Once Lu Qi reconciled with his mom, they had a lot to talk about. He took his mobile phone and looked through the past four years of photos with her. Lu Qi didn’t like taking selfies very much, so most of the pictures on his phone were of landscapes and paintings. Then in the past year, Xiao Sanhua and Mu Nanqiao became frequent guests.

The mother and son talked in the master bedroom while Lin Chunhe and Mu Nanqiao chatted over tea in the living room. From time to time, Lin Chunhe’s hearty laughter could be heard. It seemed that the atmosphere was very harmonious. Lu Qi and his mom looked at each other and laughed.

“Okay…..” Lu Fangshu patted the back of Lu Qi’s hand and pointed outside. “Go accompany Xiao Mu, you must take good care of him after bringing him home. The two of you are tired from the trip here, so take a shower and go to bed.”

Lu Qi hummed in agreement and turned to push the door open. Looking at the wrinkles in the corners of his mom’s eyes, he said earnestly, “Mom, thank you.”

Thank you for being able to accept my differences.

Sitting in the living room and talking, Mu Nanqiao saw him come out. He stood up and said in a low voice: “Is Auntie going to sleep?”

“Yes, ah…..” Lu Qi nodded, and was about to ask his dad to go rest when the man who had his back turned to him suddenly turned his head. His reddened eyes startled Lu Qi, and he blinked in confusion, asking: “Dad, what’s wrong?”

Lin Chunhe was choked up, and stood to pat Lu Qi’s hand. He said seriously, “Son, please treat Xiao Mu well from now on……”

Lu Qi: ? ? ?

Then Lin Chunhe wiped his tears and went back to the bedroom.

He knew that his dad was prone to tears, but he wouldn’t cry out of nowhere. Lu Qi turned to glance at Mu Nanqiao, looking puzzled and curious. “What did you say to my dad?”

Mu Nanqiao wore an innocent expression, although his fox eyes made that innocence seem very unreliable.

“Uncle just said that he’s actually not very at ease. He said that my family is wealthy, and so many good things come into my eyes. That if I change my mind later, I should part with no hard feelings and not pester you to have someone on the side.” Mu Nanqiao said, “I can understand why he has this concern.”

Lu Qi was a little embarrassed, but what his dad said was true. Although it was hard to say who would suffer a loss when two men were together, his dad was naturally still partial to his own son.

Although he understood, Lu Qi was still somewhat embarrassed, and whispered: “My dad doesn’t know you yet. He has a bit of a stereotype about rich people. I’ll explain to him tomorrow…..”

“It’s okay, I already explained.” Mu Nanqiao smiled and lowered his voice, saying: “I told him how we met, and that after so many years, I’ve grown from a bullied kid into an adult who can take responsibility for his own actions…..”

“I am not at the hot-blooded age of seventeen or eighteen, and I’ve met all kinds of people over the years. If my heart could be moved by a glamorous appearance, then I wouldn’t be the same person…..” At this point, he paused. Those fox eyes curved with a silken warmth in them, looking at Lu Qi with heated intent. “There may be many butterflies in the world, but they are not the one that flew through the window when I was a teenager.”

He spoke so frankly, as if he had considered how to answer this test paper countless times in his mind. The answer was not empty verbal promises, but a frank reopening of old wounds.

It was very evident that the answer was perfect.

The bottom of Lu Qi’s heart felt sour, and he raised his hand, saying: “That is a great explanation. Come here, I’ll reward you with a hug.”

The big fox would never say no to candy brought to his mouth. He walked around the coffee table and came over to hug Lu Qi.

“It was you who taught me…..” He kissed Lu Qi’s ear and said with a chuckle: “That sincerity is a sure win.”

They were in the living room, and could only whisper. Lu Qi stood on tiptoe to kiss Mu Nanqiao’s ear and said: “It seems Boss Mu has already learned. It’s time to graduate.”

“Don’t want to.” Mu Nanqiao hugged him and shook him. “I’m going to repeat this grade for the rest of my life.”

. . . . . . .

It was the last day of the year. New Year’s Eve was written in festive red letters on the calendar, and although the highlights of New Year’s Eve were in the evening, the sporadic sounds of firecrackers had penetrated into every household since morning.

In addition to the firecrackers, there were also deliberately soft footsteps outside the door and extremely low voices in conversation.

Lu Qi rubbed his eyes, yawned, and turned over in a warm embrace to face Mu Nanqiao. He reached out to hug the other party’s slender waist and asked in a daze: “What time is it…..”

Mu Nanqiao glanced at his phone, then lowered his head to kiss the other’s forehead. “It’s half past six. You sleep a little longer, I’ll go see if Uncle and Auntie need help……”

But Lu Qi didn’t let go at all. He hugged Mu Nanqiao and nuzzled his chest. “Wait a minute, lay down for a while and we’ll go together. Otherwise, if my mom sees you getting up to help and me staying in bed, she’ll say that I’m lazy……”

Mu Nanqiao couldn’t resist his coquettishness at all, so he had no choice but to lay back down with him. He hugged the person in his arms and caressed him, as if coaxing a child.

“Why did you wake up so early today?” he asked softly.

His voice just after waking up was deep and low, very nice to hear, like a cello being played. It was really enjoyable to hear this kind of sound early in the morning. Lu Qi’s ears felt numb upon hearing it. He raised his hand to rub them and replied casually: “I went to bed early last night, ah, so of course I woke up early. You disturb me every day in bed, it’s strange that I’m able to get up…..”

There was natural resentment in his tone. The corners of Mu Nanqiao’s lips rose, and he said with a chuckle: “En, my bad.”

Lu Qi closed his eyes and muttered: “No sincerity at all…..”

He wanted nothing more than to act shamelessly again and make Mu Nanqiao have to deal with it a few times. The big fox would not be fooled like this, and didn’t answer. He just lowered his head and kissed him softly. Pretending to be confused, he asked: “What kind of sincerity does Lu Baby want?”

But when Lu Qi was going to speak, he kissed those newly opened lips with extreme ruthlessness.

On the last day of the year, in the room where Lu Qi had lived from childhood to adulthood, the two of them embraced each other and talked about irrelevant topics. The quilt was very warm, and their body temperatures blended together. This sort of temperature was enough to smooth away all the twists and turns of the year.

There was a lot of noise outside the room. When they heard the sounds of ingredients being prepared in the kitchen, the two of them got out of bed and began to work after washing up.

From time to time, people called to wish them a happy New Year, including Lin Chunhe’s suppliers and Lu Fangshu’s former colleagues. Mu Nanqiao sent big red envelopes to the company group, and employees grabbed them with joy. At first glance, the one with the best luck turned out to be Mu Chuanbai.

