’s friend, Cheng Xi, Cheng-daren.” Bai Su said, “I’ve never met him. I only heard him mentioned in my brother’s letters before.”

“What do you think? Is he trustworthy?” He Lan immediately became interested. If there were trustworthy officials in the local area, it would definitely be more convenient to get things done.

“My elder brother said that he was a son from a poor family, and had the talent to win the Imperial Examination. Because the Imperial Examination was held in the north at that time and he had a sick mother at home, he could not travel far away and could only regretfully miss it. His only future was to be recommended by an official as a candidate. At that time, his good brother recommended him and he became a local official. Now, it should be that he was promoted to Prefect.” Bai Su explained according to memory: “Although I believe in my brother’s judgment, whether he is trustworthy or not depends on us meeting in person. I will go feel him out first and then discuss it with you in detail.”

The three of them had arranged their own affairs, and after talking, they looked at Liu Zhenqing and Huo Fenglie.

“Eh, the Liu family is involved in the Imperial Examinations, so I plan to go and investigate the Liu family’s property here.” Liu Zhenqing found an excuse.

Huo Fenglie said without hesitation: “I will go with him.”

The three glanced at Huo Fenglie in surprise, their eyes wandering uncontrollably between the two of them. They had thought the atmosphere between them was too strange before. Not only had they become much closer, but they stayed in the same tent at the camp and in the same cabin on the ship. Qin Yu and Bai Su had stayed together, but He Lan thought something was very wrong. Why was he the only one who ended up staying alone?

Ai, this wasn’t right, how could Huo Fenglie get along with others so well, ah? It should be said that none of the three of them had the opportunity to get along with Huo Fenglie like this.

And now they were inseparable.

“You two…..” He Lan’s gossipy expression was about to come out.

Qin Yu was looking at the sky, but his ears were constantly paying close attention. Bai Su drank tea to cover up his awkwardness, his eyes brightening a bit. Even he felt that Huo Fenglie’s treatment of Liu Zhenqing was a little unusual. Could it really be that Huo Fenglie had a change of heart? 

Although Huo Fenglie had expressed that he didn’t care about other people’s misunderstandings, Liu Zhenqing couldn’t let them go astray, ah.

“General Huo has vouched for me in front of the emperor, so he naturally must keep an eye on me. Regardless of whether he trusts me or not, he can rest assured if we act together. And isn’t it enough to have a few people in charge of the government office? Unless troops and horses are needed to suppress it, there is no need for General Huo.”

Huo Fenglie nodded.

He Lan didn’t fall for this trick. He narrowed his eyes and said bluntly: “I think you just want to leave us so you can act alone.”

Although He Lan meant going on a date alone, in a sense, he was right. They intended to investigate the tax money, so how could they not act alone?

Thus, when they arrived at the government office, Huo Fenglie didn’t plan to show his face to the officials. He just went to the courtyard they were assigned under the guidance of a junior government servant, where he dropped them off and saluted. 

“What other instructions do the two gentlemen have?” The junior was pretty good-looking, youthful and energetic. Although he couldn’t figure out their identities, he knew they had come with the investigation team and treated them very warmly, his attitude neither humble nor overbearing.

Liu Zhenqing looked at him and asked directly, “Little brother, can you tell us how the case is progressing?”

Aiya, the progress is so slow. Every once in a while, someone comes to the government office gate crying and complaining that so-and-so of their family had been wronged, elders, pregnant women and children all kneeling on the ground, making it so noisy that not a single morning is quiet. The prison is overcrowded. Previously, only Prefect Cheng was conducting serious investigations, while others were just messing around. In the end, when the officials from the investigation team arrived a few days ago, they took action quickly, but it is said that the overall progress is still rather slow.” The junior lamented: “There are quite a lot of academies, candidates, and officials involved in this case. But fortunately they were discovered. I saw some candidates who were famous for their talents but failed to succeed, and many of them died in depression.”

“What about the magistrate of Tongmao Prefecture?” Liu Zhenqing asked.

The junior’s face changed slightly. “Magistrate Yao is old, and has been bedridden for a long time. He is ready to retire and return to his hometown. He doesn’t interfere much in these matters now and basically leaves them to the people below.”

Liu Zhenqing blinked, then suddenly said with a smile: “Little brother, you don’t look as if you’ve never read a book. Why did you end up working as a government servant, ah?

