“Send troops,” Liu Zhenqing said directly. “Now that we have determined where the rebels are, there is no need to consider future issues. Since Zhao Haicheng told the governor that the evacuation deadline is in five days, regardless of whether or not there is a trap, the sooner we send troops, the better it is for us.”

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Huo Fenglie and Song Xingmu asked at the same time: “How many people are on the island?”

He Lan said: “There are less than five hundred people with combat effectiveness.”

Song Xingmu glanced at Liu Zhenqing and Huo Fenglie, saying: “I can mobilize a thousand people here. They are my trusted subordinates.”

“You can go to sea in the name of purging pirates. As for the reason……Yi Chuan was injured and the Sea King is furious.” Liu Zhenqing cooperated tacitly.

Song Xingmu and Liu Zhenqing exchanged glances with a smile.

“The remaining troops on shore…..” Song Xingmu looked at Huo Fenglie.

Huo Fenglie said: “I will go to nearby prefectures to mobilize troops. The fastest round-trip is three days. I will muster fifty thousand troops, enough to surround the entire city.”

Liu Zhenqing nodded and said: “Fenglie will go mobilize troops, and Brother Qin and Brother He will accompany Captain Song to prepare to go to sea. How about we start moving at noon today?”

Huo Fenglie and Song Xingmu nodded in tacit agreement. Qin Yu and He Lan were also about to nod, when they suddenly realized it was Liu Zhenqing giving orders, ah. Never mind Huo Fenglie, but why would Captain Song, who was senior to them, obey orders, ah? Although their hearts were full of surprise, Liu Zhenqing’s analysis and arrangements were good, so they could only listen.

When the discussion was over, Qin Yu grabbed Huo Fenglie with a serious expression.

Huo Fenglie stayed.

Unresigned, He Lan said: “What do you need to talk about again? Can’t I listen?”

He Lan stared closely at Qin Yu when he said this. Looking for Huo Fenglie as soon as they returned, he feared he had forgotten which man was with him last night!

But Qin Yu still said coldly: “No.”

“Yundu, you go out first.” Huo Fenglie cooperated.

“You! You guys!” He Lan took a deep breath and was about to get angry, when he heard Liu Zhenqing say: “Brother Qin hasn’t eaten anything up to now. Brother He, why don’t you go to the kitchen with me and find some food to bring him?”

Liu Zhenqing stepped forward to pull him away, but He Lan would only go down two steps.

After coming out, He Lan couldn’t help but complain: “He and I have been through thick and thin together, what can’t he tell me, ah? He’s so…..so heartless!”

Seeing how angry He Lan was, Liu Zhenqing smiled and said: “You and they are brothers, so at least believe what they are talking about is serious.”

“Even though I know it’s serious business……”

“Don’t be jealous at this critical moment.”

He Lan immediately denied it: “I’m not, don’t talk nonsense.”

When they arrived at the kitchen, Liu Zhenqing watched as He Lan carefully selected something for Qin Yu, who was currently feeling unwell. He found it amusing, and couldn’t help but tease: “Speaking of which, the relationship between your Jinyiwei and the Dongchang is very bad. If you became brothers with Fenglie as a bridge between you, that would be fine, but if you were together, the bosses on both sides would certainly have something to say about it.”

He Lan said without hesitation, “Hmph, even if they are the bosses, no one can control who I want to be with!” 

Liu Zhenqing gave a treacherous smile, and even He Lan was embarrassed when he realized.

The two of them walked back, and Liu Zhenqing couldn’t help but ask more about the island.

He heard He Lan say that the people on the islands, whether rebels or islanders, hated Liu Zhenqing very much. Even He Lan found this very strange. It was natural for the traitors to hate him, after all, it was Liu Zhenqing who had pushed them to this point. But what did the islanders have against Liu Zhenqing, ah? According to what Liu Zhenqing had done here, they should be grateful.

But it was very difficult to say. Weren’t there still people who said that Liu Zhenqing colluded with pirates for profit? Perhaps those who hated pirates were angry toward Liu Zhenqing.

Liu Zhenqing constantly felt a strange uneasiness in his heart while listening to He Lan.

As for the martial arts master who knocked them out and sent them away, then went to the Huo Family courtyard to report the news, he was really not simple. There was a traitor among the rebels, or someone who was unwilling to join the conspiracy. Liu Zhenqing was biased toward someone really lending a hand. In any case, a smart rebel would think of a better way to use these two people than sending them out.

But how did that person know He Lan and Qin Yu? Not only must he know about them to arrange such a move, but also their relationship with Huo Fenglie. With such high martial arts skills, Liu Zhenqing couldn’t help but think of one person. But he wouldn’t hang around with rebels. Could it be…..because of that mission?

Liu Zhenqing didn’t allow himself to think too much. The more he thought, the more anxious he became.

“Done talking?” He Lan raised an eyebrow.

“En. You should rest as soon as possible. There are still three hours before noon.” When he finished speaking, Huo Fenglie pulled Liu Zhenqing over and walked out.

He Lan walked in with the food and saw Qin Yu sitting at the table with a solemn look on his face.

“Is there a problem that’s difficult to solve? I can help, ah. Don’t you believe in my capabilities?” He Lan handed over the food as he spoke.

Qin Yu raised his head and glanced at He Lan. He took the food and gave his thanks, and it was unknown if he was thanking him for the food or He Lan’s thoughts.

He lan was endlessly angry, and refused to stop asking insinuating questions, but Qin Yu turned a deaf ear, immersed in his own thoughts.

When he was done eating, Qin Yu raised his head at last and said impatiently: “I’m very tired, and my whole body hurts. We’re leaving at noon, so I need to rest now.”

These words stifled He Lan. After all, it was he who had caused Qin Yu’s fatigue.

He Lan coughed. “Then let me use my internal strength to massage you. The ointment used by the miracle doctor works very well. You can’t go to sleep until the massage is done, don’t delay business.”

As he spoke, He Lan took out the ointment he had hidden. 

Qin Yu turned a gloomy look toward him, then looked at the ointment in his hand.

He Lan reacted instantly with a cough. Not long ago, he had used this ointment to help Qin Yu…..

“Don’t think blindly, ah. I still know what’s right when it comes to serious matters. This is indeed for a massage.”

Qin Yu withdrew his gaze and walked directly to the bed in the inner room, acquiescing to He Lan’s proposal.

But when He Lan adjusted his mood and walked in with the ointment, he suddenly stopped breathing.

Qin Yu could be seen standing beside the bed and taking off all of his clothing, revealing his lean white back.

And there were various marks left by He Lan on that back, including the handprints on both sides of his slim waist.

He Lan’s eyes instantly reddened with desire. “You…..”

“Aren’t you going to massage me? Come on.”

Upon saying this, Qin Yu lay right down on the bed. He didn’t seem to care at all about the man behind him who had pressed him to the bed all night.

He Lan finally felt what it meant to drop a rock on his own foot, and adjusted his breathing several times before stepping forward.

He had originally planned to sit sideways on the edge of the bed, but his hands would be really weak like that. “Then let me get on top and massage. It will be more convenient.” He Lan was truly sincere when he said this.

Qin Yu hesitated for a moment, but still nodded.

He Lan jumped onto the bed and half-knelt over Qin Yu, not daring to sit down. But when he reached out to massage, he felt that the muscles under his hands were tight.

He Lan’s eyes flashed. As expected, Qin Yu was putting on a show of not caring. Now it was finally his turn to calm down.

As soon as He Lan was relaxed and proud, he became shameless and no longer held himself back. The movements of the massage became firmer and firmer, testing Qin Yu’s bottom line little by little and teasing him to the end.

At last, Qin Yu couldn’t bear it anymore: “He Yundu! If you can’t control that thing, I’ll help castrate you!”

He Lan’s lips rose: “There’s no way, it seems to get a little out of control when I’m facing you. In this posture, the residual memories compel me. When you asked me to come up, you should have expected this result. Or did you do it on purpose?”

Qin Yu said coldly: “I didn’t expect that you would still be a beast at this time. If you don’t want to massage me, then scram.”

“Don’t worry, I haven’t even taken off my pants yet, so I can’t be considered a beast. Besides, we have to leave at noon. No matter how shameless I am, I wouldn’t add any more to your burden.” He Lan continued to massage as he spoke.

Qin Yu found it laughable. He said it himself that he was shameless, yet thought himself infallible. 

“So you also know that you’re shameless?”

“It is you who makes me shameless.”

Qin Yu couldn’t be bothered to waste his words on him, and pretended that he couldn’t feel anything. In any case, this sort of fraternization appeared in various instances on the island. In his opinion, He Lan was just a stallion who couldn’t control himself, and he had long become accustomed to it.

“How about you tell me your little secret with Zhanyuan, and I’ll quit being shameless.”

Qin Yu scoffed coldly.

He Lan was at his wits end. He knew what Qin Yu was like, and if he refused to tell anyone, even torture to extract a confession would be useless.

He Lan couldn’t help but gripe: “If I had known, I would have asked last night when you were cooperating with everything. Torture might be useless, but that kind of forced confession might work.” When He Lan finished speaking, he shifted intentionally.

In a flash, Qin Yu looked back wrathfully at He Lan and shoved him away. “Get out of here, I don’t need you!”

He Lan hid back, watching Qin Yu’s red lips opening and closing. Although he was scolding him, it was still very seductive. He suddenly said: “You have such a hard mouth, so why is it so soft when you kiss? Could it be that I felt wrong?”

Qin Yu was stunned when He Lan suddenly rushed over, embraced him, and kissed him until he nearly suffocated. Only then did he realize that he had been pulled to lay on top of He Lan while He Lan’s hands continued to massage him, as if this posture was more beneficial.

Qin Yu tried to get up, but was restrained by He Lan.

“If you move again, I won’t hold back.” He Lan shifted threateningly.

Qin Yu’s face changed colors, and he really didn’t move for a while.

“Let me kiss you again to calm the fire.” He Lan raised an eyebrow and pressed forward.

Qin Yu’s eyes widened. He couldn’t believe that he had given in so much and made this person so shameless.

As a result, one of He Lan’s hands continued to massage while the other held the back of Qin Yu’s head. After a period of resistance, He Lan finally got his wish. Qin Yu struggled but finally closed his eyes.

After the massage, He Lan really did stop acting like a scoundrel. Holding Qin Yu in his arms, they both fell into a deep sleep, conserving their energy for serious matters.

On the other side, Huo Fenglie told Liu Zhenqing the truth.

“He saw his adoptive father’s confidants coming and going on the island.”

Liu Zhenqing’s expression changed slightly. “Who is the Dongchang loyal to now?”

Originally, the Dongchang and Jinyiwei should be entirely loyal to the emperor.

Huo Fenglie remained silent, because he didn’t know the answer. If they were loyal to the emperor, then what was happening with the current situation? If they weren’t loyal to the emperor, then what on earth was the Dongchang doing? Could the eunuchs be involved in politics or be loyal to someone else?

Liu Zhenqing suddenly opened his mouth: “No matter what the situation is or what the Dongchang is involved in, just pretend you don’t know. Do not tell Yuan Jue.” 

Huo Fenglie was a little surprised: “Why?”

Liu Zhenqing looked at Huo Fenglie for a moment and then reached out to touch his firm and persistent face.

Huo Fenglie could only freeze, a bit lost as he looked at Liu Zhenqing.

Liu Zhenqing’s eyes were somewhat dazed. He was worried. Even if there was a one in ten thousand chance, he was worried for the person most involved in all this, Huo Fenglie. He worried that Yuan Jue would want to do away with him. Wouldn’t both sides suffer?!

Perhaps his thoughts were too dark. And logically speaking, Yuan Jue had no reason to do away with the Huo family, which helped him protect the country. But Liu Zhenqing was still worried. He could not tolerate even the slight possibility. His Er-gou could not be harmed by others.

But in the face of the Huo family’s nature, Liu Zhenqing still couldn’t speak directly. He could only say: “Just don’t say anything for now. In any case, your brother is also involved, so let’s investigate slowly. Okay?”

Huo Fenglie regarded Liu Zhenqing for a moment, then nodded obediently and said: “Qin Yu also intends to rush back to the capital to investigate after the matter here is over.”

“He plans to deal with his adoptive father?” Liu Zhenqing asked.

“He wants to make sure that his adoptive father was kept in the dark, and also wants to persuade him. I think this move is very dangerous, and I don’t agree with it, but Qin Yu has made up his mind.”

Liu Zhenqing looked at Huo Fenglie and said: “Rather than saying that he is loyal to Great Zhou, I think that he truly regards you as a brother and has his own set of right and wrong in his heart.”

Huo Fenglie said: “Me, He Lan, and Bai Su are all his brothers. If he is with the Dongchang, he will become our enemy. He has made his choice. He just asked me for one more thing.”

“If the Dongchang matter fails, does he want you to spare his adoptive father’s life?” Liu Zhenqing asked.

Huo Fenglie nodded. “He said he would disappear with his adoptive father.”

Liu Zhenqing was momentarily stunned, thinking that if he left, what would He Lan do?

But if it really got to that point, it would be very difficult for the two, considering their identities.

After talking about Qin Yu’s affairs, he mentioned the arrangements for troop deployment.

“Qing-ge, travel will be difficult all the way. Let me prepare a riding outfit for you.”

Liu Zhenqing was taken aback: “Who said I intended to go with you?”