They ate something casual at noon. After working busily, they were finally able to take a break when it got dark. They only needed to wait until mealtime to put the prepared ingredients in, and the fragrance of the things that needed time to stew was already wafting out of the pot.

“It hasn’t been this lively in several years…..” Lin Chunhe said cheerfully. After that, he thought of something and looked at Mu Nanqiao. “Xiao Mu, ah, how are your parents celebrating the New Year? If it’s convenient, we can all get together to celebrate, ah.”

Mu Nanqiao was peeling nuts for Lu Qi, and pushed a small pile of peeled ones in front of him. When he heard this, he smiled and said: “Thank you for your kindness, Uncle, but it will have to be next year. My parents are abroad right now.”

Lu Qi held the nuts like a little hamster and ate them, crunch, crunch. There was a sudden buzz, and he glanced at his mobile phone on the table.

Talia had sent him a big red envelope. The amount was relatively large, so it was a direct transfer, and there was also a “Happy New Year” in Russian. Finally, she asked him if it was convenient to make a video call. She and Mu Chuanbai also wanted to greet his parents.

Lu Qi blinked and looked at his parents. “Is it convenient?”

Lin Chunhe sat upright and assumed a diplomatic posture, nodding solemnly: “It is convenient.”

Lu Qi: ……

Someone who didn’t know would think his dad was about to hold some sort of trade talks.

When the video call connected, Talia and Mu Chuanbai appeared on the screen. Talia was as elegant and beautiful as ever, wearing a red sweater dress as she greeted Lu Qi warmly.

While the parents of the two families were chatting, Mu Nanqiao took Lu Qi to the balcony.

The balcony of Lu Qi’s house was open, and it was a bit cold when standing outside. Mu Nanqiao wrapped Lu Qi up in a scarf, leaving only a pair of round eyes. At this moment, those round deer eyes were looking at him in confusion, silently asking him his intentions.

It was rare to see Mu Nanqiao’s eyes suddenly dodge for a moment. He asked Lu Qi: “Do you still remember? When we lived in the Garden Community, if that scum hadn’t appeared, I would have set off fireworks for you.”

Of course Lu Qi remembered. But it couldn’t be that Mu Nanqiao mentioned it now because…..

Whiz—

A thin flame cut through the dark winter sky, flickering upward to suddenly explode in a sky full of stars. But this was just the beginning. All kinds of fireworks in various colors flickered and bloomed under the sky, layer upon layer of fiery trees and silver flowers blossoming in the night.

“Wow!” Lu Qi’s eyes were shining brightly. He wanted to tell his parents to come take a look, but the old couple were having a lively chat with Mr. and Mrs. Mu Chuanbai on the other end of the phone and clearly had no time to pay attention to him. 

Lu Qi looked up to watch. There was a smile in his eyes, and the small dimple on his left cheek appeared faintly. Thinking of something, he turned to look at Mu Nanqiao. “Such large-scale, long-term fireworks displays aren’t allowed in urban areas, right, ah? Could it be that Boss Mu used his monetary power?”

Mu Nanqiao gave a low hum of agreement: “On the surface, these fireworks are to promote several new projects launched by Mu Group in Yuncheng, so they have official approval…..”

His expression was somewhat unnatural, and his eyelashes were lowered. Upon closer inspection, there was clearly a trace of nervousness in those long, narrow fox eyes.

But Lu Qi’s attention was drawn by the fireworks. Hearing what he said, he felt a little distressed at the money he tossed out like running water. He leaned on the railing with his chin in his hand and watched seriously, but couldn’t help whispering, “Isn’t it a bit not worth it just for a short time, ah…..”

Standing behind him, Mu Nanqiao slowly exhaled and took a small box out of his jacket pocket.

He held the dark blue velvet box and ensconced Lu Qi from behind. Dangling the box in front of Lu Qi’s eyes, he whispered: “For this, I think it’s worth it.”

The scarf slipped off his head. Lu Qi looked at the exquisite little box and asked uncertainly: “What is this?”

He actually already had a guess in mind, mainly because the size of the small box was really suitable for holding some sort of metal jewelry with special significance.

The fireworks show was still going on, but Lu Qi couldn’t hear the sound of them exploding, because his heartbeat was so obvious and rapid, beating against his eardrums.

The small box was opened little by little in front of him, and the metal reflected a beautiful arc of light. He heard Mu Nanqiao ask in his ear:

“Lu Baby, will you accept this New Year’s gift?”

---

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

I like gentle and approachable people.

And I discovered that the Wen family brother was just this kind of person. He didn’t talk too much, and didn’t like to make mischief like us. He was as steady as an adult, but never censured us like an adult.

However, I still didn’t like playing with him. But he wasn’t angry with me, and just silently watched me playing with Mingyi.

He was very good, with no dissatisfaction or complaints. Like a quiet and beautiful shadow, he wasn’t noisy at all.

I didn’t mind having a shadow as a friend.

The days passed like this, until one year our families celebrated New Year’s Eve together. I couldn’t stand vigil, and fell asleep.

In the middle of the night, I was woken up by the sound of firecrackers. When I saw it was not New Year’s Eve yet, I went to go find some water to drink, but found someone in the living room. It was the figure of a teenager.

The young man had a slender neck, and the contours of his shoulders and back were neat and smooth. When sitting, his posture was upright and his waist was straight, like an exquisitely meticulous painting.

And when I found him, he was lowering his head slightly to play with the remaining window decorations that me and Mingyi had cut.

I rubbed my eyes and looked carefully, only to find that it was Wen Mingcheng. With his head slightly lowered, the vibrant lights outside reflected on his face, making the teenager appear to have deep features and thick eyelashes.

He was facing out the window with his face lowered. The tall bridge of his nose left a small shadow on his profile, and the shadow of his eyelashes gave a sense of natural-looking cosmetics.

He trimmed my half-cut rabbit window decoration bit by bit, and his expression looked very serious and careful.

The adults were playing mahjong upstairs, and Mingyi and I had already had several dreams on this lively night. But he was here alone, and didn’t even know that someone had come.

That was when I realized that he wanted to play with us.

It was just that I didn’t want to play with him, and he was too embarrassed to say anything.

I felt a little guilty.

He protected me like an older brother, but I ignored him.

He was good, and I was bad.

He was so pitiful.

. . . . . . .

I began to actively invite him to join in mine and Mingyi’s games. He was new to our games, but learned them very quickly. I was very patient with him due to my conscience, and Mingyi didn’t mind her brother joining.

We gradually became one whole, but later on in adolescence, I began to get closer to Mingcheng, who was a boy like me.

He was only one year older than me, but his path of growth had been very smooth, and he could even look back to teach and console me.

He grew up with me and tolerated my simplicity and ignorance. He tolerated my escapades during adolescence and was more gentle, considerate, and patient than a dear older brother.