The junior likely hadn’t expected that Liu Zhenqing would suddenly turn to this topic. How could he, a little government servant, be noticed? When he reacted, he didn’t feel excited about being favored by a high official, and only said with a smile: “There are elders in the family who need to be taken care of. The work of a government servant is very leisurely most of the time, which is suitable for this humble one to take care of his family.”

“Such a filial person. What are you called?” Liu Zhenqing asked.

There was a flash of defensiveness in the eyes of the junior. “This one’s name is Du Dongfeng.”

Liu Zhenqing smiled and changed the topic: “I wonder where the best fish in the area is?”

Du Dongfeng’s brow furrowed slightly. Concealing his disdain, he still answered respectfully: “Of course it is Wan Zhao Tower, the best restaurant here. It’s just on Dongmen Street.”

Liu Zhenqing nodded and the junior retreated. When he turned around, he saw that Huo Fenglie was looking at him silently. 

Liu Zhenqing tilted his head with a smile: “What do you think?”

“He knows martial arts and has a good mind.”

Regarding his evaluation of Du Dongfeng, Liu Zhenqing nodded in agreement. The reason for sounding him out was not because he suspected something, but because he wondered why this small government servant had hidden such a good mind. 

“Magistrate Yao?” Huo Fenglie looked at Liu Zhenqing with a frown.

Liu Zhenqing shook his head: “I’m not familiar with him. When I was in office, there was indeed a tax money issue here, but he should not have been among the main culprits. Although…..I didn’t have a chance to solve it, but according to Yuan Jue’s nature, he should have solved it later. That the problem has arisen again only proves that it is not an issue that can be entirely eradicated, or that the protective umbrella over some people is too large and Yuan Jue couldn’t solve it for the time being, so he could only wait for the opportunity to take action again. I’m partial toward the latter. But now it is related to the rebels…..Bai Su’s brother, Bai Yu, was also sent by me to investigate the tax money matter.”

As he was thinking, Liu Zhenqing turned and was about to go out, but Huo Fenglie grabbed his arm.

Liu Zhenqing glanced back at him and saw the serious look on Huo Fenglie’s face: “How about I check on this matter and you rest.”

Liu Zhenqing was taken aback for a moment. He understood in his heart and couldn’t help but tease: “What? Do you feel sorry for Gege? Are you afraid I’ll feel unhappy thinking about the past while I investigate?”

Huo Fenglie looked at the smile on Liu Zhenqing’s lips and only felt discomfited.

Liu Zhenqing just wanted to tease Er-gou again. After all, Er-gou didn’t know the truth at that time. It was hearsay at most, all those rumors about his eagerness to rapidly levy harsh taxes. How could the treacherous minister be “unhappy?”

As a result, he heard a low voice: “En, I feel sorry.”

Liu Zhenqing was stunned. He felt as if he could hear a drumbeat vibrating deep in his soul. Somewhat dumbfoundedly, he raised his head and fell into two deep black pools. Every bit of light in those dark pools spoke of distress, and Liu Zhenqing could clearly see it.

Er-gou felt sorry?

This unfamiliar feeling caused Liu Zhenqing to give a dry cough. He had walked the difficult road of officialdom alone, and no one had ever been distressed for him. This feeling was so strange that Liu Zhenqing became inexplicably amused, stretching out his hand to rub Er-gou’s head. “Brat, you’ve really grown up, knowing how to feel sorry for others.”

Huo Fenglie was not bothered about his hair being messed up. He just grabbed Liu Zhenqing’s wrist and raised his eyes to look at him earnestly, only to see that Liu Zhenqing was smiling happily at this moment.

“Your Qing-ge isn’t going to feel bad, little fellow.” Liu Zhenqing smiled easily and took Huo Fenglie’s arm, walking out: “Let’s go shopping…..ah, go to work.”

They wandered around inquiring about news during the day, so it really felt like the two of them were taking a leisurely stroll.

Stopping here, looking there, joining the fun, and browsing the shops.

After some time, Huo Fenglie was holding a bunch of things to play with and eat in his hands. Since his identity was exposed, Liu Zhenqing spent Huo Fenglie’s money without any embarrassment at all.

Seeing Liu Zhenqing holding tanghulu in one hand and a sesame seed cake in the other, Huo Fenglie could only remind him: “We’re going to have lunch.”

As a result, Liu Zhenqing held a tanghulu in his mouth and looked back at him with a pair of innocent eyes. Huo Fenglie’s eyebrows twitched: “We can…..eat later.”