Huo Fenglie stared blankly for a moment, then said with a frown: “You’re not coming with me? Do you want to go to sea with Captain Song and the others?”

Smiling, Liu Zhenqing said: “You’re in a rush, and they need to go out to sea and wait for an opportunity. There may be a dangerous battle later, so why should I, a weak scholar, hold everyone back, ah? This matter isn’t complicated, and doesn’t require any further effort from me.”

“But you’ll be here alone,” Huo Fenglie said at once.

“Yi Chuan is still here recovering. Song Xingmu must have arranged guards, and the assassins still don’t know that we’re here. I’m not their main target, and it’s safe to stay in the other courtyard,” Liu Zhenqing said.

Huo Fenglie could not refute, but he would feel uneasy without Liu Zhenqing in front of him.

Looking at Huo Fenglie’s serious expression that carried a subtle hint of grievance, Liu Zhenqing’s heart melted. He couldn’t help but tease: “Can’t bear to leave me? You wish for me to be at your side at all times?”

Huo Fenglie froze. The words were so ambiguous that he didn’t dare answer.

Suddenly, Liu Zhenqing grabbed Huo Fenglie and led him inside.

Before he could react, he had already been pulled to the bed.

Huo Fenglie was pushed onto the bed by Liu Zhenqing. Seeing that Liu Zhenqing was about to reach out and untie his outer garment, Huo Fenglie was dumbfounded by the other’s unpredictable behavior.

“Qing-ge!” Huo Fenglie grabbed Liu Zhenqing’s hands in shock.

Liu Zhenqing said, deadpan: “What are you doing?”

Huo Fenglie: Wasn’t that what he should be asking?

Seeing Huo Fenglie’s look of alarm, Liu Zhenqing smiled and said: “What’s wrong? Aren’t you leaving for three days?”

Huo Fenglie: So…..so what?

Liu Zhenqing raised an eyebrow and said: “No more acupuncture? A medicinal bath can be delayed, but acupuncture is still indispensable. I’ll give you an acupuncture point map when the time comes, so remember to find a doctor for acupuncture along the way. It can’t be skipped, understand?”

Without him as a burden, Huo Fenglie’s calculated time should be shorter. This extra time would help him in finding a doctor for acupuncture.

Upon hearing this, Huo Fenglie regained his composure and obediently took off his clothes so that Liu Zhenqing could begin the acupuncture. 

But after the acupuncture was finished, Liu Zhenqing did not go to rest, nor did he let him get dressed.

Huo Fenglie grabbed his clothes and looked at Liu Zhenqing. Although he still had a straight face, he looked pitiful.

Liu Zhenqing lay down and patted the bed next to him, saying: “Lie down and sleep for a while, you didn’t even get any rest last night. Build up your strength.”

“I…..”

“Sleep with me for a while. Be good.” After speaking, Liu Zhenqing closed his eyes. Sure enough, Huo Fenglie lay down after a moment in just his inner clothes.

Huo Fenglie had just calmed his breathing when Liu Zhenqing turned around and poked Huo Fenglie’s side. He turned to look.

Liu Zhenqing said with a smile: “Er-gou, although business is important, I must still remind you that your body is more important. Don’t mess around and make me angry.”

“I understand,” Huo Fenglie said.

“That’s the spirit. If you don’t obey, I will…..punish you.” Liu Zhenqing slowly drew closer with an indescribable sense of oppression. The distance continued to shrink until their noses touched. Liu Zhenqing could feeling Huo Fenglie’s breathing stop, and his pupils quivered slightly.

“I…..I understand.”

Liu Zhenqing’s lips rose slightly. His gaze slowly swept from Huo Fenglie’s nervous eyes to his lips, and Huo Fenglie noticed all of this. It caused his heart to beat like a drum. This highly suggestive act was too deceptive. Huo Fenglie clenched his fists nervously, lying on the bed like a wooden plank and not daring to move at all. 

Suddenly, Liu Zhenqing gave an “Ah,” as if the arm he was supporting himself with had slipped.

Huo Fenglie felt his lips being pressed softly, neither hard nor light. It was the same touch as the night before. It struck Huo Fenglie’s heart and soul like an overwhelming toxin, and at that moment, his fists clenched with a snapping sound.

“Aiyaya, so sorry, my arms are very sore.” As he spoke, Liu Zhenqing lay back and pretended nothing was wrong, as if he hadn’t kissed him just now. Like it was just a bump, and no one was taken advantage of at all.

The corners of Liu Zhenqing’s mouth rose as he lay quietly with the lingering memory. It was time to say goodbye. If he didn’t kiss him, when would he get the chance? Since Er-gou wouldn’t take the initiative, he had to find a way.

But Huo Fenglie to the side didn’t dare turn his head to look, fearing that just one glance would make him lose control.

Was it intentional…..or unintentional? It should be…..unintentional.

Huo Fenglie truly felt as if his brain had been burned out, and didn’t dare think too much about it.

In the end, Liu Zhenqing was the only one who fell asleep without a care. After falling asleep, he still used Huo Fenglie as a pillow, clinging to him tightly. Huo Fenglie couldn’t rest at all, and could only let Liu Zhenqing hug him while watching silently. When he couldn’t help himself, he only dared to press a kiss to Qing-ge’s hair.

On the other side, Song Xingmu stayed quietly with Yi Chuan for a while until the time was up. When he stood and was about to leave, there was a tug on the hem of his clothes.

Song Xingmu turned and saw that Yi Chuan looked as if he intended to get up: “I want to go too.”

“What foolishness is this?” Amused, Song Xingmu pushed him back down.

Yi Chuan frowned. “I can still fight.”

“I’ve put notices up asking the entire city to find talented doctors to treat you. If you showed up on the boat with me, wouldn’t you be exposing me?” 

Song Xingmu had said that only with great fanfare would they believe that Song Xingmu was so angry that he went off in a rage to kill pirates.

“But you…..”

Song Xingmu raised his hand and said: “Even though one hand is disabled, my martial arts skills are still intact, and there will be others around. I’ll just be giving orders. You should recuperate well and wait for me to return victorious.”

Seeing that Yi Chuan wanted to say more, Song Xingmu suddenly laughed. Touching his chin, he examined Yi Chuan and said: “Yi Chuan, ah, you’re so worried, ah. I understand. Although you usually call me a pervert, you actually like me, right? Are you afraid that I will fall in love with someone else when I join other outstanding people?”

Yi Chuan expression immediately distorted. He grabbed the short sword to the side and launched it at Song Xingmu’s face.

Song Xingmu caught it with one hand. Yi Chuan was stunned when he saw this beautiful sword-dancing movement, just like when Song Xingmu would dance with a sword in the past.

Song Xingmu put the short sword on his waist and gave him a wink. “I’m leaving. Recuperate well. If your injuries have gotten worse when I return, see if I don’t spank you.”

At a quarter to noon, everyone gathered. 

Liu Zhenqing patted the horse Chen Jiangyue’s nose, whispering next to its ear: “Remember, bring Er-gou back to me safely.”

Chen Jiangyue huffed disdainfully, and its owner patted it. 

The other three people left one after another. Huo Fenglie sat on the horse and looked at Liu Zhenqing. His eyes were filled with tenderness and affection, which finally turned into the sentence: “Wait for me.”

Liu Zhenqing nodded with a smile and watched him leave.

After that, Liu Zhenqing stayed in Yi Chuan’s courtyard, waiting for news. He soon heard that Song Xingmu had left by boat. The plan was officially launched. Midway, he also received the painting from Lao Ding. Liu Zhenqing couldn’t be bothered to open it, and wanted to burn it on the spot.

But he thought about this five thousand taels of gold, ah, and the painting was bought by Huo Fenglie. It would be no good to destroy it directly. But Liu Zhenqing couldn’t help feeling sour when he thought of Huo Fenglie’s eyes gazing at the painting.

Okay, it was decided. He would wait for Huo Fenglie to come back before destroying it. If he dared to bare his teeth, then just wait and see.

Two days later, Yi Chuan was basically able to get out of bed, but still moved with difficulty. Liu Zhenqing stayed with him for a while, and when he prepared to go back, Yi Chuan suddenly grabbed him. His expression changed slightly as he pulled him toward the back room.

“There is killing intent. It’s the enemy,” Yi Chuan said succinctly, and stuffed him into the closet.

Liu Zhenqing looked at Yi Chuan, who was unsteady on his feet. How could he allow him to take risks? He pulled him into the closet as well. “We should hide together and take a look at the situation first.”

Soon after, a group of people rushed in and began rummaging through the house.

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Chapter Eighty-Nine << Table of Contents >> Chapter Ninety-One

The moon was bright and the stars were few. On a rare night when he didn’t have to work overtime, He Chuzhou was forced to give up his leisure time walking his dog and drive to the hospital.

Naturally, the dog didn’t come.

History tended to repeat itself.

Different time, same place. After catching up on his sleep and walking the dog, He Chuzhou once again stood at the door of the hospital ward, facing the same doctor as during the day and discussing the same topic about the same person.

He Chuzhou: “So he really has side effects?”

The doctor nodded affirmatively: “Judging from the current situation, that is indeed the case.”

Was this person a voice-con, repeating everything he said?

He Chuzhou asked again: “Then when will he recover?”

The doctor: “It could be as soon as three to five hours or as slow as three to five days. It could also be three to five weeks. I can’t say for sure.”

He Chuzhou’s head hurt when he heard this probability: “Why didn’t you contact his family?”

Speaking of this, the doctor was also very helpless: “The patient claimed that he had contacted his family and they would pick him up soon. We didn’t know that the person he contacted was you.”

Doctor: “He is now out of his coma. He doesn’t want anyone to touch his phone and insists that you are his family member. There is nothing we can do.”

This situation was indeed difficult to handle. He Chuzhou lifted his hand and pinched the bridge of his nose: “I’ll find a way to contact his family in a moment.”

The doctor had great trust in this warm-hearted passerby, and after saying, “We’ll trouble you,” he took the medical files and went elsewhere.

It was getting late now, and there were not many people left in the hallway of the inpatient department.

He Chuzhou turned and walked into the ward, and the eyes glued to him moved accordingly.

Pei Xi was looking at him.

This was really an unprecedented first.

It should be known that in the past, this person would have ignored him to the end. His boundaries were clearly drawn, and no matter when or where, he wouldn’t bother to look at him.

The change of attitude was so sudden that He Chuzhou couldn’t help but stop in front of the hospital bed and observe.

From the full, smooth forehead to the straight and narrow bridge of his nose, from the slightly drooping corners of his eyes hidden by long eyelashes to the moderately thin pursed lips. The cold white skin. The sharp jaw.

In fact, since returning to China a few years ago, He Chuzhou had heard others describe Pei Xi as “beautiful” more than once.

He had thought at first that it was an exaggeration, because it was really hard to imagine how a man could be described as beautiful.

Later, when he saw him with his own eyes, he unexpectedly found that describing Pei Xi with this word was practically a tailor-made fit.

It was impossible to deny that Pei Xi was beautiful. And it was not the androgynous sort of beauty. Viewed from a completely male perspective, it could be said that he was a beauty that was entirely pleasing to the eye.

It was a pity that his temperament was so cold and his style of behavior was overly strict. His entire being exuded an aura that would repel people thousands of miles away, and his extremely beautiful appearance was reduced to 8.8 points due to the alienation welded to his face.

Especially when facing He Chuzhou, the inexplicable disgust in his eyes practically solidified and fell out.

But the Pei Xi in front of him was nothing like the Pei Xi he knew well.

The long-condensed frost between his brows had melted completely, becoming a stream connecting snow-capped mountains on a plateau, enveloped in gentleness and delicacy beneath the coolness. When staring straight at a person, even his eyes were incredibly soft.

An unprecedented brain-addled Pei Xi.

It was quite novel.

He Chuzhou’s eyebrows shifted slightly and he bent down, putting himself and the patient at the same level as they looked at each other: “You’ve left so many relatives and friends without contact, and only took advantage of me. President Pei, are you touching porcelain to cheat me?”

Pei Xi sat back on the bed with the blanket pulled to his waist, staring at him without saying a word.

He Chuzhou: “Let’s talk it over, can you give your parents a call?”

Pei Xi pursed the corners of his mouth slightly, but still did not speak.

“What, are you worried about them knowing?”

After some thought, He Chuzhou changed his mind: “Otherwise, can you call a friend? Or a sibling?”

Pei Xi still did not speak.

He Chuzhou waited for a while and then simply stretched out his hand: “Then give me your phone and I’ll find someone suitable, okay?”

At this time, instead of saying anything, Pei Xi silently put his hand behind his back and stuffed his cellphone under the pillow, an action of silent refusal.

He Chuzhou didn’t understand. He straightened up and hissed: “President Pei, what are you—”

“He Chuzhou.”

The person who had long been silent was finally willing to speak.

It was just that his voice was off. There was a faint tremor in the calmness, and the expression wasn’t right, his eyes slightly red: “Do you want to divorce me?”

He Chuzhou: “……?”

He Chuzhou: “? ? ? ? ?”

*

*

“It’s my fault, I don’t want to divorce.”

“You’re not angry?”

“It’s not that I purposely didn’t pick you up, I was so busy with the things at hand that I forgot. I don’t intend to divorce you.”

Driving out of the hospital parking lot, He Chuzhou made pleasant remarks along the way, his words a bit frazzled. But the person in the passenger seat was still sulking, and firmly pointed the back of his head at him.