I had several friends in our circle at that time, but I thought he was the best in the world.

We rarely quarreled, and only had one fight in high school.

At that time, I was determined to learn oil painting and did not want to inherit my father’s calligraphy. My father was greatly disappointed.

I didn’t understand his persistence. Wasn’t it enough for my brother to inherit his calligraphy?

After I said this to him, what I got was a slap in the face and a scolding. “Why did I create a son like you?!”

My face burned and my eyes were filled with tears, but I stubbornly refused to cry out or even let my tears fall. I endured the grievance and refused to give in. “Don’t you already have my older brother?! Just think of me as an accident.”

He locked me in the house and didn’t allow me to go out.

It rained continuously for the next few days, as if heaven felt sorry for me.

I was still a child at that time, and deliberately stood under the eaves and got wet in order to get back at my father.

But I was mistaken. My father was not distressed.

I was very cold and too embarrassed to go back, huddling under the eaves like a blanched quail.

My mindless act of self-harm did not move my father. He watched me from upstairs for a while, and perhaps because he was hungry, he asked the auntie to stew quail for dinner.

But I was moved by Mingcheng.

After I sneezed for the nth time, the drenching rain above my head suddenly stopped. I thought I had moved the heavens, but there was a high school uniform wrapped around me.

Mingcheng’s body always smelled good, and his school uniform also carried his scent and warm body temperature. The moment it was wrapped around me, some of the coldness vanished.

He probably found me soaking foolishly in the rain by accident after school was over. I saw his school bag tossed casually on the ground. Wearing his school uniform trousers, he knelt on one knee in front of me, holding an umbrella with one hand.

Because the umbrella was leaning toward me, the rain fell on him. It flowed in clear lines down his face, like dewdrops on fine, cold white porcelain. 

He frowned slightly, his face full of heartache and confusion: “What are you doing? Why do you want to hurt yourself for no reason?”

I wanted to ask that too.

I would never do anything so stupid again.

With his help, I would be able to get out of an embarrassing situation, go to his house with him to take a hot bath, and ask Auntie Wen to give me a warm bed.

I sneezed and hugged him like a lifeline, saying pitifully: “My dad disowned me, please let me go to your house.”

The skin texture of this boy who was about to enter adulthood was very firm and warm. He wiped the rain off my face. Not easily deceived by me, he asked: “What happened?”

I told him of my unfortunate experience, and accused my dad of being heartless and turning a blind eye to my misery.

Tears flowed down my face as I spoke, immersed in feelings of grievance and indignation.

I should look pathetic, so that he would sympathize with me and join me in accusing my dad. Or so I thought.

But in fact, he looked down at me for a moment and said: “A-Zhen, Uncle shouldn’t have hit you, but he is doing this for your own good. Inheriting the family business is what we as children should do, and you shouldn’t hurt yourself.”

He had always been very tolerant of me and supportive of my ideas. I didn’t expect that he actually had thoughts in this regard, just like my dad and older brother.

When I was denied by my dad and brother, I wasn’t sad. But I very much was when Mingcheng denied me.

He instructed me mildly.

I pushed him away and went back to my room in tears.

“A-Zhen!”

He called out to me from behind, but I ignored him.

I ignored him for several days after that.

I would rather get up half an hour early and leave early than go with him to school, and even refused to talk to him there.

Fortunately, he was in the class next door. As long as I didn’t leave the classroom, I wouldn’t have many chances to meet him. 

I was depressed like this for nearly a week. At first, he came to me frequently to try to apologize, but I ignored him with a cold face.

Over the next few days, he gradually disappeared and seemed to want nothing to do with me.

From the classroom window upstairs, I saw him walking downstairs with a few classmates, talking and laughing, as if he had forgotten about me.

This realization gave me a sudden sense of crisis. 

I felt even more sad, and there was a moment of helpless panic.

I comforted myself that it was all in my head, but after two days, he still hadn’t come to see me.

I was really a little panicked. I had only wanted to be angry with him, not lose him.

Probably because my expression was so obvious, my condition fell into the eyes of my deskmate.

During class, he poked my face with the cap of his pen. Seeing that I was startled due to my distraction, he laughed at me: “You seem like my lovelorn sister. Did somebody dump you?”

His parents were both in the entertainment industry, and he had obviously inherited the appearance of his parents, because he was quite handsome. But he always said things I didn’t like. I rolled my eyes at him, not in the mood to talk.

He didn’t care whether or not I wanted to talk to him. He looked at me silently for a while, then leaned over and said: “They say in private that you’re more beautiful than the school belle. I think they’re right. How are you so white?”

His eyes were practically glued to my face. I rolled up the chemistry paper he had almost completed to beat him away with.

When I was going through puberty, my facial bones hadn’t grown yet, and it was indeed difficult to tell whether I was male or female. People always mistook me for a girl, so this was my inverse scale.

I was about to get angry, but suddenly remembered something. My deskmate and Mingcheng were in the same department of the student association.

This seemed to let a bit of light come through the haze of depression I had been in for several days.

I began to give him favorable looks and eagerly share my snacks with him.

He was confused and flattered.

He insisted on taking me to his parents’ concerts, and also took me to meet many celebrity idols.

I was actually not interested in celebrities, but I complied with him.

Because I planned to fool my innocent deskmate for a few days and then ask him to put in a good word for me with Mingcheng to help me win him back.

But to my surprise, I saw my deskmate and Mingcheng talking that evening.

It seemed they had met by chance on the way home from school. The Wen family car stopped in front of him. Holding his school bag, he lowered his head and spoke to the person inside, looking a little reserved and at a loss. 

I saw that the person in the car had a beautifully sculpted figure.

It was Mingcheng.

I almost thought my intentions had been revealed. Guilty, I followed them secretly and watched them for a long time.

I was very curious about what they were saying, and also wanted to know what the relationship between him and my deskmate was. Were they saying anything about me?

When I went home to do my homework, I wrote it messily because I kept thinking about this matter.

After pondering it for a long time with no results, I planned to ask my deskmate directly the next day.

But he didn’t come that day.

I heard from my classmates that it seemed his celebrity parents were sending him to South Korea, and he left in a hurry.

My deskmate changed.

---

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Chapter 18 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 20

Liu Zhenqing really didn’t know how he had provoked this enemy. He wanted to ask more questions, but was afraid of arousing suspicion, so he could only remain silent.

Zhao Haicheng thought he had frightened Liu Zhenqing, and he was silent for a moment before speaking: “Young Master Huo, I didn’t mean to scare you. I’m not lying to you about the good relationship between Captain Song and Liu Zhenqing. I hope you can think about it clearly.”

Liu Zhenqing thought for a while and pretended to sigh sadly, appearing very hesitant.