Liu Zhenqing grinned and reached out to hand over the tanghulu: “Here, eat one.”

The tall and mighty General Huo obediently leaned his head over on the crowded street and bit one off. Very sweet.

He Lan, who had also come to the street to search for news, happened to witness this scene.

The accompanying subordinate also saw it and exclaimed in shock: “Isn’t…..i-isn’t that General Huo?”

He Lan quickly reached over to cover his subordinate’s eyes and pushed him away: “No, no, you saw wrong.”

Heavens, he said their relationship was unusual, but they still wouldn’t admit it. This lovey-dovey behavior as if there was no one around, if others saw it, the great general who guards the country would lose his reputation, ah!


[1] Gou Dan (狗蛋) can either refer to an unreliable person or dog testicles.


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

The White Moonlight Stole Away the Little Substitute – Chapter Fourteen

In the early morning, Lu Qi got up and fed the kittens. These four little creatures were just able to open their eyes, and huddled together on the electric blanket, meowing whenever they were hungry. Lu Qi had set the alarm clock, and fed each one in a daze, also using wet wipes to help them go to the toilet. After tossing about for most of an hour, they went to sleep and Lu Qi fell back on the bed.

His sleepiness had subsided a lot, and he opened Bilibili to find a video to help him sleep, only to be shocked by the explosion of private messages. 

Some time ago, the private messages were full of malice. Lu Qi was a little worried about these red dots, and hesitantly clicked in to take a quick glance.

Huh?

His eyes widened, dark pupils illuminated by the light of his mobile phone.

[Hahahahahaha, heaven has eyes! Lu Baby, that 90° scumbag overturned!]

[Is wifey there? That bastard who spread rumors has been detained (attack) (attack)]

[ (image) (image) ]

[ (link) ]

Lu Qi clicked on the pictures first.

The police report with white letters on a blue background was issued by the precinct in Ninghai District, Beijing, where 90° Right Angle Bend was located. Its content stated that Liu Jiang was criminally detained by police in accordance with the law on suspicion of rape and gathering a crowd for promiscuity.

Liu Jiang—the real name of 90° Right Angle Bend.

Lu Qi was so frightened by the big melon rolling toward him that he couldn’t sleep anymore. He simply put a pillow behind him and found a more comfortable position to eat the melon.

In the dim morning light, there was the sound of a door opening and closing next door. Lu Qi tilted his head to listen. Mu Nanqiao’s footsteps going down the stairs were very soft. Thinking of the big, tall person cautiously tiptoeing downstairs, Lu Qi couldn’t help the curve of his lips, and raised a hand to rub his painful swollen eyes. The kittens mew mew’d, and Lu Qi put on slippers to go prepare milk powder. During the feeding, he thought about the 90° Right Angle melon.

Initially, it was a little-known personal media outlet that broke the news, claiming that Liu Jiang, a well-known internet celebrity, lured an underage female fan to have sex. There was even surveillance footage of the two people entering and leaving the hotel one after another.

But this was not firm evidence. Fans of Right Angle immediately rushed to that personal media outlet, claiming, Right Angle is gay, so how could he sleep with female fans?

The Weibo of the small personal media outlet that broke the news was quickly reported and deleted. However, forty minutes later, the media outlet came out with new revelations. The ruthless person didn’t say much, and there was only a series of pictures.

Several of the pictures couldn’t pass the censorship review and were blurred out. In them, Liu Jiang embraced a boy and a girl on the left and right, and was kissing the girl among them. Even though the boy’s face was blurred, it could be seen that it was not his current boyfriend, Honey Bear. In the blurry picture, Liu Jiang did not seem to be wearing pants.

Public opinion was currently exploding. Although some fans were quibbling that it wasn’t Liu Jiang in the pictures, more fans began to remain silent. After all, Liu Jiang wasn’t a star, and there were still only a few people who had been truly brainwashed.

Later, the personal video outlet released a video.

Someone had taken a video of the police crackdown on pornography and illegal activities from a distance. Red and blue lights flashed, and only the vague figures of men and women could be seen from so far away. However, the person who took the video was close to the parking lot. A fancy red sports car was parked at the very edge, exactly the same as the one Lui Jiang had posted about some time ago. 

Finally, the hammer fell, and the Ninghai District Precinct issued a police report.

Bilibili blocked the channel “90° Right Angle Bend” overnight.

In short, Liu Jiang was finished.