When he took the time to turn his head and look, Pei Xi’s appearance was reflected in the car window under the night sky. His expression was very mild, but he exuded grievance and sadness everywhere.

He Chuzhou was really at his wits end.

He had to retract his previous opinion at the hospital. A brain-addled Pei Xi was not novel, but troublesome.

Before this, he had never met anyone so difficult to coax. Even if that girl He Aiyue came, she would have to accept defeat.

He also hadn’t expected that Pei Xi’s memory problem was not simply a matter of confusion, but had directly edited and inserted brand new memories into his brain.

He Chuzhou, who had inexplicably become a “married person,” didn’t care much about this. After all, it was not him who should be sweating, but Pei Xi once he returned to his senses.

For such a person who could not tolerate things outside of his own views, when he realized what he had done during his confusion, there was no telling how revolted he would be.

As for the family member issue, he had brought him to the hospital, so he couldn’t actually leave him alone there. Since he couldn’t contact his real family members, he had to be taken back by his fake family member first.

But right now, what was the deal with being unable to coax him no matter how hard he tried?

He tapped the steering wheel from time to time, recalling the methods he used to coax He Aiyue in the past, and tried them all on Pei Xi one by one.

“Do you want milk tea?”

“Do you want to eat cake?”

“A new skirt…..do you want new clothes?”

“I can take you to the mall to ride the sightseeing train?”

It was no use.

It was no use at all.

After talking for a long time, the only response he got was the throaty female vocals of the music in the car.

He Chuzhou gave up.

If he couldn’t be coaxed, he wouldn’t coax him. If he wanted to be angry, then he could just be angry.

It was just one night’s work. Once he asked his assistant to contact the He family tomorrow and sent this person away, it would have nothing to do with him.

Twenty minutes later, the car drove steadily into a high-end residential area in the city center and stopped in the private parking space of a villa.

He Chuzhou shut off the engine and got out of the car. He closed the door and was about to lock the vehicle when he noticed that there had been no movement from the passenger side for a long time.

Puzzled, he walked around the car and opened the door. The patient he had brought back was still sitting in the passenger seat, unmoving.

Pei Xi had his hands clasped and sat in a well-behaved posture with his head lowered. From He Chuzhou’s perspective, only a bit of his fair profile and lowered eyelashes could be seen.

This reincarnation of a puffer fish had such a bad temper. He Chuzhou was also frustrated. He held the car door and said angrily: “How about we get out of the car first?”

President Pei still chose to remain silent.

“The lighting here isn’t good. Wouldn’t you rather be angry inside the house?”

“How about I drive you around a couple of times?”

“Are you going to sit here all night?”

“Princess, please get out of the car?”

After several repeated attempts, He Chuzhou finally lost his patience and simply leaned down to hold Pei Xi’s face in his palm, forcing him to look at him: “Ancestor, I’ve already apologized. Why are you still angry?”

Pei Xi pressed his chin against He Chuzhou’s warm, dry palm. His eyelashes trembled a few times before lifting up, and he finally spoke: “You just want to divorce me.”

……This troublemaker still wasn’t over it?

He Chuzhou frowned and was about to say something, but when his eyes met Pei Xi’s, he was so stunned that he couldn’t utter a single word.

Due to his nature, even if there was a problem with his memory, Pei Xi shouldn’t expose too much emotion on his face. His expression was perpetually calm, with a coldness that came from within his bones.

But just with the subtle changes in his eyes and tone of voice, he could still vividly convey his emotions, directly touching people’s hearts even more than an outstanding command of language.

For example, right now, the downturn in his voice and the sadness in his eyes easily gave He Chuzhou the misconception that he really deserved to die.

The impatience that had arisen immediately vanished.

Forget it, He Chuzhou thought. Why am I fussing over a person with a brain problem?

“Whoever wants to divorce you is a dog.”

He released his grip and helped push down a strand of hair sticking up on the back of Pei Xi’s head: “I really was busy and forgot. Didn’t I rush to pick you up as soon as you called me? I guarantee this won’t happen next time.”

Pei Xi didn’t answer immediately, but the expression in his eyes clearly eased.

Seeing that there was hope, He Chuzhou continued to work hard: “How about I write you a letter of guarantee when we get back with a seal and signature? Will you stop being angry then?”

Pei Xi: “…..That’s not it.”

When He Chuzhou heard this, he didn’t understand: “What?”

Pei Xi’s attitude softened, and he became a little more awkward, saying in a low voice: “It’s not because of that.”

He Chuzhou speculated: “You’re not angry because I forgot to pick you up?”

Pei Xi nodded slightly.

He Chuzhou: “Then what is it?”

Pei Xi raised his eyes to look at him again. His voice was not loud, but his words were clear: “You just called me President Pei.”

He Chuzhou: “?”

Pei Xi: “Twice.”

He Chuzhou: “? ?”

What was the problem with this? If not President Pei, what should he call him?

To be honest, He Chuzhou couldn’t understand it. But when he was thinking about how to ask, he suddenly felt fortune smile upon him.

Just like how a parent calling your full name indicated that you would be beaten soon, an unfamiliar address between husband and wife was either sexy or the prelude to a mystifying quarrel.

Judging by the current situation, it was obvious that there was no such sexy fun in the compilation of Pei Xi’s memories.

But if he couldn’t call him President Pei, what should he call him?

How could he know what kind of character Pei Xi had arranged for his “husband?”

Right, husband!

“It was just a little joke.”

Paying close attention to the emotional changes in Pei Xi’s eyes, he ventured: “…..Wife?”

---

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Chapter 4 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 6

I soak in the bathtub for a long time, until the water has cooled.

The bathroom mirror is covered with a light sheen of moisture. I stand in front of it looking at myself, and feel that my face is also a little blurry.

When I was a child, Mingcheng’s father said that I was the prettiest among the three children, but I know that he liked a gentle appearance. In fact, Mingcheng was the most beautiful. His appearance was dazzling and impeccable, with a robust handsomeness. 

I will never forget his loving face.

The bathroom light flickers suddenly and violently, and I even hear the buzzing sound of electricity.

Almost at the same time, I realize something is wrong and turn to run. But then the entire room falls into darkness, and with no one around, the bathroom door slowly turns on its own and locks with a click.

“Ugh….!” I am held in front of the sink by hands that hold my wrists behind my back. There is a dull pain in my wrist bones, as well as my hip bones that are pressed against the edge of the marble vanity.

I can’t see anyone in the dark, but another cold white face appears next to mine in the mirror.

This face has a high nose bridge, deep features, and lips that curve without smiling, but there are no pupils in those black eyes. His body seems to be slowly emerging from a black sea, carrying a cold, heavy darkness, eerie and strange.

I look in the mirror, and his eyes turn in my direction.

The face similar to Mingcheng’s makes me shudder.

I turn my head away, but he holds my chin with his cold hand and forces me to look in the mirror.

“I think you like this face a lot. Aren’t you happy to see me?”

He is not human. I can’t break free, so I look at him in the mirror. “It’s not this face that I like. You’re not him. Of course I’m not happy to see you.”

“Yes.” He raises his lips and nods with a smile. “You are unhappy when you see me, and you are afraid of me, but he is Wen Mingcheng, and so am I…..”

I interrupt him with a cold expression: “You are not Wen Mingcheng.”

His face darkens upon hearing these words, and his phoenix eyes with slightly raised tips are like exquisite but lifeless paintings, bottomless.

He suddenly tilts his head, curling his thin lips and pressing them against my ear as he says with a smile: “This isn’t easy to say, you know? When I saw that portrait, I had a feeling of familiarity. You yourself should know that my presence at your side must be inseparable from him.”

I lower my eyes and say nothing. What he says is true. This matter is definitely related to Mingcheng, but I believe that he loved me. No matter what his original intentions were, he didn’t intend to harm me.

So I say: “I’ll send you back.”

“Send me back? Back to where?” He raises his eyebrows mockingly, and his slender hand slips from my chin to my chest. During my struggle, it moves forcefully to the knot of the towel, teasingly holding it between two fingers. I grit my teeth hard and eye his fingertips. As long as he pulls with a little force, I will be bare. I feel extremely humiliated, but I’m helpless.

Then I feel him push me against the sink forcefully, and I begin to struggle in desperation.

Mingcheng was outwardly reserved and dignified. He was not obsessed with this aspect, but when he really wanted to do it, he let himself loose. And we had been together for more than ten years, so I was inevitably very experienced in this area.

So the person behind me only needs to make subtle actions, and I know what he’s going to do. My wrists hurt terribly from the violent struggle, and my eyes are red from the exertion. “Stop!”

Although he didn’t make it to the last step in front of the portrait just now, he still went too far. And that was in front of Mingcheng’s altar, which was tantamount to making me betray my lover in front of him……I really can’t bear it.

“Are you a beast? Do you still have any humanity?!”

When I say this, he suddenly turns me around and then irresistibly pushes my upper body down on the sink.

The sinktop is very spacious. I lay on my back with my upper body resting on the marble countertop. Because of this sudden change in posture, the gap between my legs becomes wider, and he takes a step forward.

My hair stands on end, and I can’t keep myself from shouting: “Get out of here! Don’t!”

He looks down at me with a cold smile on his face, and presses a hand to my chest with such force that I can’t move. “You think I have no humanity, but in your eyes, I am not a human being. I am a ghost, a monster, something terrible and evil. I don’t deserve to be Mingcheng.”

“But the other Wen Mingcheng was not a good person at all. I heard what you and that woman said. He did many unscrupulous things behind your back. He drove away your friends, tricked you into sleeping with him, and caused you to be beaten by your father. You lost your original fiance and had no choice but to marry him. There is probably much more besides. Even I, whom you hate, am here because of him.”

I see the deep anger in his eyes, and the sinister, taunting smile on his face. “But I have never harmed you, ah. You are devoted to him, but only fear and reject me. How is this fair?”

“You are afraid of me. What are you afraid of me for? I told you that I am Wen Mingcheng. From the moment I arrived, I knew that I was Wen Mingcheng. The unworthy person is him, not me.” He leans down directly above my body, looking right at me with eyes like a black abyss. “Think about it, didn’t we get along very well in the beginning? You called me husband, and you also liked me touching you when we shared a bed. We can obviously live happily, as long as you forget about him.”

“You only have to forget him. I am the better Mingcheng, and I will not be as short-lived as him. As long as you are willing, I will accompany your soul forever.”

His theory shocks me, and I am terrified by his last words.

If I had never discovered that he was an imposter, I really would have agreed to his strange request, and it is very likely that my soul would never again be able to break free…..

“He is him. You are you. He was wrong, but I forgive him. You are not human, you should go back to where you came from…..ah!”

Suddenly, he lowers his head and bites my neck hard. The pain makes it impossible for me to continue talking.

Then he kisses the side of my face with a smile. “If you forgave him because he died for you, I can do the same, ah. You can hit me in the head with a hammer again, or stab me through the heart with a knife. I can also do it myself for you. What kind of death do you want to see?”

In horror, I uncontrollably recall the dreadful experience of hammering him to death that night.

“Stop talking, stop talking!” 

“I insist on talking.” He chuckles a few times and straightens my face with both hands. His face is like a perfect mask, and there are dark waves in his eyes, like black holes that can suck away the soul.

“Since you have forgiven him, you should accept me. After all, I appeared because of him. It was impossible for him not to know what my appearance would mean, or what I would want to do. Frankly speaking, he offered you to me. You love him so much, but you refuse to listen to him?”

I can’t bear it anymore, and raise my hand to slap him. “Shut up, ah! It’s impossible, he wouldn’t do this!” 

His face turns slightly sideways by my hard slap. His eyelashes lower, and he is silent for a moment.

Because his eyes are concealed by the shadows of his eyelashes, I can’t see his expression clearly.

But he’s right. I am indeed afraid of him. Even though my fear has made me very numb, I am still afraid. I try my utmost to push him away, and he actually gets up.

But he stands tall in front of me and looks at me deeply with an unclear expression. This posture and gaze make me instinctually aware of the danger.

I put my hands on the sink to push myself up, and he suddenly holds my wrists.

The bathroom door clicks open on its own again.

He drags me out by force and throws me into the room where Mingcheng’s portrait is kept. After entering, he locks the door behind his back.

I crawl up from the ground at once, and he picks me up by the waist to press me firmly against the altar table.

At the side of my face is a burned out incense burner, and in front of me is Mingcheng’s black and white portrait.

He is smiling lightly in the photo, but in this atmosphere, I don’t dare to look at him.

With deep and profound malice, the person behind me leans toward my ear and says cruelly: “You believe in him. You think he is a good person and a good husband. Then do you think that he, who caused this situation today, will come and save you?”

“Don’t—”

He uses his fingers to untie the knot around my waist and hisses again: “Be good, scream a little quieter.”

---

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Chapter 25 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 27

Pei Xi felt as if he had fallen into a huge, dark space, sinkingly endlessly into this space where only he existed, unable to reach the bottom.

His ears picked up a jumble of sounds. Car horns blaring; shouting and cries; footsteps coming and going; the sound of wheels rolling…..

He occasionally bumped into an invisible wall at the edge due to the inexplicable shaking. Trembling in pain, he tried to raise his hand to touch it, but his arm seemed to weigh a thousand pounds and he couldn’t lift it no matter what.

There was a faint glare shining on his eyes through a thin film, and the surroundings gradually changed from noisy to quiet.