This Zhao Haicheng was also pure and innocent. Seeing that he was upset, he immediately reined in his tone and said: “You…..don’t be sad, there are many good men in the world. Young Master Huo has an outstanding temperament and is very intelligent. Captain Song is not worthy of you.”

Facing Zhao Haicheng’s obvious stare, Liu Zhenqing could no longer pretend. Just at this time, the carriage arrived at the inn.

The coachman notified them, and only then did Zhao Haicheng stop trying to persuade him. He got off the carriage first, and when Liu Zhenqing was coming down, he took the initiative to stand under the carriage and stretch out his hand. Looking up, he waited for Liu Zhenqing to reach down.

But Liu Zhenqing pretended not to see, and jumped down from the carriage.

Zhao Haicheng stared blankly.

Once Liu Zhenqing stood firm, he said farewell.

Zhao Haicheng said: “How long will Young Master Huo be staying here?”

Liu Zhenqing said to himself: Isn’t your process for persuading someone to break up a little too fast?

“It shouldn’t be too long.” Liu Zhenqing could only speak according to the situation. “Me and him…..I can’t just leave.”

Zhao Haicheng frowned slightly but still said: “Leave as soon as possible. It isn’t safe here lately.”

Liu Zhenqing’s eyes lit up, and he said: “Is…..is that the case? Is it pirates?”

Zhao Haicheng did not get carried away, and gave no answer. He just said: “If…..Young Master Huo encounters any difficulties in the future…..he can come to me. I will help.”

Damn, this was clearly trying to steal someone else’s lover.

Liu Zhenqing could only brace himself and say: “Thank you, Lieutenant General Zhao, for your kindness.”

Zhao Haicheng’s eyes softened a lot, and he said: “You go inside and rest early.”

Liu Zhenqing nodded, then turned around and walked into the inn.

Zhao Haicheng watched silently until his figure disappeared, then got on the carriage.

“Sir, where are you going……”

“Back to the water village.”

The coachman was confused for a moment. When he was about to get on and drive the horse forward, he hadn’t sat down yet when the horse ran off wildly. Zhao Haicheng inside was badly hit. When he tried to fly himself out, the carriage had already hit a stone pillar on the street and broke apart on the spot. Zhao Haicheng was also thrown out violently.

This made the quiet street lively for a while. Liu Zhenqing heard the noise when he returned to the room and opened the window to take a look. He suddenly said in surprise: “Was it you?”

Huo Fenglie landed beside Liu Zhenqing, his face completely dark: “He has the ambition of a wolf.”

Liu Zhenqing turned around and said: “Reckless.”

In fact, he was happy inside. That Huo Fenglie was jealous but still took the overall situation into consideration was what made Liu Zhenqing the most satisfied.

“But we need to investigate Zhao Haicheng very thoroughly.”

“I’ll go investigate. There’s no need for you to see him again.”

Liu Zhenqing was taken aback. Remembering what happened on the ship previously, he said with a smile: “Oh? Why?”

“He has evil intentions toward you!” Huo Fenglie said in a deep voice.

“Then what are you agitated about?” Liu Zhenqing asked.

Huo Fenglie choked for a moment. Just as he didn’t know what to say, someone suddenly knocked on the door.

The two stared, thinking that Zhao Haicheng had left and then returned.

Liu Zhenqing went to open the door and saw Uncle Ding sneaking around.

“You’re finally back. I’ve been waiting for you all night.” As soon as Uncle Ding came in, he gave them an engraved shell.

It said: April 20, Pingjin Square.

There was also a sketch of an eagle below.

“He Lan’s tattoo.” Huo Fenglie recognized it at a glance.

“A little beggar brought this at noon today. He said that a big brother gave him some silver and asked him to deliver it, but he didn’t know anything else.”

Perhaps it was He Lan. He wasn’t sure if they had come or not, so he could only have someone send a signal, and if they responded, they could assemble.

“The date mentioned is tomorrow. Where is Pingjin Square?” Liu Zhenqing asked Uncle Ding.

Uncle Ding said: “It is a very hidden auction house here. Many high-ranking officials like to go there to buy things and people, and tomorrow happens to be their auction day. However, only those with invitations can enter. Do the two of you want to go? I’ll get you invitations.”

“That isn’t necessary, someone will take us there,” Liu Zhenqing said.

Liu Zhenqing and Huo Fenglie exchanged glances. Although they didn’t understand why it was this place, they had to make the trip there tomorrow.

Because he had so many things on his mind, after sending Uncle Ding away, Liu Zhenqing had no intention of teasing Huo Fenglie anymore. After acupuncture, he went to sleep early. Before he could go find Song Xingmu the next day, the man came running with Yi Chuan. He asked in a rush: “How was it? I heard that Zhao Haicheng got on your carriage last night.”

Huo Fenglie, who was delivering porridge to Liu Zhenqing, froze. His face turned grim.

Liu Zhenqing also recounted what had happened the night before a bit speechlessly.

Song Xingmu, who had a disruptive temperament, couldn’t stop laughing after hearing this. He repeatedly gave Liu Zhenqing a thumbs up, and even Yi Chuan on the side wore a bewildered expression.

“He likes men?” Liu Zhenqing asked.

“I don’t know. I’ve never heard of him getting married or looking for a woman.” Song Xingmu smiled evilly and said, “Maybe that youngster is just in love. Why don’t you just sacrifice yourself as a honey trap?”

The corners of Liu Zhenqing’s mouth twitched. To the side, Huo Fenglie was passing food to Song Xingmu and just tossed him a bowl of white porridge. 

Song Xingmu was not angry, and added the side dishes himself with a smile.

“This is a really unexpected situation, ah. However…..” Song Xingmu said while eating, “It’s very strange, ah.”

“It really is strange. What kind of hatred is that? You said he is an island resident. Can you check on his situation?”

“I understand what you mean, but that was investigated a long while ago. At the least, his island has been the safest for many years, with almost no changes. Most of the residents on the island make a living by fishing, although sometimes family members are killed by pirates. Although it is sad, he shouldn’t hate me. Even during the time I was away, there were very few incidents.”

Yi Chuan said with a frown: “Very few is not none. The actions of pirates are sometimes undiscoverable, but even if there was such an accident, it shouldn’t make him hate you. Why did he hate Prime Minister Liu back then? He also went to the capital to complain.”

“Perhaps it is because of the rumors. Aren’t there some about collusion with pirates? I heard the storyteller say this.” Liu Zhenqing said, overcome with vexation, “Anyway, we know that his hatred is real, and he hinted at an incident happening soon. There is no need to think too much about other things. This is the priority.”

“What else?” Song Xingmu asked doubtfully.

Huo Fenglie opened his mouth and brought up the matter of Pingjin Square.

“Ah? I go there often. It should be open tonight.” Song Xingmu introduced Pingjin Square to them.