Lu Qi’s private messages were all asking him to watch the fun.

A little kitten vigorously sucked the milk from the syringe, and Lu Qi yawned tiredly.

He had seen enough of the excitement and was a little sleepy.

Of course he felt happy that the scum received the punishment he deserved, but this excitement didn’t last long. As the temporary father of four cubs, he finished feeding the kittens who were waiting for food and then lay back to catch up on his sleep.

Hugging the pillow, he fell into an extraordinarily deep sleep.

At the same time, Mu Nanqiao had changed into a formal dark brown three-piece suit and was sitting in the car on the way to Mu Group.

He had his own driver, so he could focus on looking through the interesting things he found.

The assistant had stayed up late the night before doing errands, and had dark patches under his eyes. It served that internet celebrity right to get in trouble. That person had no idea he was being targeted, and even gathered a crowd to have a party. Once it was reported, he was caught.

Thinking of the boss’s “cat holding a knife” emoji the night before, he couldn’t help but shiver and send a covert glance toward his boss.

Mu Nanqiao rested his elbow against the car window, leaning the side of his face on his hand. The morning light fell on his impeccably handsome face, and the light and shadow gave his features more three-dimensionality. Even in the back row, the space in this car was worthy of its price, and the boss could still cross his legs in a leisurely and elegant posture. Leisurely looking at…..erotic art?!!

The assistant almost choked to death on his own saliva. He swore he hadn’t peeked on purpose, and only glanced over vaguely, but the more vague it was, the more the overlapping and entangled figures became suspicious, ahhhhh! 

He covered his mouth, not daring to cough loudly, and his face turned red.

Heaven protect him, he had originally wanted to sit in the passenger seat today, but his boss stabbed him with his eyes and took him to the back. Upon closer inspection, there was a round, chubby neck pillow in the shape of a running deer strapped to the backrest of the passenger seat.

As a result, he saw something he shouldn’t have seen while sitting in the back. Would he be fired from Mu Group tomorrow for this blunder? 

But the boss was really not very normal lately. Although his boss had always had a gloomy and twisted temperament, in the past two days, he had become like a pervert with a heart full of love.

“If you need to cough, just cough.” Mu Nanqiao said leisurely, “It would be troublesome to deal with if you suffocated to death in my car.”

The assistant felt that “deal with” referred to digging a hole and burying the body.

He finally couldn’t hold it in anymore, and tilted his head to cough several times to his heart’s content.

Mu Nanqiao ignored him and continued to watch Lu Qi’s next video.

Before, he had only known that his neighbor was a painter, but didn’t know the exact type of paintings he did. It was indeed very interesting.

If the owner allowed it, Lu Qi would put watermarks on some of the drawing processes and release them for everyone to enjoy. Not all of them were obscene images, and there were also some fandom commissions. 

Lu Qi had his own style. Most of the drawings highlighted the sense of atmosphere. Under the strong color contrast, the smooth body contours of the characters and the hints of small hidden details were sometimes more impactful than direct nudity.

The sponsors’ aesthetics were diverse, and the little neighbor was also well-informed, with a rich reserve of theoretical knowledge.

Mu Nanqiao clicked the follow button and posted a comment on Lu Qi’s latest video using his newly-registered account.

[Leonid lvl.2: Sticking to Wife~ (kitten head)]

During lunch, he received a like and reply from Wife Xiao Lu.

[LU Deer: Thank you for the like~ (finger heart)]

The assistant, who had not been fired, looked up and saw that bright smile on the boss’s face again. His expression was so tender that water could be squeezed out, which made his already outstanding face dazzling and difficult to look at straight-on.

So the assistant buried his head lower, wishing he could bury it in a plate of food.

In ancient times, the great palace eunuch could not easily detect the emperor’s thoughts. Even if he knew, he would pretend not to know. The assistant felt that he was the great palace eunuch now.

This smile, like the neck pillow on the passenger seat, was an indescribable and sacred holy edict, ah.

. . . . . . .

Mu Nanqiao had a social event in the afternoon and drank some wine. After that, he did not return to the company, but told the driver to take him back to the Garden Community.

He didn’t have the car drive to the gate of the community, but stopped at Hengjin Secondary School. He got out of the car alone, faced the setting sun, and walked slowly along the sidewalk.

The snow-white teaching building opposite was shrouded in the orange light of the sunset, windows reflecting the light. A broadcast sounded, and melodious piano music enveloped the entire campus.