He tried hard to follow the direction of the light source, but his body became increasingly uncontrollable, floating up and down.

What……what was this?

Dull pain emanated from everywhere in his body. He watched helplessly as the light drifted away, leaving him farther and farther. He couldn’t catch up, and could only sink deeper into the darkness.

After an unknown period of silence, his ears finally captured the sounds of the outside world again.

The sounds of doors opening, footsteps, and small conversations.

Brighter light covered his face. His eyelids were so thin that the fine blood vessels could be seen, and could not hide the subtle movements of his eyes.

His eyelashes trembled, and he slowly opened his eyes.

The pupils automatically adjusted in size as they adapted to the sunlight, until he could clearly see everything in the hospital ward.

……Hospital ward?

His mind was blank, half of his consciousness still in turmoil. For a moment, he couldn’t recall what had happened and why he was here.

A nurse happened to come in on her rounds and saw that he was awake. She quickened her pace and came to the bedside to carefully confirm his condition, then left the words “wait a moment” and turned to call the doctor.

He closed his eyes and turned his head. When he opened them again, he unexpectedly met the gaze of the person on the sofa.

The other person seemed to have just woken up, with a face full of sleepiness and depleted energy.

Pei Xi’s expression froze: “…..?”

Three minutes later.

The doctor stood at the door of the ward, explaining Pei Xi’s situation to the profusely yawning He Chuzhou.

“All of the necessary examinations have been done. It’s nothing serious, just a slight concussion that shouldn’t be a problem.”

“Looking at his physical condition alone, long-term overwork and lack of sleep have had a greater impact on his body than the car accident. He should remember to pay more attention to sleep, and balance work with rest.”

“But one thing we need to pay special attention to is that the patient’s brain was hit on a specific location. The possibility of uncontrolled side effects cannot be ruled out in the short term, and as a family member, you must be mentally prepared.”

“Uncontrolled side effects?”

He Chuzhou squinted his eyes, not understanding the meaning of this sentence: “What are uncontrolled side effects?”

The doctor gave a range of answers: “There may be drowsiness or memory impairment. We’re not sure exactly.”

He Chuzhou was baffled upon hearing this, and turned to look at the person sitting in the hospital bed.

Pei Xi had just woken up after sleeping all day and night, and the originally crisp and pressed suit had been replaced by a loose hospital gown. His hair was not as neatly combed as it usually was and his face and lips were still bloodless, giving him a pale, weak appearance.

The only thing was that the eyes that glanced over him were still lofty and contemptuous of all living beings.

Wasn’t this a good thing? Then what was wrong?

Besides, what did it have to do with him if he was truly confused? He had sent the person to the hospital and stayed with him all night, which could be considered a most benevolent and righteous act.

“Doctor, you’ve misunderstood.”

He Chuzhou retired after accomplishing a great task: “I’m just a passerby who was willing to help others, not his family. Now that he’s awake, have him contact his family later. I still have things to do, so I’ll leave first.”

After that, he concluded his farewells to the people inside and picked up his jacket, turning to leave.

The small sofa in the ward was ridiculously tiny. He was nearly 1.9 meters tall and didn’t sleep well all night. He just wanted to go back and catch up on his sleep.

The doctor was astonished, and waited until he was out of sight before clicking his tongue: “Today’s young people are truly warm-hearted, sending a stranger to the hospital and staying there for a day and a night.”

Pei Xi slowly shook his head. After a brief moment of blankness, he sorted out the turmoil and finally remembered the car accident.

Unexpectedly, as soon as he regained his senses, he heard himself saying to the doctor: “He stayed for a day and a night?”

The doctor walked into the ward: “Yes, ah. He followed the ambulance to the hospital and never left. You’ll have to thank him properly later.”

The doctor was unaware of the grudges between them that could not be explained in a few words. Pei Xi didn’t want to explain further, so he just gave a vague hum in response.

The doctor opened the medical record and repeated the medical instructions he had given He Chuzhou in more detail.

Similarly, Pei Xi didn’t think the side effects of a mild concussion could be serious. He only cared about one thing: “Can I be discharged from the hospital now?”

The doctor closed the medical record: “You can, but I suggest you stay in the hospital a few more days for observation. After all, it was your head that was hit, so you still need to pay more attention to it.”

Pei Xi felt that there was no major problem with him. He still had unfinished work, and didn’t want to waste time in the hospital.

But at present, he could clearly feel that his physical strength had not yet recovered. After much deliberation, the two parties decided to postpone the discharge until evening.

The cause of the car accident was very clear. It was due to the other driver’s misjudgment of road conditions when he forced a lane change. The other party was fully responsible.

Dong Han and the driver were more seriously injured than him and had not yet awoken. Although there were no serious problems, if they didn’t recuperate for a month or two, they probably wouldn’t be able to regain their strength.

Pei Xi would hand over subsequent matters of compensation to the lawyers later, and notified the company managers to grant Dong Han and the driver three months of paid leave. Then he logged into his mailbox on his phone and began processing important emails.

There was still some time until evening, so he couldn’t just lie down and do nothing.

Only, he had really overestimated his current state, and hadn’t read two thirds of an email before sleepiness hit him like a surging tide.

When he woke up again, it was already dark.

The streetlight outside illuminated the tops of lush trees, and the footsteps of the medical staff came and went briskly in the hallway.

There were no lights on in the ward, and with the light coming through the window, he could just barely see in the darkness.

Pei Xi opened his eyes and gazed at the ceiling. After a while, he sat up and looked around as if he had encountered something confusing and incomprehensible. His expression revealed a fragile and confused look that had never been seen on him before.

He stared at the nighttime scene outside the window for a long time and put the back of his hand against his forehead. Then he slowly reached for his cellphone on the bedside cabinet and made a call.

*

*

“He Xingxing, walk slower.”

“Slower.”

“Slow down a little more, are you trying to kill your father?”

“Tsk, don’t sniff the butts of others or you might get your head scratched.”

The border collie whined, wagging his tail as he sat and looked at the little cow on the flowerbed for a moment and then looking up at He Chuzhou. His black and white fur was shiny and smooth under the street lamp, very beautiful.

He Chuzhou crouched down with the leash and rubbed He Xingxing’s doggy head skillfully, joining him in staring at the black and white cow-patterned cat.

He Chuzhou: “Hm, you look like a couple.

He Xingxing: “Woof~”

He Chuzhou: “You really like it?”

He Xingxing: “Woof~~”

He Chuzhou: “It’s a pity, you two are a cat and a dog, and mixing species is not easy, ah.”

“Awoooo~”

He Xingxing began to howl, getting excited when he suddenly saw something. Standing on his hind legs, he took the leash from He Chuzhou’s hand and ran toward a spot nearby.

When he returned, he not only had the leash in his mouth, but also a snack bag that had been tossed away.

“Good dog. You’re worthy of being my son.”

He Chuzhou took the snack bag from the dog’s mouth and threw it into a trash can: “I’ll give you a reward later.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the phone rang.

He Chuzhou stroked He Xingxing’s ears with one hand and took out the phone with the other. When he saw the caller ID, there was a flash of surprise in his eyes.

Was this person calling at such an hour to pay back the medical expenses he had paid in advance?

He clicked to answer, but there was no activity on the other end of the phone.

He Chuzhou glanced at the screen again to make sure the call hadn’t hung up, and patiently put it back to his ear: “What is it, President Pei? Do you need advice on something that is difficult to say?”

“Chuzhou.”

At last, a cold voice came through the receiver. That one single word caused He Chuzhou to suspect that it was an auditory hallucination.

He Chuzhou: “…..What-zhou?”

“Chuzhou.”

The voice was Pei Xi’s, but the tone seemed to belong to a different person. It was no longer arrogant, and so light that it made a person’s ears soften, containing an imperceptible grievance: “It’s already dark, why haven’t you come to pick me up?”

Under the streetlamp, the little cow cat swung its tail as if about to leave. Upon seeing this, He Xingxing immediately went forward and tried to get close to it. The dog’s nose was already halfway up when he realized his father was not paying attention to him, and he looked back in confusion.

And not far away, his father was still crouching in place as if the top of his head had been struck by lightning, his face burnt on the outside and tender on the inside.

---

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Chapter 3 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 5

The two people on the bed quickly adapted to the light and looked up simultaneously.

Two pairs of big, watery eyes stared up at Pei Xi. Their cheeks were faintly red, their lips slightly open, and their eyes blinked from time to time, looking at him amorously.

“……”

Pei Xi looked at them in silence.

The young man on the bed leaned closer to him. He blinked for a long time with no response, so he simply twisted his body and leaned on the edge of the bed, trying to rub his head against Pei Xi’s legs.

As if facing a formidable enemy, Pei Xi swiftly took half a step back, finally remembering where that strange sense of familiarity came from.

Wasn’t this young man the one who followed He Chuzhou out of the hotel that morning?

Beep—

The sound of the door lock opening to a room card sounded again.

Pei Xi reflexively frowned when he saw the person he least wanted to see push open the door and come in.

And the latter was equally surprised to run into him here.

Flipping the room card in the palm of his hand, He Chuzhou leaned against the door without rushing in: “Old friend, why are you in my room?”

Pei Xi saw the room card in his hand and then glanced again at the lively and fragrant bed. How could he still not understand what was going on?

If he was just slightly nauseated at the elevator door earlier, he was well and truly sickened by everything in front of him now.

The sound of rapid footsteps came from afar, and the attendant who had just taken Pei Xi upstairs ran over panting: “President Pei, I’m extremely sorry. The situation was chaotic just now and I mistakenly gave you that room key—”

His voice cut off abruptly when he caught sight of the current situation in the room, and his expression froze at a speed visible to the naked eye.

The number of onlookers had increased inexplicably, and the two mostly naked people on the bed flushed with embarrassment. They turned over and tried to creep under the quilt piled to the side.

Faced with everything before him, Pei Xi tried his best to calm his emotions and breathing, then walked out without saying a word.

Unexpectedly, as he passed the door, a sudden wave of dizziness hit his head.

He almost lost his balance and fell down, but a hand fortunately held his arm in time: “Hey, are you okay?”

“Don’t touch me!”

Pei Xi shook him off with a composed expression. He held onto the wall to suppress the turmoil in his stomach, and strode away with frosty features.

The attendant who caused the incident stood there helplessly.

“Okay, go send him off.”

He Chuzhou waved his hand, seeming to have no intention of complaining: “I don’t need any help here.”

As if he had received amnesty, the attendant thanked him repeatedly before hastily chasing after Pei Xi.

He Chuzhou flicked his wrists and straightened up, walking into the room.

When he was at the door just now, his line of sight was blocked. He could only vaguely see someone on the bed, but didn’t know the specific situation.

When he drew closer and clearly saw the boldly dressed man and woman on the bed, he couldn’t help but bite his cheek with a sour expression.

Thinking back to the man standing beside the bed in a dilemma just now with a look of incomprehension on his face, he was suddenly unable to restrain his laughter.

Tsk, what a pity that he was late.

He was rather curious as to what the serious man’s reaction was upon lifting the quilt.

As He Chuzhou approached the bed, the young man recognized him. His face was obviously more confused than that of the woman’s.

Wasn’t this the person he gave money to find a place to eat hot and sour noodles that morning? Why was he bumping into him again?

Just when the two of them couldn’t figure out what was happening now, He Chuzhou leaned down and tore off the tape on their mouths and pulled the quilt back over them.

“You two…..” He Chuzhou said these two words leisurely.

The two people were holding the corners of the quilt, four eyes exposed as they rolled, deer-like, to look at him.

The faint blushes on their cheeks because of Pei Xi had not yet faded, and deepened once again due to He Chuzhou’s appearance.

Wancheng. Wancheng was truly a getaway paradise.

He Chuzhou: “Isn’t it embarrassing to be dressed like this and squeezed into the same bed for so long without being able to chat?”

The young man: “……”

The young woman: “……”

“I’m just joking.” 

He Chuzhou smiled and set the room card on the bedside table: “Here, I’ll put it here for you. You can rest for the night and then check out tomorrow morning. I’m going.”

Having said this, he turned and left the room, not forgetting to conscientiously close the door for them before leaving.

The two were left alone on the bed, looking at each other in dismay.

*

*

It was already after 11 o’clock when Pei Xi returned to Wancheng.

Before going back, he went to the company to pick up documents, and when he got home, he ate something casually and took some medicine. He just barely fell asleep in the early morning.

At 7a.m. the next day, his assistant sent a message saying that he had already connected with Mr. Zhang’s assistant. The meeting time was approximately 10 o’clock, and the location was still the hotel where the auction was held last night.

Because they had to run back and forth, the other party specifically included an apology in the email. It was just that Mr. Zhang had already arranged to stay abroad for a time after the auction.

He had a flight ticket for around 1 o’clock this afternoon, and feared he wouldn’t be able to catch it if he made the trip to Wancheng.

Pei Xi expressed his understanding, and as soon as the morning meeting concluded, he took the documents and rushed to the neighboring city for the appointment.

The car passed through the city and drove steadily onto the highway.

Somehow, after taking medicine and resting for a night, Pei Xi’s condition had not improved. On the contrary, there were faint signs of it worsening, the strength in his body slowly declining.

He just hoped that victory would come quickly. He really didn’t have enough energy to sustain himself in this state and deal with matters.