Pingjin Square was a place created by jianghu factions, and rare items or slaves were often auctioned. Most were of unknown origin.

They handled and resold things, regardless of whether they were good or evil. As long as you could afford it, you were the master. In a sense, they offered fair treatment to young and old alike.

It was said that before, the auction house was located elsewhere. It turned out that someone stole an heirloom belonging to a local official, and when it was sold to Pingjin Square, the official took people to go ask for it. Pingjin Square refused to hand it over and suggested that he could pay for it. When the official grew angry, a fight broke out and Pingjin Square was destroyed.

As a result, the official’s house caught fire the next day. Although there were no casualties, the manor burned down completely. The treasure was returned to Pingjin Square for another auction, and was finally taken away for a thousand taels.

“Since they came here, pirates and items stolen by pirates are often auctioned off,” Song Xingmu said.

“Pirates can be auctioned off?”

“Yes, ah, just like regular slaves. Many people buy them, some for revenge and to vent their anger, and some to use purely as human resources. They usually go for one hundred taels apiece,” Song Xingmu said.

Liu Zhenqing and Huo Fenglie listened for a long time and had a general understanding.

The four of them went to investigate the household registrations of the island residents, checking them one by one. Just as Song Xingmu said, not much had changed, and it looked very peaceful. In fact, as long as the island residents did not go to sea, pretty much nothing would happen, because pirates rarely attacked the islands. After all, Liu Zhenqing had designed a message transmission device like the Great Wall in ancient times, letting the islands serve as defense towers for one another.

It was said that they were currently abandoned because many of the island residents had come ashore. A great many islands were deserted, so they were no longer used. However, there were also frequent navy patrols, so even if one went to sea, it was relatively safe if they chose a good time.

Such a contradictory status quo was really confusing.

Very soon, they boarded a carriage at night and went to Pingjin Square.

A luxurious underground pavilion was hidden under the restaurant.

Everyone needed to wear a mask when entering. Except for Pingjin Square, who sent the invitations, everyone else’s identities were quite conveniently unknown.

After entering, they were taken to Song Xingmu’s exclusive seats.

Huo Fenglie lowered his head and said to Liu Zhenqing: “I’m going out for a while.”

Liu Zhenqing nodded.

Seeing that Huo Fenglie was about to leave, Song Xingmu asked curiously: “What are you going to do?”

Liu Zhenqing said on Huo Fenglie’s behalf: “To check and see if the others are on site, and then determine the nearby military force and defense situation.”

Song Xingmu was surprised that Huo Fenglie hadn’t said anything just now, but Liu Zhenqing was so clear about it.

Song Xingmu turned to Yi Chuan and said: “You two should go together. Yi Chuan is familiar with this place, and it will go faster.”

Yi Chuan nodded and went out with Huo Fenglie.

There were only two people left in the room, so it was easier to talk. Liu Zhenqing remembered something and said: “By the way, our two companions…..one originates from the Jinyiwei and the other from the Dongchang…..they were still young at that time and were not yet…..”

Song Xingmu instantly understood what Liu Zhenqing meant, and smiled: “Am I as inexperienced as a child? The Jinyiwei and Dongchang acted under orders back then. The winner is king and the loser is a bandit. There’s no point in holding a grudge.”

“As expected of you, ah,” Liu Zhenqing said with a smile.

Song Xingmu said in turn: “On the contrary, it’s you I don’t get.”

Liu Zhenqing blinked in confusion.

Song Xingmu suddenly said in deadly earnest: “It’s hard for me to speak with Huo Fenglie here. After all, he’s from the Huo family. Now it’s just the two of us. Let me tell it to you straight, no one in the royal family is worthy of you. I thought that according to your character, even if you got such an ending in your last life, wouldn’t you not bother with revenge? You should have just dropped the idea with frustration. I didn’t expect that…..you’re busy running around again for the safety of Great Zhou.”

Liu Zhenqing hid nothing, saying directly: “In the beginning, it was exactly as you said. I wanted to stay out of it and be a carefree person who doesn’t bother with the world of mortals. I also didn’t want to recognize anyone, but…..after being forced to get involved, I’ve found various things that might be related to the debt I left behind in my previous life, so…..I can’t let it go.”

“What debt?” Song Xingmu asked.

“It’s better that you don’t know,” Liu Zhenqing said.

Song Xingmu knew that he shouldn’t continue asking when he saw that Liu Zhenqing was showing almost the same cold expression as when he was Prime Minister Liu in his last life.

So he joked: “I think it’s a love debt. Because of your Er-gou?”

Liu Zhenqing chuckled and said: “That’s right, the most important thing is this love debt. Because Er-gou is here, the other debts don’t matter. You don’t know, but he has loved me since a long time ago. Isn’t that cute?”

Song Xingmu couldn’t imagine General Huo being cute, but seeing Liu Zhenqing’s expression, he understood. At least he wasn’t bitter, didn’t care about his stigma, and was still very happy. This was much, much better than the previous Prime Minister Liu, and it seemed as if he could see the dazzling young Xiting of the past.

“So you know. He told you?” Song Xingmu couldn’t bear the sight of Liu Zhenqing showing off. 

In the end, this sentence sealed Liu Zhenqing’s doom. The corners of his mouth twitched and he said: “I discovered it myself. Ai, you have been with men, tell me what it’s like.”

As Liu Zhenqing spoke, he tugged at Song Xingmu to appeal to him, like a love novice seeking advice from a love master.

Song Xingmu didn’t expect such a strange situation, and replied with a hard mouth: “Then he doesn’t like you, and everything is just your own imagination.”

Liu Zhenqing’s heart reflexively tightened, and he retorted at once: “I’m no fool! You can’t tell if he likes me through observation, ah. Besides, I’m so great…..there are so many people who have liked me, so why would Er-gou look down on me?”

Song Xingmu quarreled: “Where are you great? You like to play pranks, bully others, and have a lot of debts to pay. Not to mention, your current looks are not half as amazing as they were back then.”

Song Xingmu’s words were like a bolt from the blue.

Regardless of anything else, Liu Zhenqing couldn’t help but panic. Was it really because of his looks?

No wonder he can restrain himself no matter how I seduce him. It’s just that these looks aren’t enough. If I had my previous appearance, he wouldn’t be able to restrain himself for a moment, ah.

Liu Zhenqing was thinking angrily, but then he changed his mind. He didn’t think that Er-gou was so superficial. Could it be that Er-gou treated him as a woman, but he couldn’t accept men at all?

Song Xingmu could only laugh when he saw his shifting expression. The Liu Zhenqing of the past would not be so casually fooled by him. Sure enough, after falling in love, Prime Minister Liu had also become Young Man Liu.

Song Xingmu stopped digging a hole for his brother and said: “But Yi Chuan and I both think he likes you.”