Inside the main entrance of the school were flower beds, fountains, and acres of greenery. There were not many students on the tree-lined road. School had not yet ended, and many of the students were active on the two playgrounds at the back. His gaze passed through the flawless white fountain, directly toward the southeast part of the school. 

There used to be an old warehouse there. Its area wasn’t large. Strictly speaking, it was not part of the Hengin Secondary School campus, but it was filled with old tables, chairs, and sports equipment. For some unknown reason, the ventilation windows located up high were sealed from the outside. The warehouse originally had poor lighting, and once the lights were turned off and the doors shut, it was like a deep sea full of silt, cold, silent, and suffocating.

And at that time, he still didn’t know how to endure silently and outmaneuver others. It hurt when the fists fell on him, and of course he had to fight back. He couldn’t beat the group of people, and focused solely on the leader. That person was his cousin, Mu Rui, the youngest son of his second uncle’s family.

When he was pulled away from Mu Rui, his mouth was full of blood that wasn’t his. He had bitten a piece of flesh from Mu Rui’s arm.

Those following Mu Rui feared that the Mu family would be angry later, so they hurriedly sent Mu Rui to the hospital while others stayed behind to beat Mu Nanqiao up. They suppressed him with a chain they had found out of nowhere, tied his hands behind his back, and locked him in the warehouse.

Mu Nanqiao knew why Mu Rui had done this. His cousin was an out-and-out ass-kisser, and the girl he liked was a candidate for the next day’s competition. As a contestant, if something happened to him, then another candidate would naturally be able to take over.

Every wound on his body hurt. This was the worst he had been injured in the past six months. He curled up on the cold cement floor and began to have a fever during the second half of the night. It seemed there was some kind of evil spirit in the darkness, twisting and tearing at him.

He knew he wouldn’t be able to call out to anyone, or else someone would have come when he was being beaten. And now he didn’t have the strength to call for help. The pain in his chest and abdomen took his breath away. 

Was he going to die?

This question kept turning around and around in his mind, and in the end, he nearly laughed.

In the previous ten years of his life, he had so many wonderful things, such as a clever mind, the love of his parents, and endless praises. But those seemed to have been destroyed with ease, lost in the dark night of the past six months.

Human beings were truly fragile things. It took a lot of sunshine, flowers, and love to build a beautiful soul, but only one long, silent night to destroy a person.

He closed his eyes.

After an unknown amount of time, he heard a slight sound.

Pst, pst, pst.

At first, Mu Nanqiao thought he had heard wrong.

But someone continued to make the “Pst pst” sound you would use to call a puppy.

A young man murmured in confusion, “Xu Hengxing, are you sure it’s around here? It’s early in the morning, I have to compete later…..okay, then I’ll look for another five minutes at most, and I’ll search with you after I finish the competition…..”

The other party seemed to be on the phone. After hanging up, footsteps gradually approached.

Mu Nanqiao squeezed out a few senseless groans from his throat.

The sound was too soft, and he almost gave up hope. The high fever had made him a little muddle-headed, and he wasn’t even certain he had made a sound.

The door of the warehouse was pushed twice, but it was locked, and the two iron doors remained motionless. The other party asked a couple of questions, and then the footsteps became distant.

Mu Nanqiao’s heart sank a little bit.

But then a window above his head was pried open, and sunlight fell in.

He worked hard to turn over and lay on his back. Only a slit remained in his swollen eyes, and he could just barely see a clean, slender hand.

The owner of that hand must not have been tall enough, because he only opened the ventilation window a crack and then retracted his hand. After a moment, it seemed his feet were raised higher, and the hand was finally able to fully extend in.

The person outside the window still couldn’t see in. Only a swaying tuft of hair was exposed, and he continued to “Pst pst” uncertainly.

Mu Nanqiao said hoarsely: “…..I’m a human being.”

The person outside the window gave a short, surprised exclamation, and Mu Nanqiao heard clearly that it indeed was a youngster.

This memory was vague. He had a fever, and was in a daze as he listened to the young man call the police. While waiting for rescue, the young man continued to talk to him. 

Whenever he stopped speaking, that hand reaching in would swing anxiously, the bracelet on his wrist trembling like a little butterfly flying around with its eyes closed.

The shaking made him even more dizzy.

But the morning light clearly danced on the butterfly’s wings, saying silently: It is dawn.


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Chapter Thirteen << Table of Contents >> Chapter Fifteen