Dong Han, who was sitting in the passenger seat, kept taking frequent looks in the rearview mirror. After several times, this finally caught Pei Xi’s attention.

“What’s wrong?”

Pei Xi looked up from the documents and tiredly adjusted his glasses.

Belongings had similar qualities to their owners, and so did the glasses placed on Pei Xi’s face. Even the lenses and silver frames seemed to reflect a calm, cold light.

“President Pei.” Dong Han sounded a little uncertain: “The car behind us seems to have been following us since we left the city.”

Pei Xi didn’t take it to heart: “Perhaps it is just going the same way.”

Dong Han: “But that’s President He’s car.”

Pei Xi: “…….”

Pei Xi immediately turned his head. Sure enough, a black car was driving behind them not too distantly.

Pei Xi: “Are you sure that’s He Chuzhou’s car?”

Wasn’t he supposed to have rested at the hotel last night after the auction? Why had he appeared in Wancheng at this time?

“En, the license plate number is correct.”

Dong Han guessed: “Is it possible that President He is also going to see Mr. Zhang?”

This possibility could indeed not be ruled out.

And if this was the case, the situation was not very optimistic for them. He Chuzhou had been laying low during this period, and no one could tell what preparations he had made in secret. 

Pei Xi closed the document: “When you made an appointment with Mr. Zhang’s assistant, did he reveal that he had made an appointment with someone else at the same time?”

Dong Han answered in the negative and took out his cellphone: “President Pei, would you like me to contact Mr. Zhang’s assistant now and ask?”

Pei Xi stopped him: “No need.”

At this point, no matter what the other party’s answer was, he still had to go.

He was the one asking for something from the other party, and there was no point in asking too many questions. If Mr. Zhang was to misunderstand and think he meant to condemn him, it would do more harm than good.

But if He Chuzhou really……

Pei Xi: “Contact He Chuzhou’s assistant.”

Dong Han was a little surprised: “President Pei, what do you mean?”

Pei Xi: “Ask them directly if they are going to meet Mr. Zhang.”

Dong Han understood and immediately opened his cellphone to contact He Chuzhou’s assistant.

The call connected quickly, but after Dong Han said “Hello” at the beginning, there were no further words.

After a couple of seconds, he turned back to glance at Pei Xi, looking troubled.

Pei Xi: “What’s wrong?”

“President Pei, President He answered the phone.”

Dong Han held the phone lower: “He says there is no need to go to such trouble. If you want to know anything, you can ask him personally.”

A bit of impatience showed in Pei Xi’s eyes, and he reached out to take the phone, putting it to his ear: “It’s me.”

“I hear that. Morning.”

He Chuzhou’s voice came through the connection as casually as if this was a chat between acquaintances. It was no exaggeration to say that it was pleasant to the ears.

It was just that the voice that fell into Pei Xi’s ears was somewhat sarcastic.

It couldn’t be helped. Pei Xi’s negativity filter on him was too thick. No matter what he said or did, Pei Xi found him objectionable to see or listen to.

Uninterested in talking nonsense to him, Pei Xi asked straight to the point: “Are you going to meet Mr. Zhang?”

He Chuzhou was also very direct: “Yes.”

Sure enough.

Pei Xi suppressed his annoyance: “Mr. Zhang’s flight leaves at 1 o’clock today.”

He Chuzhou: “So our time is around 10a.m.”

Pei Xi was stunned. His was also at 10 o’clock, so Mr. Zhang actually planned to see them both at the same time.

How could they still discuss like this?

Lay their cards on the table and bid in person?

If He Chuzhou had expected that the meeting would be like this, based on Pei Xi’s understanding of him, he must have prepared to overwhelm him by surprise.

At this thought, Pei Xi’s expression turned even worse: “You knew I would make an appointment with Mr. Zhang today. Did you do this on purpose?”

He Chuzhou gave a brief laugh: “President Pei, you overestimate me. How could I know that you had an appointment today? It’s just a coincidence.”

Pei Xi didn’t believe a word he said: “What do you intend to do?”

He Chuzhou: “Discuss the land, of course. What else can I do?”

Pei Xi’s voice grew even colder: “You know that isn’t what I’m asking.”

“How can I know?”

He Chuzhou said in a relaxed tone: “President Pei, don’t forget that we have a fair, competitive relationship. Putting it this way, can I also ask you why you deliberately made an appointment on the same day as me?”

Pei Xi gripped the phone tightly, saying nothing.

“By the way, has President Pei had breakfast?”

He Chuzhou yawned, endlessly changing the topic: “We should have plenty of time when we get there soon. Do you want to go have a bowl of noodles together?”

Who wanted to eat with him?

Pei Xi suppressed his displeasure and was just about to hang up the phone.

“Pei Xi!”

But at this moment, He Chuzhou suddenly burst out with a loud shout: “Lower your head!”

Pei Yi was startled by him.

However, just as He Chuzhou finished speaking, there was a loud sound of friction from the front and bottom of the car simultaneously, and what followed was a sharp pain that exploded from the corner of his eye and the side of his head.

He had no time to react, and completely lost consciousness amidst the thunderous impact.

---

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Chapter 2 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 4

Wu Qing had guessed wrong. Pei Xi looked down on He Chuzhou not only because of their competitive relationship in the industry, but also because of He Chuzhou as a person.

He was unlearned and blinded by lust, and after studying abroad for several years, he was still a fool when he returned. He was able to overcome all objections and take the position of leader of the He family all thanks to his father, who had absolute power back then.

As for why he was able to maintain it for so long, he relied on the assistant his father had trained for him, who would advise him on every detail.

To put it bluntly, He Chuzhou pretended to be President He, but he was actually just a big infant in a high position.

He was also a big infant who welcomed all comers, loved various types of sensual pleasure, and had an extremely chaotic private life.

With such a person as an opponent, Pei Xi only felt that it was a huge insult to himself and to Pei Group. How could he still spare him a good look?

As for the land by the river, although He Group had thus far shown no interest in participating in the competition, he wouldn’t let down his guard until it was a done deal.

After all, that military advisor of He Chuzhou’s liked nothing more than to interfere in the final stages.

Therefore, he must not leave the auction empty-handed tonight.

Knowing that many collectors had their own eccentricities and liked to collect all kinds of strange things, he did not have any expectations for tonight’s auctioned items from the start.

He was not interested in collecting. As long as he snatched a trinket at random for conversation material, this trip would not be in vain.

It was just that he hadn’t expected that Mr. Zhang’s hobbies would be so ridiculous.

Matchbox combination sets from around the world; keys of all kinds, ancient and modern, Chinese and foreign; free souvenirs from various restaurants; soil from the centers of various craters…..

Pei Xi: “…….”

The bidders around him with the same intentions: “…….”

If the crater soil was replaced by a meteorite, he wouldn’t be so reluctant.

What would he do with such a big pile of dirt when he went back?

Even though the items were all kinds of weird, there were still many people who bit the bullet and bid for them.

Seeing that the collection was getting smaller and smaller, and that the people around him had more or less acquired something, Pei Xi’s fingers tapping on his number card gradually became disordered.

He couldn’t wait much longer.

He would take the next one. As long as it didn’t take up too much space, no matter what it was, he would—

“Item twenty-six, Beetle Specimens.”

“It was reported that these are beetle specimens from all over the world that Mr. Zhang spent nearly three years meticulously collecting. There are a total of 1,298 species, with various shapes and gorgeous colors…..”

Pei Xi: “……”

Pei Xi: “……….”

He stared numbly at the densely packed insect specimens on the stage, caught in an existential crisis.

To bid?

Or not to bid?

Where would he put it after he took it?

Where could he put so many bugs without having to see them?

The beetle specimens entered the final stage of the auction, and the auctioneer began to count down. The hammer fell.

Pei Xi closed his eyes in exhaustion and put his fingers between his eyebrows, trying to get rid of the image of the beetle family that lingered in his mind.

“Item twenty-seven, Ice Seed Jadeite Bracelet.”

Pei Xi paused and looked at the auction table again.

The red cloth was removed. In the glass box on the table, a jadeite bracelet of excellent quality exuded a warm, soft luster under the lights.

The auction was coming to an end, and there was finally a normal item.

“This bracelet was purchased by Mr. Zhang from an elderly lama when he went to Tibet to do charity work five years ago. Meticulously crafted and polished from the finest raw ice seed jadeite, each jade bead is flawless. The color is clear and transparent, and it can be considered the highest quality.”

“The ice seed jadeite bracelet’s starting price is two million.”

“Two and a half.”

“Three million.”

“Five!”

“Six million.”

Pei Xi raised his hand to hold up his card: “Twenty million.”

The number of bidding calls promptly dropped by half, but there were still a few numbers added after careful consideration.

“Twenty-two million.”

“Twenty-five.”

“Thirty.”

Pei Xi didn’t want to waste time on this sort of thing and raised the card again: “Fifty million.”

Those few voices also disappeared.

Fifty million was just about right, and was not a small sum.

It wasn’t worth more than that.

The auctioneer: “President Pei bids fifty million. Everyone, are there any higher bids?”

The auctioneer raised his hand: “Fifty million, going once.”

“Fifty million, going twice.”

“Fifty million—”

“Sixty million.”

Just when there was almost no suspense about who would win the bracelet, someone in the corner suddenly raised their card.

Everyone turned their heads in surprise to look toward the source of the voice.

Near a pillar, He Chuzhou leaned back in a chair with his legs crossed. His expensive suit jacket was placed on the armrest, causing a few wrinkles.

As if he had sensed something, he tilted his head slightly, looking across the crowd to collide with another gaze.

After exchanging glances for only a moment, Pei Xi turned back with a cold face and went on to raise his number card to bid: “Seventy million.”

This price far exceeded the original value of the jadeite bracelet. Knowing that bidding was hopeless, others changed their mentality to that of watching the entertainment.

Just for a bracelet.

President Pei and President He were worthy of being industry leaders, and were indeed rich and overbearing.

He Chuzhou: “Seventy-five million.”

Pei Xi: “Eighty million.”

He Chuzhou: “Eighty-five million.”

Pei Xi: “Ninety million.”

Neither rushed nor slow, He Chuzhou said: “Ninety-five million.”

The rumor that the two did not get along was confirmed again.

Standing at the edge of the stage, Mr. Zhang hissed with aching teeth, looking back and forth between this pair of “old friends.”

They were making no concessions. His bracelet was really worth its price today.

Pei Xi’s hand slowly tightened on the number card, and in the end, he covered it on his knees, feeling as if he had a fish bone lodged in his throat.

The auctioneer’s countdown ended, and the auction hammer fell. He Chuzhou won the ice seed jadeite bracelet at the high price of nearly 100 million.

Now there were only a few items left.

Fortunately, Pei Xi’s luck was not too bad. The remaining items were normal compared to the previous ones, and at the end of the auction, he harvested a ruby stone carving.

In the end, it was not in vain. 

He gave a strained sigh of relief.

His physical discomfort was worse than during the day, and the gleaming lights in the venue dazzled him.

He really needed to rest.

The auction was over, and there would be some arrangements for entertainment and relaxation later. But for Pei Xi, there was no need to continue participating.

He stood up to leave, and a middle-aged gentleman next to him happened to stand at the same time as him. The two of them bumped into each other, and the remaining half glass of champagne in the other person’s hand spilled all over him.

“President Pei! Sorry, sorry, my apologies.”

The other party slapped his head and apologized profusely. In desperation, he tried to use his hands to help wipe away the alcohol stains.

Pei Xi was a bit irritated by such an accident, and raised his hand to stop the other party’s movements. “It’s fine.”

The man heard the resentment in his words. His hands froze midair, and he was a little embarrassed for a moment.

Fortunately, an attendant noticed the situation in time and came over to inform him that the hotel had prepared a room for every invited guest, so that they could go up and rest at any time or deal with similar emergencies.

The attendant: “There are spare clothes in the room. President Pei can go and change.”

Pei Xi took off his stained jacket and told Dong Han when he came over to tell the driver to wait at the door. Then he followed the attendant and left the venue to go upstairs under the middle-aged man’s extremely apologetic look.

*

*

“It was so mysterious that I thought it would be some great thank you gift.”

Wu Qing looked at the room card that had been thrust into He Chuzhou’s hand and sneered: “This is it? It’s cliche~ isn’t it?”

He Chuzhou picked up his jacket, held the room card between his fingers to reply to a message, and responded to Wu Qing perfunctorily: “En, en. Same old, same old.”

Wu Qing extended his neck: “Who are you talking to?”

He Chuzhou didn’t even raise his head: “Your grandma.”

Wu Qing: “ ? ”

Wu Qing: “What the hell! Why are you talking to my grandma?”

He Chuzhou turned his phone over to show him.

The message was from Ms. Chu, He Chuzou’s mother, Chu Yuelan.

The corners of Wu Qing’s mouth immediately twitched: “Fuck.”

He Chuzhou tilted his head cheerfully.

Wu Qing: “All day long you’ve been acting like my dad. Why haven’t I seen you spend over 90 million on a bracelet for this son to wear for fun?”

He Chuzhou retracted his hand: “Your grandma liked this one today. I’ll definitely get you one next time.”

Wu Qing grinded his molars and rolled his eyes, but quickly reacted: “So that jadeite bracelet is what she wants?”

He Chuzhou gave a nasal hum and continued to reply to messages.

Wu Qing was surprised: “So you didn’t deliberately steal it to go against Pei Xi?”