“Didn’t I just say that?” Liu Zhenqing let out a long breath. “He doted on me when he was young and is very good to me. Others cannot enjoy such treatment. You saw how he picked out fish bones for me during the meal today!”

“Isn’t it embarrassing to say that? You’re older than him!” Song Xingmu teased: “Forget him, what about you? Do you like him?”

Liu Zhenqing’s cheeks were slightly red. He pursed his lips and was about to speak, when a voice suddenly came from the door. He was startled, thinking that Huo Fenglie had returned.

But he only saw someone bump into the door seemingly by accident.

Even though they were all wearing masks, Song Xingmu recognized him at a glance.

“Yo, why is Lieutenant General Zhao here too?”

Liu Zhenqing was taken aback. He saw Zhao Haicheng look at him with burning eyes, then say in a low tone: “Captain Song, Young Master Huo, I’m sorry to bother you. I went to the wrong room.”

After saying this, he looked deeply at Liu Zhenqing, seeming greatly disappointed.

Song Xingmu nearly burst out laughing when he heard the words “Young Master Huo.” Then he embraced Liu Zhenqing and challenged Zhao Haicheng: “It’s fine, it’s fine. Today is a busy day. I brought my baby over to have a look.” After speaking, in front of Zhao Haicheng, he lifted Liu Zhenqing’s chin and said: “Baby, whatever you want later, I’ll buy it for you.”

The corners of Liu Zhenqing’s mouth twitched, but he still said cooperatively: “Okay.”

It seemed that Zhao Haicheng couldn’t stay any longer. Saying farewell, he turned and left without even opening the door. When he bumped into Huo Fenglie and Yi Chuan head-on, he didn’t look much, and just left with a dark face.

When the two returned to the door, they saw Song Xingmu and Liu Zhenqing in an embrace.

Their two faces darkened on the spot.

At this point, the auction began.

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

“What’s wrong, A-Zhen? You can accept my brother, but you can’t accept me?” In the dim light, the woman’s too-long dress clings to my calves.

The scent of her perfume is like claws crawling onto me little by little. Her body temperature seeps into my skin through the fabric of my clothes.

All of this is very suggestive, and I feel terrible.

One of my closest relatives has suddenly gone crazy.

The little sister I have known since childhood, my husband’s biological sibling whom I watched grow up, said this to me.

It’s like my husband is not the only one who has been replaced. I also no longer recognize Mingyi.

I suddenly grab the hands touching my waist and ask her with a cold expression: “Wen Mingyi, do you know what you’re saying?! Do you still know what shame is?!”

“Mingcheng is your big brother. Although I am a man, I’m also your older brother’s wife. Where have you put your ethics when you say this to me?” My chest feels tight and I take a breath, feeling sad and angry at the same time. If she ever had a falling out with Mingcheng for this reason, I will be very disappointed with her. In my anger, I start to speak without courtesy. “Mingyi, do you still have respect for us in your heart? Do you still have respect for yourself?”

“How am I disrespecting you by pursuing what I love? How am I not respecting myself? You are indeed my sister-in-law, but Sister-in-law, you are wrong about one thing. The disrespectful one among us three is Wen Mingcheng, not me.” She chuckles. It’s as if she doesn’t care about anything anymore, and has endured too long to bear it any longer. I don’t understand her, but I see the joy of revenge in her eyes.

“The Wei family is said to have passed its calligraphy and painting down for over four hundred years. It’s a pity that Professor Wei died suddenly overnight, and his eldest son was stabbed, severing the tendons in his right hand. The youngest son escaped disaster because he didn’t follow the family traditions, and in this way, his works became masterpieces. How many of them burned back then?”

My face slowly darkens as ancient memories are brought up.

Wen Mingyi looks at my face and smiles for a moment. “Auntie was nearly fifty at the time, but she suddenly became an object of pursuit for upper-class men. There is so much irony in this world, ah. Those so-called calligraphy enthusiasts alone were enough to cause you trouble, not to mention the threats to your life. At that time, my brother and I rushed back from Norway to take you to a foreign country for a while, but you really gave us a surprise, ah…..”

“The young master of the Wei family burned all of his father’s works in front of everyone, announcing that the Wei family would never exist again. You stood in front of your mother and blocked all eyes from her. You don’t know how many people were fascinated by that gesture, right? You don’t know how crazily my brother looked at you at that time.”

After saying this, she sweeps a ceramic handicraft placed on a cabinet to the ground. Fragments fly, and her tone is one of resentment and fury: “He obviously knew that I liked you. He obviously knew that our parents had wanted us to get married since we were young. We should have married, had children, and lived a peaceful life. But he insisted on robbing me, and on the first day he achieved his goal, he declared his sovereignty to me in the most vicious way. I will never forgive him.”

I frown, disagreeing with her words. “I never knew our elders wanted us to marry. And you’re mistaken, I was the one who liked Mingcheng first…..”

“Like hell it was you! You were played in circles by him, what do you know!” Her expression sinks as she rudely interrupts me, but then she suddenly laughs as if remembering something. “A-Zhen, ah, do you want to know why I hate him? Because the day you and my brother got engaged…..”

She abruptly leans toward my ear and says slowly and hoarsely: “When you were doing it in his room…..my brother made me listen outside the door for half of it.”

“I hated him to death. I wanted to kill him. But I thought it would be better if I was him.”

It’s like I’ve been struck by five lightning bolts. In an instant, the world is spinning before my eyes and there is a sharp ringing sound in my ears.

“Impossible!” I shove her away violently.

She staggers back two steps and bumps into the low cabinet beside her. The glass vase atop it crashes to the ground.

And after I take two quick steps toward the door, I suddenly begin to retch while holding onto it.

My eyes are hot and stinging due to the discomfort, and moisture blurs my vision.

“A-Zhen, you don’t feel very good. I don’t either. I didn’t want you to know, but you’re always thinking about him. You’ve practically tortured yourself crazy…..” She comes closer to me. It seems like she wants to comfort me, but I’m very resistant to contact with her and push her away again mercilessly. 

She makes no move to resist, and bumps into the cabinet behind her again. And I straighten up, give her a cold, severe look, and say the most outrageous thing I have said to her in so many years: “Don’t come near me.”

“It is me who liked Mingcheng first. I don’t believe in such a vulgar plot about brothers and sisters fighting over a person, and as for that disgusting matter, I’m more willing to believe Mingcheng than you.”

I turn around and push open the door, but she hugs me tightly from behind again.

“Don’t go! Why don’t you believe me?” She seems to be crying, and I hear her sob out: “I know what you’re afraid of, but A-Zhen, this is all true…..”

Her strength is actually no less than that of a man. If she wasn’t a woman, I may be tempted to fight her.

Warm drops of liquid fall on my shoulder, and I feel the fabric grow wet.

“It wasn’t you who liked him first. It’s you who were too naive and easy to deceive back then. Do you remember why you fell in love with him? A-Zhen, think about it……”

Why did I fall in love with Mingcheng?

I remember that the first person I liked was him. Do I need a reason to like someone?

Perhaps I do…..

Actually, I did have a better relationship with Mingyi when I was a kid. She was completely different from how she is now. She wore her hair in a small bun every day and was very well-behaved and cute, prone to blushing. I like people who blush easily, so I preferred her to the mature and steady Mingcheng.

I was still in good health when I was little, so I took her to catch grasshoppers and sparrows in the Wen family’s back gardens. I secretly picked Uncle Wen’s Turkish roses, encouraged Mingyi to take out her mother’s white porcelain tea set to play house, and led her to do all kinds of bad things.

Both families were amazingly indulgent. We were best friends.

And every time Mingyi and I played together, Mingcheng just watched us from afar. He was only one year older than me, but he looked like an adult in temperament. He looked at me with genial eyes, but there was a maturity in them that didn’t match his age. I was a little afraid of him, so I deliberately said that he was stiff and boring, and I didn’t want to take him with me no matter what.

But one time I wanted to steal my dad’s Ming Dynasty inkstone for Mingyi to use as a cutting board while playing house. The stool I was standing on shook, and at that moment, I knocked over the shelf and broke my dad’s favorite double phoenix white jade plate.

I was petrified when it broke.

Unfortunately, the parents of the two families had gathered together to talk about something that day, so the loud noise in the study attracted them all.

My dad had always been a strict father. When he walked to the door of the study with a sullen expression, I almost cried in front of all those people.

But at that moment, someone suddenly walked slowly in front of me to shield me.

It was Wen Mingcheng.

I didn’t know where he was before, but he seemed to descend from the sky to stand in front of me.

He was still a youngster at that time, his voice as smooth as pearls colliding as he apologized politely: “I’m very sorry, Uncle, I accidently broke your things. Please punish me.”

I looked at him blankly after being protected by him.

The adults did not punish Mingcheng. Only his mother gave him a strange look.

And that was also the first time I noticed the Wen family brother.

After that, Mingcheng entered our circle.

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Chapter 17 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 19

The New Year was approaching, and strings of small lanterns and Chinese knotted decorations had been hung up in major shopping malls for the holiday. Adults on annual leave took their children out to go shopping, and the pedestrian streets were crowded with people. Occasionally, there were one or two young couples holding hands and taking pictures in the falling snow.

Lu Qi and Mu Nanqiao exited a mall. This place was only ten minutes away from the community where they lived, so Mu Nanqiao didn’t drive, and they could walk back slowly while holding hands.

As soon as they walked out of the shopping mall, Mu Nanqiao pulled down the gray wool hat on Lu Qi’s head a couple of times to cover his ears. It was warm, but in this way, a beautiful fashion item turned into the style of a grandpa.

Lu Qi was dissatisfied, but he stayed calm and collected and gestured for Mu Nanqaio to lower his head. Then he stood on tiptoe and lifted the hood on the back of his jacket…..

The big fox smiled sweetly, but before the corners of his lips could even raise, his vision suddenly went dark.

Lu Qi had tugged hard on the drawstring of the hood and tightened it too far, leaving only Mu Nanqiao’s mouth and the tip of his nose exposed.

Having succeeded in his prank, Lu Qi laughed and ran away.

The blindfolded Mu Nanqiao smiled fondly, thinking that he really was spoiled.

They had come out this time to pick out gifts for Father Lu and Mother Lu. In the beginning, Lu Qi feared that rich and overbearing Boss Mu would take him directly into a luxury brand or jewelry store to buy his dad a pigeon egg ring or something, but Mu Nanqiao didn’t pick out these pricey things.

He carefully asked about Father Lu and Mother Lu’s hobbies, and in the end, chose medium to high-end gifts. For Mother Lu, there was a piece of Suzhou embroidery fabric and a colored jade bracelet, and for Father Lu, he chose two tins of tea leaves, as well as a tea pet toad holding tongbao in its mouth.^[1]

They were very thoughtful gifts, which could give people the sense of his feelings without being embarrassed by the price.

When Mu Nanqiao wanted others to like him, his emotional intelligence had always been very high.

The two people walked back through the snow. Mu Nanqiao held the gifts in one hand and Lu Qi’s hand in his pocket to keep him warm. As they walked, he turned his head and asked: “Which outfit do you think is better for me to wear tomorrow? Is a suit too formal? But casual wear…..”

Lu Qi gave him an amused look and shook his hand with curved eyes: “Boss Mu, are you particularly nervous, ah?”

Mu Nanqiao had not experienced this kind of nervousness in many years. These years, whether in his studies or in his career, it seemed that he had done everything with ease. Only this year had he experienced such a thing more often, all because of Lu Qi.

“I’m a little nervous.” He nodded very calmly. Looking down at Lu Qi, he was filled with tenderness. “Your parents are also your favorite people, and I want to gain their approval.”

“Don’t worry.” Lu Qi took his warm hand out of his pocket and held Mu Nanqiao’s face, caressing it. “My mom has accepted that I like boys. How could she not be satisfied with you? In the eyes of most mothers, Boss Mu is the most suitable son-in-law. En…..change the gender, and you would be a perfect match for a daughter-in-law.”

“Perhaps I’m still not good enough quality?” Mu Nanqiao grabbed his hand with a sigh and rubbed it, raising his eyebrows as he joked, “After all, I can’t give birth to children.”

“Wa!” Lu Qi’s eyes went wide in surprise. “Boss Mu still has this ambition. But how will you know if you don’t try? Since you put me on top this morning, maybe Boss Mu will get pregnant! When the time comes, you will have a son. My mom will definitely….ai, ai, ai…..”

He was picked up by Mu Nanqiao. The snowy road was slippery, so he leaned against Mu Nanqiao’s shoulder and didn’t dare to struggle too much. Fortunately, it was getting late now and there were not many people in the community, only a few children building snowmen on the other side of the green belt. When they heard the sound and looked over, Lu Qi quickly picked up his scarf and tightly covered his face.

Ah! Shameful!

Looking back at Mu Nanqiao, there was no superfluous expression on his handsome and flamboyant face. As calmly as if he was carrying a gas canister, he took two long strides up the steps, passed through the entrance lobby, and directly entered the elevator.

This elevator was exclusively for the top floor, so as soon as they got on the elevator, they were in the private area of their own home. Lu Qi pulled down his scarf and took a breath.

“Speak politely, why are you taking liberties?” He smacked Mu Nanqiao’s back and struggled a bit. “Hurry and put me down.”