He Chuzhou didn’t understand: “Am I sick?”

Wu Qing clicked his tongue twice, saying with intention: “I don’t know whether or not you’re sick. In any case, a certain person must have concluded that you’re sick.”

Of course He Chuzhou knew who he was talking about. He didn’t take it to heart, and put his phone away after answering the last message: “Are you going or not?”

“Going, ah.” Wu Qing jerked his chin at the key card in his hand. “But what will you do with this thing?”

He Chuzhou tossed his jacket to him: “Wait for me at the door.”

*

*

The room was on the top floor of the hotel.

As soon as Pei Xi got out of the elevator, a drunk wandered over like a lonely soul and vomited in front of him. The turbid stench quickly spread.

Pei Xi’s footsteps paused: “…….”

The attendant was also startled and quickly informed his superior through his headset of the unexpected situation near the elevator door.

It would take a while for the person handling it to arrive, and the drunkard was so dizzy that he didn’t know where he was and almost fell into his own vomit.

Pei Xi was already feeling uncomfortable, and now he felt sick to his stomach, so he simply averted his gaze: “Give me the room card, I’ll go by myself.”

The attendant bowed to him apologetically. He struggled to support the drunk guest with one hand, and used the other hand to take out the room card and give it to him: “It’s the one at the end of the corridor.”

Pei Xi took the room card and left with haste.

There were two rooms at the end of the corridor. Pei Xi couldn’t be bothered to go back and inquire, so he first tried the one on the right. When there was no response, he went to the room on the left, and this time the door opened successfully.

The room card was inserted into the card slot, which controlled the room’s power supply, and the lights turned on.

Pei Xi closed the door and stood there pressing his brow for a moment, then walked to the closet and opened the door.

There was a regular black suit inside, a jacket, shirt, and trousers. Not even the tie was left out.

It must be said that Mr. Zhang was indeed very prepared.

The event was over and it didn’t matter if he wore the jacket or not, so Pei Xi only took the shirt.

“Wu.”

Just as he was about to unbutton his clothes, a strange muffled sound suddenly came from behind him.

Pei Xi turned his head. The room was empty. Nobody was there.

Had he misheard it?

He hesitated, then suddenly saw the quilt on the bed move slightly.

He hadn’t been paying attention when he entered the door just now. At present, he took a closer look and saw that the quilt was not spread evenly over the bed. Instead, it lifted in a long arch. It was obvious that there was something inside.

Or…..a person?

……A person?

Why was anyone in this room?

Pei Xi’s expression became a little mystified, and he walked over to stand by the bed, looking down.

No more strange sounds came from inside, but something was definitely moving.

He no longer hesitated, and began to directly lift the quilt—

“Wu, wu.”

The people on the bed had been in the dark for too long and couldn’t adapt to the sudden light, so they reflexively closed their eyes to avoid it.

Now Pei Xi could clearly see that there was a man and a woman beneath the quilt. Very little covered their bodies, and only the key parts were hidden.

The black leather fabric made their bodies look dazzlingly white. Their mouths were covered with opaque tape, and their hands and feet were loosely tied with red ribbons.

In order to keep the ribbons from unraveling, the two could only move carefully, and they looked particularly foolish. The rabbit ears on their heads and the tails below the tailbone swayed with their moments.

Pei Xi: “…….”

---

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Chapter 1 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 3

Not long after getting off the congested elevated highway, they were blocked again by a red light. The driver stepped on the brakes and looked at the road ahead on the navigation system.

Pei Xi reclined in the back seat and pressed his fingertips to his throbbing temples, trying to relieve the bursts of pain under his skin.

Counting today, he had been working at a high intensity for a month. His body was reaching its limit, and was sending out warning signals about its urgent need to rest.

If he didn’t sign the contract quickly, he would likely exceed his limits.

Someone passed by outside the window. The light wavered, and he couldn’t help but frown at the discomfort caused by the change between light and dark.

When he opened his eyes, he saw the passing traffic police, the bustling vehicles, and the hotel with eye-catching decorations across the street.

—Island Hotel, the most famous love hotel in Wancheng. The rich colors on the outside walls were full of suggestive implications.

It was a pity that he had no interest in this. Just as he was about to look away, the hotel door suddenly opened from the inside and several men came out one after another, talking and laughing.

The Wancheng shopping district was very big, and at a glance, almost all of the faces were unfamiliar. 

Except for the one who took up the rear, as if taking a leisurely stroll. His appearance and stature were excellent, and he stood out amongst the crowd, so much so that Pei Xi’s eyes landed on him the moment he appeared.

And like all of his companions, he was also “equipped” with a young man.

The young man had a perfect smile on his face, with a slender figure and thin clothes, and the way he paced close to the man’s side was full of obedience and flattery.

With the time of day, the location, and the people, the transaction of money for flesh was all but brought openly to the table.

Pei Xi’s eyes immediately filled with disdain, as if they had been dirtied by something unclean. When the red light turned green, he turned his head without hesitation: “Let’s go.”

Pei Group Building.

As soon as Pei Xi entered the office, his assistant hastened over with several documents.

“President Pei.”

Dong Han placed the documents in front of Pei Xi.

“There are indeed many people interested in the riverside property, but except for the He family, the others pose no threat to us.”

The riverside property had long been in disuse, and would be reclaimed if construction work did not begin. Therefore, the landowner, Mr. Zhang, intended to transfer this land.

The site was located upstream of the industrial zone, overlooking the mountains and the river. The environment was superior, the surrounding infrastructure was complete, and the foot traffic was enormous and steady.

No matter how you looked at it, this land had extremely high commercial value. With proper planning, it could be called a money-making treasure land.

Everyone coveted this savory dish, and once the news of the transfer was released, countless pairs of eyes stared at that piece of land.

It was only that the land was expensive. The price alone was enough to deter 70% of those people, not to mention the other stringent requirements put forth by Mr. Zhang.

Currently, the only two families that could perfectly meet all of the conditions were the Pei and He families.

The He family. His only threat was also his greatest threat.

He thought of the man he had seen at the door of the hotel not long ago. Pei Xi suppressed his disgust and quickly recalled the other two people who were accompanying He Chuzhou at that time.

Fortunately, Mr. Zhang wasn’t there.

He breathed a sigh of relief.

It seemed that the opponent had no direct means of defeating the enemy with one blow.

It wasn’t that he was overly cautious, but that his opponent, He Chunzhou, was so strong.

Or to be more precise, the assistant at He Chuzhou’s side was so strong.

The talent cultivated by the old man of the He family was not only flexible in mind and decisive in method, but always loved to take people by surprise.

He had already suffered more than one setback at the hands of this behind-the-scenes strategist, and now that they were meeting on a narrow path again, he did not dare to let his guard down.

Pei Xi: “Find some time today to contact Mr. Zhang’s assistant and ask if Mr. Zhang is free tomorrow. I want to speak with him in person.”

Dong Han: “You want to make an appointment for tomorrow?”

Pei Xi: “En.”

“But President Pei, Mr. Zhang’s auction is tonight.”

Dong Han reminded him: “If we make an appointment individually as soon as the auction is over, won’t it seem a little too forceful?”

Pei Xi stared at the computer without looking up: “There is no need to consider this in business.”

It was the nature of businessmen to pursue profit, and they were never afraid to put their goal directly on the table. Being reserved didn’t work in their circle. If you hesitated for a moment, it would be too late for correction or regret.

Dong Han nodded: “Yes.”

The afternoon meeting began at 3 o’clock and lasted until nearly 7 o’clock.

Mr. Zhang’s auction would be held in a neighboring city, starting at half past eight, and it would take at least an hour to drive there from Wancheng, so time was a bit tight.

Thus, dinner was naturally skipped. Pei Xi told the driver to wait at the door of the company and walked straight to the elevator after exiting the conference room. 

It was already after working hours at this point, and a few girls were loitering in the administrative room, gathered together to chat:

“In your video…..this is President He from the He family. Where was he filmed?”

“The location is near Wan High School. It was probably a high school student who ran into him during evening self-study.”

“Someone in the comments actually said he looks like a ‘domineering CEO.’ Isn’t that just so?”

“He Chuzhou, ah, he’s so handsome. Every shot looks like it’s from a blockbuster movie.”

“It’s a pity that he’s a fool and a playboy.”

“Which of today’s rich second generations doesn’t spend money?”

“Don’t always aid the enemy. Our President Pei is both handsome and talented, no less good-looking than President He…..”

While talking, the slightly older girl spotted the person walking over from the other end and gently tugged her colleague with a shhh.

When the person drew closer, they greeted him with a staggered “President Pei,” and watched him leave.

“Be careful.”

The curly-haired girl warned the intern: “From now on, during work hours and especially in front of President Pei, never discuss He Group or President He.”

The intern was curious: “Why? Do they not get along?”

This was an interesting question. The girl raised an eyebrow: “Look at those two people. Does it seem like they would get along?”

When the intern heard this, she looked at the main character of the video, who was casually leaning against a car, then looked up at her immediate boss, whose strictness was evident even when he was viewed from behind. She nodded thoughtfully.

“It seems that’s really the case…..”

Their mismatched horoscopes were visible to the naked eye.

*

*

After leaving the city and turning onto the highway, Pei Xi rushed to the auction venue ten minutes before it started.

The venue was seething with people happily drinking alcohol. With Mr. Zhang’s identity and status, this small auction was as crowded as a large one.

Pei Xi signed in at the door and received his number card. Mr. Zhang spotted him from a distance in front of the French windows and smiled happily, waving at him.

Pei Xi handed the number card to Dong Han and walked over. He stopped a step away from the other party, grasping the outstretched hand: “Mr. Zhang.”

Mr. Zhang held champagne in one hand, the knowing smile on his face undiminished: “President Pei came here right after leaving work?”

Pei Xi retracted his hand with a nod.

Mr Zhang: “Aiyo, you’ve worked hard. It’s so flattering that President Pei came all this way to participate in my little auction.”

Pei Xi pulled his mouth into a faint arc: “Mr. Zhang is being modest. It is my honor to receive an invitation.”

“How can that be? I think President Pei is the one being modest. All right, then I hope there is something in my collection that President Pei likes. Oh, by the way—”

Mr. Zhang remembered something and turned to the person beside him, his eyes cycling between him and Pei Xi: “Both of you are well-known figures in Wancheng. I suppose you don’t need me to make introductions, right?”

Since he said this, Pei Xi was finally willing to glance at the figure next to him whom he had been ignoring.

The latter smiled casually. His tone was low and deep, with a languid energy: “En, we’re old friends.”

Compared to Pei Xi, who wore a neat, ironed suit and tie, tidy from his hair to the tips of his shoes, He Chuzhou was simply the opposite extreme.

A dark suit jacket was placed on his left arm, and his tie was untied. Two of the buttons on his shirt were undone and the collar was loose, exposing part of a collarbone.

His hair seemed to have been carefully tended to and then accidentally messed up, a few strands falling down over his forehead. It was like looking at a big cat that had finished hunting and licking its fur, very lazy and relaxed.

The outside was excellent, but the inside was rotten.

Pei Xi swiftly looked away, not commenting on his so-called “old friends” statement.

“Old friends? Haha, it’s great that you’re old friends, ah. We’re all acquaintances, which makes matters easier to deal with.”

Mr. Zhang toasted them joyfully: “Okay, since we know each other, I won’t say much else. I hope the auction tonight goes smoothly.”

Pei Xi’s frown was almost invisible, and there was no alcohol in his hand.

At this time, a waiter carrying a tray happened to pass by He Chuzhou. The latter took a glass very smoothly and then extended it to Pei Xi in a natural movement.

Pei Xi raised his eyes, but He Chuzhou wasn’t looking at him. The corners of his mouth were pursed in a smile: “I’ve heard that Mr. Zhang has a vast collection. Tonight’s auction will be exciting.”

Mr Zhang: “Haha, you flatter me.”

Pei Xi lowered his eyes to the champagne and raised his hand expressionlessly to take it. He touched Mr. Zhang’s champagne glass lightly, and there was a clear clinking sound. The golden liquid in the glasses swayed.

The auction was about to begin, and Mr. Zhang quickly left for the back to prepare. His assistant followed him upon seeing this, and asked him if he was interested in letting Pei Xi and He Chuzhou bid for the riverside property.

“Bid?” Mr. Zhang was surprised. “But so far, President He has not expressed any intention to purchase it, ah.”

The assistant: “You don’t know, but those two are famous rivals in Wancheng. Because the development direction of their enterprises are highly consistent, their competition for projects has never stopped. But compared to President Pei, who strikes first, President He is the best at attacking from behind.”

“Is that so?” Mr. Zhang was not from Wancheng, and didn’t know much about its business district. “I hadn’t considered that.”

The assistant: “Then what do you think now?”

Mr. Zhang pondered for a moment before quickly reaching a decision: “If that is the case, then I’ll let them compete individually.”

The assistant was puzzled: “Compete?”

“The price is secondary. The key is to make the best use of the land.”

Mr. Zhang smiled and patted his assistant on the shoulder: “Although this is business, it can’t all be about money. Sometimes it is also very important to consider other aspects of fairness.”

*

*

As soon as Mr. Zhang left, Pei Xi immediately put down his unfinished glass and turned around to leave.

He Chuzhou was left alone in front of the floor-to-ceiling window. Bored, he remained there and slowly finished his small half glass of champagne.

Very soon, a man wearing a gaudy shirt strolled over. He looked at Pei Xi as he walked away and gloated: “Is he scowling again?”

He Chuzhou didn’t care: “Is he? I didn’t see.”

“That’s okay, it’s fine that I saw it.”

Wu Qing grinned cheekily: “How long has it been since the last corporate meeting? Why does it seem like Pei Xi’s attitude toward you has gotten even worse? What project did you steal?”

“What I’ve been working on lately are all previous projects.”

He Chuzhou finally finished the glass of champagne and set down the empty glass: “Don’t falsely accuse me.”

Wu Qing: “You dare to say that you don’t plan to take the riverside property?”

He Chuzhou raised his eyes to look askance at him: “I haven’t taken it yet. Why, do you need a commercial loan?”

“It’s not me who needs one, ah. You’re not taking my land.”

Wu Qing: “But you still haven’t said a word up to today. Are you holding back your ultimate move again? You have such a dark heart, no wonder Pei Xi doesn’t like you.”

“What a coincidence.” 

He Chuzhou shrugged indifferently and walked toward the auction table: “I also don’t think much of blockheads who regard everyone as beneath their notice.”

Wu Qing followed up: “That’s right, but the insult is not very accurate. Blockhead? Such a pretty blockh—”

“President He, we meet again.”

A middle-aged man appeared out of nowhere, a palm on his big belly and a smile on his face: “Do you have a couple of minutes?”

Wu Qing recognized this man as the boss of a large domestic medical device company. Since the previous year, he had been expressing his strong intention to partner with He Group.

After nearly a year of contact and inspections, the other company was at last successful in signing a contract with He Group yesterday. Early this morning, he was still talking about his “great contraptions” when he abducted He Chuzhou to go for breakfast.

He just didn’t know what the point was of trying to get together after the contract was already negotiated.

The auction would start in a few minutes, and he was idle at the moment. He Chuzhou stopped good-naturedly and waited for the other party to continue.

The portly man got straight to the point: “It’s nothing important. I am just extremely grateful to President He for agreeing to cooperate with us. To express my gratitude, I have prepared a small thank you gift.”

“Oh?” Wu Qing heard this and immediately became interested. “What kind of thank you gift?”

“Well, it needs to be kept secret for the time being.”

The portly man spoke modestly, but there was an unconcealable look of pride on his face. He seemed to be full of confidence in his preparations.

“When the auction is over, I will have someone deliver the gift to President He. I ask that he kindly accept it at that time.”

---

T/N: Yes, I started yet another project. Blame the unique existential dread of someone getting to a good story before me. That’s how much I like it.

---

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Table of Contents >> Chapter 2

Author: Wu Ning (呜咛)

Pei Xi and He Chuzhou’s companies were rivals. They despised each other and were destined to be bitter enemies.

However, at the critical moment when they were competing for a project, Pei Xi got into a car accident.

He Chuzhou sent him to the hospital. The doctor told him that Pei Xi might have side effects from his concussion, and to be mentally prepared.

When He Chuzhou turned around, he saw that the person in the hospital bed had woken up. His gaze was still cold, condescending, and contemptuous of all living beings.

Wasn’t this good?

Unexpectedly, the night he left the hospital, he received a call from Pei Xi. The voice was correct, but the tone sounded like a different person, aggrieved enough that water could be wrung from it.

“Chuzhou, it’s already dark. Why haven’t you come to pick me up?”

*

*
Pei Xi’s brain was damaged when he was hit by a car. His brain would be confused each time he woke up, and he had to sleep again to restore it to its original state.

What caused him to break down was that when his memory was confused, He Chuzhou inexplicably became his husband. What was even more devastating was that whenever his memory returned to normal, he could clearly remember what happened during that chaotic period of time!

How could someone survive repeatedly jumping from side to side like this?

Flirtatious wife-slave gong x cold and arrogant but tender on the inside beauty shou.

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Tags: cold protagonist, power couple, amnesia, humor, romance

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Chapter 1	Chapter 21	Chapter 41	Chapter 61
Chapter 2	Chapter 22	Chapter 42	Chapter 62
Chapter 3	Chapter 23	Chapter 43	Chapter 63
Chapter 4	Chapter 24	Chapter 44	Chapter 64
Chapter 5	Chapter 25	Chapter 45	Chapter 65
Chapter 6	Chapter 26	Chapter 46	Chapter 66
Chapter 7	Chapter 27	Chapter 47	Chapter 67
Chapter 8	Chapter 28	Chapter 48	Chapter 68
Chapter 9	Chapter 29	Chapter 49	Chapter 69
Chapter 10	Chapter 30	Chapter 50	Chapter 70
Chapter 11	Chapter 31	Chapter 51	Chapter 71
Chapter 12	Chapter 32	Chapter 52	Chapter 72
Chapter 13	Chapter 33	Chapter 53	Chapter 73
Chapter 14	Chapter 34	Chapter 54	Extra 1
Chapter 15	Chapter 35	Chapter 55	Extra 2
Chapter 16	Chapter 36	Chapter 56	Extra 3
Chapter 17	Chapter 37	Chapter 57	Extra 4
Chapter 18	Chapter 38	Chapter 58	Extra 5
Chapter 19	Chapter 39	Chapter 59	Extra 6
Chapter 20	Chapter 40	Chapter 60	Extra 7

After I get better, I ask for Mingcheng’s portrait back.

Dr. Zhao tells me that after I was diagnosed with amnesia, in order to prevent agitating me again, Mingyi proposed to bring Mingcheng’s portrait back to the Wen family. This proposal was accepted by both families, so it has been kept with the Wen family for the past six months.

As his widow, of course I insist on having him come back after I find out.

The portrait of the deceased is sent by Mingyi.

She hasn’t returned to the place where we lived as children for many years. Next to the Wei family home is the Wen family’s old house. Many years ago, our families often got together. As children, we played on the first floor. From my yard, I can still see the decaying flower branches and grape vines of the Wen family’s small garden.

There are actually several pieces of calligraphy and paintings by my second brother and I on the first floor of my house, but my father’s works have long since disappeared with his passing.

The things are still there, but the people are not.

I lean on the second floor balcony and see her standing in front of the door, looking around as if remembering. She looks for a long time. In the end, she looks steadily at the long-unattended Wen family yard with a lonely and desolate expression.

Probably because she has been standing there for so long, the medical staff on the first floor notice her presence and go out to inquire about her identity.

Only then does she return to her senses, as if waking up.

“I didn’t expect you to ask for his portrait back so early.” She opens a black silk bag and takes out a photo frame also wrapped in black silk, handing it to me along with Mingcheng’s death certificate.

I read the death certificate before slowly opening the black silk wrapping the photo frame.

In the black and white photo, he still looks noble and handsome in life. His features are very relaxed, the corners of his lips are slightly raised, and there is a smile on his face, as if he is looking at me tenderly.

My fingertips shake uncontrollably as they gently touch his face.

“I thought…..you would blame him somewhat.” Mingyi probably hasn’t quit smoking. Her voice sounds lower and hoarser than before.

I shake my head and stand up holding his portrait. “When a person dies, they no longer exist. What else can I blame him for?”

The old Wei family house is also very large. I had cleared out a dark room in advance and put in an altar and an incense burner. After putting Mingcheng’s portrait up, I offer him three sticks of incense.

Mingcheng, welcome home.

His face is blurred by the slowly rising wisps of smoke.

Mingyi stands at the door looking at me, and says in a low voice: “He no longer exists, but your feelings for him exist. A-Zhen…..” She is silent for a moment, and smiles bitterly when I look back at her. “Even though you know he was not as good for you as you thought, that he did many excessive things behind your back, and that it’s even possible that a lot of the pain you’ve endured was caused by him, you…..still love him, right?”

Wen Mingcheng was the lover I knew so well, but I have to admit that I didn’t know him well enough. Perhaps he wasn’t truly a kind-hearted person.

As Mingyi said, maybe some of the things that hurt and scared me were directly or indirectly caused by him. 

I knew the person, but I didn’t know his heart. I was with him since I was eighteen years old, and we slept together for nearly ten years, but in the end, I didn’t know what he was thinking.

But I know that he sacrificed his life to save me at the critical moment.

I actually saw his body when the rescuers pulled us out of the deformed front half of the car. He had borne practically all of the injuries for me. The pressure from the front of the car being squeezed and deformed was all on him, and he was cut to pieces by various fragments. Of course, the most fatal wound was the cut on his neck that severed the main artery.

Blood had spurted all over me.

And if he hadn’t knocked me down, it would have been me whose throat was cut.

It is hard for me to imagine his pain, but no matter how painful it was, he never let me go.

I know that he loved me very much.

So I nod without hesitation: “Yes, there is nothing I can’t forgive him for.”

Mingyi is silent for a long time, then suddenly smiles with a hint of relief: “My brother was right. He always wins.” 

. . . . . . . .

At night, I kneel in front of his portrait and burn some paper money and paper offerings for him in an iron basin.

Nowadays, there are various styles of paper offerings. I bought his favorite hydrangeas and peonies. There are many different kinds, and even some that are made to look like electronic products, such as mobile phones.

These things slowly burn to ashes in the iron basin.

The air smells of fire burning.

I kneel before the altar table, clasp my hands, and speak softly to his portrait: “I’m sorry, Mingcheng. Don’t blame me for forgetting you for so long.”

“I really miss you…..husband.”

When he was alive, he liked me calling him that very much, but I always had a hard time saying it out loud. Now that I call him that way, he can’t hear me anymore.

When I put down my hands and open my eyes again, his portrait is still smiling like that. I look at it silently for a while, and something wet drips down my face into the brazier.

I don’t know when I fell asleep in front of his altar.

Half asleep and half awake, I sense someone standing next to me. I think it’s a doctor or nurse at first, but my biological sixth sense gives me a feeling of oppression and crisis.

I struggle to open my eyes, but I can’t.

I’m conscious, but I can’t move my body at all. Even trying my hardest, I can’t even bend a finger.

Although the person next to me doesn’t make a sound, I sense him lean down, and if looking down at my struggles.

This makes me feel awful, as if darkness is peering into me.

I remember. This phenomenon seems to be called…..sleep paralysis!

Before I can think of anything else, a cold hand touches the skin of my neck. This hand has no warmth at all, like the cold touch of a snake.

It travels repeatedly across my cheeks and neck, invading my skin and ravaging my nerves. I desperately try to open my eyes and get up, but I can only hear my breathing become heavier.

Gradually, the cold snake moves downward against my skin. I can’t stop it. I can only let it get under my collar and creep all over my body…..

. . . . . . 

“Ugh…..” I wake up gasping. A thin layer of sweat has broken out on my body, and the skin of my face is hot. My chest rises and falls sharply with my chaotic breathing, and my waist and limbs tremble uncontrollably.

As a married person, of course I know what has happened to me, and I bite my lower lip in shame and anger.

Mingcheng’s portrait is still looking at me on the altar table, but I don’t dare to look up at him.

“He” is in front of Mingcheng’s portrait.

The lights in the room are not on, and the three incense sticks on the altar have already burned.

The faint scent of incense in the air and the residual smell of burning paper wrap around the black and white portrait on the table and me lying on the floor. 

I hold back my anger and button up my clothes with hands that are still shaking, cursing softly into the darkness.

“Shameless!”

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Chapter 24 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 26

Not long before, He Lan really did take that person back to the room and put him on the bed. He also found the antidote and tried to feed it to Qin Yu. But Qin Yu was probably unable to bear it, and refused to open his mouth at all, clenching his teeth tightly. After a lot of fussing, time was wasted.

Even after regaining his senses a little, Qin Yu curled up in discomfort. He could only make He Lan go out so that he could relieve himself.

He Lan agreed to go out, but Qin Yu had no time to keep an eye on him. Hearing movement near the door, he thought He Lan had gone out, not realizing that He Lan had only locked the door.

Soon, Qin Yu couldn’t take it anymore and began to do it himself. But he was very clumsy. After all, he usually had few desires, and his already disabled body was even more unsuited to it.

Suddenly, a shadow was cast down. “You’re such a fool, ah. Do you want to die of the pain?”

Qin Yu opened his eyes at once and looked over. He Lan’s eyes were so dark that they were bottomless, and the obvious intent there completely  betrayed him. Qin Yu’s heart palpitated, and he felt faintly afraid. They had experienced hardships on the island, together come life or death, and the atmosphere between them had long since changed.

During this period, He Lan had teased him many times. It wasn’t like Qin Yu didn’t understand the intent in the eyes that often looked at him, but for Qin Yu, He Lan was just following a man’s instincts. So, facing this situation and knowing how to be more comfortable, Qin Yu still suppressed the pain in his body and said: “Get out.”

But he had forgotten that He Lan was never obedient. The more he wanted something done, the more He Lan would do the opposite.

His mouth was blocked before he could shout it a second time.

The bed curtain slid down, and He Lan could be heard whispering: “I’ll help you without asking for anything in return.”

Qin Yu knew that he shouldn’t sink into depravity, and shouldn’t get close. Nothing good would come of it. Yet, he still lost control. He had something pressing on his heart, and suffered from the unknown pain. In the end, he could only fruitlessly blame it on lingering drug residue, unaware that the drug had been eliminated all at once. There was no need for further treatment at all, but he still allowed He Lan to gradually lose control over and over, as if both of them were possessed. It wasn’t until dawn the next day that he fell asleep in a daze.

Soon after, there seemed to be a knock at the door, and he heard Huo Fenglie say they needed to move.

He Lan asked for water to clean the two of them up, and then he was carried into the carriage.

On the carriage, Liu Zhenqing had just awoken when he saw He Lan come in with Qin Yu wrapped in a blanket.

Liu Zhenqing rubbed his eyes and looked at them. He couldn’t get back to their room last night, the inn was full, and they were afraid to go somewhere else and get split up. Huo Fenglie could only find a carriage and have Liu Zhenqing sleep in it.

Initially, Liu Zhenqing thought that the two people would come out soon once the drug was cured, and they moved places overnight. But now he looked at the morning light in a daze. Liu Zhenqing had been so sleepy that he passed out. He watched He Lan carefully hold Qin Yu and adjust his position to let him sleep more comfortably. And Qin Yu didn’t react at all. This was incredible for Qin Yu, a martial arts practitioner.

Liu Zhenqing racked his brains. This was obviously caused by the excessive use of something. He sucked in a breath in disbelief. Had the medicine not cured him? It would only turn out like this if there was no solution.

Confounded, Liu Zhenqing asked: “Did you not find the antidote?”

He Lan did did not conceal it, saying directly: “I found it. It was difficult to feed it to him, and it took a long time. In the end…..”

“Are you…..together?” Liu Zhenging burst out speaking.

He Lan was stunned for a moment, then coughed: “It’s not like that. It was just the effects of the medicine.”

For He Lan, that situation was more like setting his instincts free. On the island, he could only look but not eat, and they occasionally had to stick very close to hide themselves. It was truly torturous. He did not admit that he had taken advantage of another person’s plight, and only thought that he was good at seizing opportunities. Both of them were happy in the end, so why not? In any case, it wasn’t the first time.

If they were to talk about being together…..cough, cough…..this cold-blooded fellow needed to confess, ah. Anyway…..anyway, he had no objections. He was willing to take responsibility, but a certain someone was unwilling.

The corners of Liu Zhenqing’s mouth twitched. It was all the drug’s fault, ah. Was this sort of excuse easy to use? He knew the science behind the medicine, and it was obvious that this guy He Lan couldn’t control himself…..he was simply shameless and immoral, doing whatever he wanted. It made a person envious…..

…..Okay, he was jealous. Look at them doing this and that when they weren’t even together, but that silly dog…..

Huo Fenglie suddenly opened the curtain and greeted them, and thoughtfully gave Liu Zhenqing a food box, which contained the breakfast Liu Zhenqing liked to eat recently.

As a result, when he looked up, he saw Liu Zhenqing looking at him with dissatisfaction.

“Do you want to eat something else?” Huo Fenglie asked.

Liu Zhenqing shook his head coldly, and Huo Fenglie went outside to work as the carriage driver.

Liu Zhenqing picked up a bun and ate it, as if substituting it for Huo Fenglie. Just waitI One day, I’ll use drugs and excuses to deal with you. Let’s see how far you can endure it!

Of course, Liu Zhenqing was only thinking this due to envy and resentment, and would not certainly not mess around for real.

He Lan also picked up something to eat. To be honest, meeting up so suddenly, he really didn’t know where to start, and the timing also wasn’t right. So, in the spirit of courtesy and reciprocity, or perhaps because of his inner vigilance against a love rival, he asked in turn: “What about you two? Without us getting in the way, have you grown closer?” He had always been optimistic about these two people. And now that Qin Yu could see Huo Fenglie again, he might still have some thoughts about him.

As a result, based on the discrepancy between their situations, this sentence was truly heartbreaking. “No.”

The driver outside seemed to let the carriage become unsteady.

“Ah? Why?”

“Probably because…..there are no drugs!” 

He Lan looked at Liu Zhenqing speechlessly, not sure whether he was mocking him or joking. Mostly likely he was joking. “Oh, by the way, I used that ointment of yours and I want to buy it. How much is it?”

It didn’t take much to figure out what he had used.

That was handed over by his master, and he had originally planned to keep it for himself…..

He Lan had used it and planned to buy the rest.

“Five hundred taels!”

He Lan was shocked on the spot: “So expensive, ah!”

“What, you’re reluctant to part with such a good thing?” Liu Zhenqing said, taking his anger out on him.

“Okay, five hundred taels is five hundred taels. I don’t have it with me now. I’ll take it into account and give it to you when we return to the capital.” He Lan said shamelessly: “Do you have any more? I want to buy a few more boxes.”

Liu Zhenqing: Shameless! He’s Er-gou’s good brother!

Can’t he give Er-gou some of his shameless qualities?!

The carriage soon arrived at Song Xingmu’s courtyard. Qin Yu also woke up at this time. As expected, the ointment had worked well and he wasn’t in much pain. Before, it was just that he was exhausted and had taken too many drugs, so he fell asleep in He Lan’s arms.

Although He Lan still wanted to carry Qin Yu out of the carriage, he was turned away by Qin Yu’s cold eyes.

Even though he was aware that others might know about their relationship, Qin Yu still maintained his distance when he was awake. After getting off the carriage, he said to Huo Fenglie: “Zhanyuan, I want to talk to you in private.”

Having heard about their past, Liu Zhenqing could pretty much guess that what Qin Yu was going to say must be related to the Dongchang.

But He Lan became angry when he heard this: “If there is something to discuss later, you should rest first. Zhanyuan still has to go see Captain Song. He had an accident last night, and we don’t know what happened.”

Qin Yu frowned and wanted to say something, but He Lan picked him up and said to the servant who came to greet the guests: “Give us a room!”

The servant quickly led the way.

Liu Zhenqing and Huo Fenglie went to check on Yi Chuan first.

When they arrived, the smell of medicine was all throughout the room. Song Xingmu was sitting at the bedside, seemingly lost in thought, while Yi Chuan lay silently on the bed.

Hearing the noise, Song Xingmu turned around.

“How is he?” Liu Zhenqing asked, stepping forward.

Song Xingmu’s voice was a little hoarse, as if he hadn’t slept all night: “His life is safe. Fortunately, you’re here.”

Liu Zhenqing stepped forward to check his pulse, and also thought he would be fine.

Song Xingmu’s voice grew gradually colder. “The other party used smoke to deal with Yi Chuan, then used a poisoned dagger to strike him many times…..the poison has been cured now, but the blood loss was excessive. His body has been ravaged by the poison and his vitality consumed. I’m going to…..kill them!”

Liu Zhenqing turned to see Song Xingmu slowly raise his hand to pinch the glass earring in his ear, as if he was going to crush it with force. He understood Song Xingmu’s anger.

Liu Zhenqing recounted what he had heard the night before. It was certain that Zhao Haicheng had set the trap to intercept Yi Chuan.

“I think it’s because the military officer died, and Zhao Haicheng likely thinks Yi Chuan was the one who killed him. He doesn’t believe that it was his own group that silenced him. Getting rid of Yi Chuan is comparable to getting rid of a weapon in your hands, and also an opportunity for revenge. The enemies we’re facing now should be two groups of people. One is the rebels, and one is the island residents like Zhao Haicheng who have an unclear enmity. The rebels do not regard the island residents as their own and kill them at will, but the island residents are being foolishly used for their benefit.”

With Liu Zhenqing’s analysis, many things became clear.

And the key now was the location of the island. Song Xingmu stood up at once, knowing that the people who knew the island’s location were at his home.

They needed to go and talk to He Lan and Qin Yu.

But as soon as Song Xingmu got up, he heard the sound of Yi Chuan waking up. Song Xingmu was abruptly unable to raise his feet, and sat back down. He held Yi Chuan’s hand and said: “How are you?”

Yi Chuan awoke in a daze and saw that Song Xingmu was next to him, looking at him with eyes full of pain.

Yi Chuan quickly took his hand back and said: “Why are you looking at me with such a disgusting expression? I won’t die.”

The corners of Song Xingmu’s mouth twitched. He knew that this brat would be fine.

“You won’t die, but it’s been a long time since I’ve seen you injured so seriously. All the martial arts skills you learned were in vain.”

Yi Chuan scoffed, unresigned: “The other party is despicable.”

Liu Zhenqing stepped forward to ask: “Yi Chuan, why did you follow them at that time?”

Song Xingmu also asked when he heard this, “Right, ah. Didn’t I tell you not to mess around? You should have at least come back to inform us, ah.”

“I heard them plotting against you. I thought there was some sort of trickery, so I followed them.” Yi Chuan said: “It was only after I was ambushed that I realized those words were deliberately leading me to follow them step by step.”

Yi Chuan wore a somewhat vexed expression. Song Xingmu poked his head and said: “So foolish. You need to learn your lesson after this, or I’ll spank you!”

Yi Chuan instantly blushed, glaring at Song Xingmu. This was still the person at his side?

It wasn’t the first time Liu Zhenqing had heard this, and Huo Fenglie didn’t care much about the affairs of others, so they both remained tranquil. 

Yi Chuan calmed his breathing and said: “But when the governor was here, I heard him confirming the time with Zhao Haicheng, who said to leave in five days.”

The three of them were slightly surprised.

“Is it the governor leaving, or Zhao Haicheng?” Liu Zhenqing asked.

Yi Chuan said: “The governor will leave and move elsewhere.”

Liu Zhenqing and Huo Fenglie instantly realized that there was a problem with the governor.

Song Xingmu was relieved now that Yi Chuan was awake, and the group of them went to He Lan and Qin Yu’s room.

As soon as they entered the courtyard, they witnessed He Lan being kicked out.

Liu Zhenqing shook his head, saying: “What a familiar scene.”

Huo Fenglie stepped forward to help He Lan up.

“What’s going on?” Song Xingmu asked in confusion.

“Those two are a couple who haven’t gotten together yet. They’re horseplaying,” Liu Zhenqing said directly.

“Don’t the Dongchang and the Jinyiwei not get along?” 

“In a sense, they are a match made in heaven,” said Liu Zhenqing.

Song Xingmu said with a smile: “Judging by your tone, are you envious?”

The corners of Liu Zhenqing’s mouth twitched. It could be seen at a glance that they were good brothers.

The group of people stopped making trouble. After all, proper business was more important.

He Lan got straight to the point: “There are also remnants of the Three Kings among the rebels, and we’ve determined that the assassination plot in the capital was their doing. They did it in order to disrupt the Spring Plowing Ceremony, destroy the emperor’s reputation, and make people think that the origin of the emperor’s throne is unclear. They’ve gathered together to hide on the island, plotting rebellion. The money from several cases we’ve investigated ended up in their hands, not only to make weapons, but to make fire powder, and they also bribed some shopkeepers in the Liu Family Chamber of Commerce to transport it for them. There are also many dirty naval forces under Commander Song. The residents of the islands are pretty much mixed in with them, and they all intend to rebel and take over the country.”

Liu Zhenqing promptly asked the question he was most concerned about. “Are there any true clan members of the Yuan family within the Three Kings remnants?”

He Lan shook his head: “How could that be possible? The so-called leaders either followed the Three Kings in the past or are relatives of theirs. They just refuse to accept that their grand dreams are gone, so they continue to make trouble under the banner of clearing the names of the Three Kings. They allege that the emperor took the throne through shady means, and also admire them, so they unthinkingly follow them as if possessed. Even if they succeed, who will be the boss?”

“Such people should be unable to cooperate. Why do they gather together and make so much noise?” Song Xingmu asked in puzzlement.

Liu Zhenqing said: “Because there are many officials colluding with them, including the Minister of Revenue who died previously.”

“Right, so is the governor,” Song Xingmu realized.

Huo Fenglie looked at Qin Yu then, but Qin Yu maintained a cold face and said nothing. It seemed that he would only talk to Huo Fenglie in private.

“Where is the island?” Huo Fenglie asked directly.

Song Xingmu quickly laid out a map of the sea area.

He Lan and Qin Yu stepped forward to identify it, but were very much not familiar with the situation in the sea area. They only knew the rough location, and there were five small islands in that section.

He Lan said: “There’s no need to worry. I’ll go along when we send out troops, and I’ll recognize it when I see it. When the time comes, Lao Qin and I will identify it. It’s impossible to miss.”

However, Liu Zhenqing and Song Xingmu were familiar with these small islands. At that time, when they had just seized the 30,000 troops, they intended to purge the pirates. Because of the good location, they often stationed themselves on these islands, and got along with the residents. Now it had become a den of rebels.

The last question was the most critical.

“How did you two escape?” Liu Zhenqing asked.

When Liu Zhenqing asked this question, their expressions were not very good. There seemed to be some hidden peril.

So He Lan told them about their experience. The two of them had followed the weapons to the island, and although the island was not big, it was easy to find hiding places. However, in order to investigate the truth, they frequently had to take risks. They hid in a room when they were nearly discovered, but a person suddenly appeared in the room and knocked them unconscious.

“That person’s martial arts skills are very high. We couldn’t even react,” He Lan said. “When we woke up, we were on a slave-trading ship.”

Qin Yu nodded in agreement. “It is extremely odd. If it was the enemy, we would have long been dead, but they brought us out and we ended up being rescued by you. At first we thought it might be a trap, but even though we were poisoned, we observed carefully and found no traces of trickery.”

“So someone saved you?” Song Xingmu asked in surprise. “Who was it, ah?”

Both of them shook their heads. This situation really made them feel that there was no end to the trouble.

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Chapter Eighty-Eight << Table of Contents >> Chapter Ninety