Mu Nanqiao smacked his butt through his winter pants. It didn’t hurt, but the shame practically had Lu Qi’s head smoking. He exclaimed in a shy voice: “Mu Nanqiao!”

He was obviously heavy! How could this person just pick him up and run off?! Was this the terrifying racial talent of the fighting nation?!

“That’s me.” The big fox was surprisingly thick-skinned. Not only did he not let go, but he even pinched him twice. “I was just thinking, a shotgun wedding is indeed an idea. Honey, let’s go back and give it a try. If you have a little Lu cub, even if Mother-in-law doesn’t like me, she’ll have to let me in the door.”

“You’re dreaming.” Lu Qi scoffed. “If you behave like a scumbag, my dad will break your legs. He would rather raise a grandchild by himself than let his son…..”

Ah, right, he was male.

Lu Qi’s ears felt hot, and he kicked his legs hard twice. “Mu Nanqiao, what are you talking about? I also can’t give birth.”

After all, he was an adult man nearly 1.8 meters tall. He struggled, and Mu Nanqiao finally couldn’t carry him anymore. He bent to put this person down, leaning against the light rose gold wall of the elevator.

“How will you know if you don’t try?” Smiling, he responded with what Lu Qi had said before. Lu Qi was speechless for a moment. Mu Nanqiao pinched his cheek and kissed him over and over, then bit his ear and whispered: “Want to try?”

“No, go away!” Lu Qi pushed him and turned around to get off the elevator first. He swiped his fingerprints angrily to open the door and shut Mu Nanqiao outside with a bang.

The big fox was just talking. He was afraid that Lu Qi would feel uncomfortable afterwards, so he had never done anything like this before. This time, he had really made him angry.

Boss Mu rubbed the tip of his nose, which was nearly smacked. He opened the door dejectedly and went in to coax this person.

. . . . . . .

It was already evening when they arrived in Yuncheng. They left the train station and took a taxi to the house.

There was no elevator in the building, and the environment was a bit like the garden community. Lu Qi led the way, climbing to the third floor. He stopped at the door and looked back at Mu Nanqiao.

Boss Mu was wearing a white turtleneck sweater with a black woolen coat on the outside, not overly serious, but somewhat gentle and reliable. As he stood at the foot of the steps and looked up at him, there was a slight smile on his features.

“What’s wrong?” He asked Lu Qi softly.

“Nothing…..” Lu Qi took a deep breath and whispered: “It’s like a dream come true. The people I love accept my loved one. It’s really the best New Year’s gift.”

Mu Nanqiao walked up two steps and lowered his head to kiss him on the cheek. “Next year’s gift…..”

Click—

The door opened. Along with the aroma of food, Lin Chunhe’s voice was as jubilant as a bell: “What do you two kids want to drink? I’ll bring them from the store…..aiyo!”

He was startled by the two grown men at the door, and his amazement turned to pleasant surprise when he saw his son. Then he clearly saw the intimate posture of the two and his surprise became embarrassment.

Bang—

The door closed, and Lin Chunhe said loudly: “I didn’t see anything!”

Lu Qi: ……

Mu Nanqiao: ……

Inside the house, Lu Fangshu came out of the kitchen wearing an apron and asked: “What didn’t you see?”

“Shhh…..” Lin Chunhe ran over in small steps and approached his wife’s ear furtively: “He really brought back a boy!”

Lu Fangshu’s expression was a bit complicated, but she still asked curiously: “What kind of child is he, ah?”

“I didn’t see clearly…..” Lin Chunhe scratched his head and stretched out his hand to compare: “But he’s extremely tall! Almost a head taller than our baby!”

When he finished speaking, the two of them fell silent together.

In fact, the two of them had seen a photo of Mu Nanqiao during the days when the TV station was repeatedly broadcasting Talia’s interview. The man was more handsome and elegant than a star. But in the photo, he was holding the back of the sofa and leaning over, so it wasn’t apparent that he was that tall.

Lu Fangshu asked: “Is he really as handsome as in the photo?”

Lin Chunhe: “I didn’t see clearly, ah.”

The two exchanged glances, then looked simultaneously at the silent door.

Outside the door, Lu Qi coughed and asked Mu Nanqiao with a blushing face: “Then I’ll knock on the door.”

This first meeting was so unexpected that even the calm and thick-skinned Boss Mu blushed a little. He coughed awkwardly and gave a solemn nod: “Knock on the door.”

After two knocks, the door opened. Lin Chunhe opened it with a smile, as if he was just meeting the two people at the door, and greeted them with kind politeness: “Xiao Mu is here. Haha, come in quickly.”

Mu Nanqiao called him ‘Uncle’ and went inside the house to change his shoes. Once he put on his slippers, Lu Fangshu also took off her apron and walked over. The room had enough light for the couple to finally get a clear view of Mu Nanqiao’s face.

When he looked at the photo before, Lin Chunhe had wondered if it had been retouched. How could anyone be so handsome? Lu Fangshu had seen the elegant Talia and the cultured Mu Chuanbai, and felt that it was not excessive for this young man to look like the one in the photo.

When the real person stood in front of her, only then did she realize that the photo actually didn’t do him justice.

“Aiyo, what a big child…..” Lin Chunhe was smiling so hard that he couldn’t even close his mouth. “But he’s so handsome. You’re here for the first time, why did you bring gifts?”

Lu Fangshu also came up to greet him, smiling warmly. “Put your things down quickly, come in and wash your hands and eat. I cooked all homemade dishes, you see if you like them.”

Mu Nanqiao stayed calm and collected, and breathed a sigh of relief. “We’ll trouble you, Auntie. I’ll eat more later.”

It was only at this moment, when he looked at the warm smile on his mom’s face, that Lu Qi finally realized that he had really brought his boyfriend home to show his family.

He squeezed out from behind Mu Nanqiao and said coquettishly: “Dad, Mom, do you think he’s more handsome than me, ah? You haven’t looked at me since I walked in.”

They didn’t know how long it had been since they had heard their son talk to them in such a natural tone. Finally, the situation between mother and son was no longer tense. Lu Fangshu’s eyes reddened. She grabbed Lu Qi and lightly smacked him on the shoulder. 

“You still have the nerve to talk…..” She whispered softly: “Heartless little brat…..”

Raising her hand to pinch her son’s face, she said, “You’ve gained a lot of weight. It’s better to be fatter.”

Lu Qi blinked his eyes, leaning down to let his mom knead him. He didn’t forget to say good things for Mu Nanqiao: “You don’t know, Mom, but his cooking is delicious, and he also drags me to run and box. I’m not puffy now, I have muscles!”

As he spoke, he took off his coat and lifted up his sweater. He patted his belly, inhaled, and revealed the outline of a 4-pack.

“Aiyo, do you want to die? Be careful not to catch a cold.” Lu Fangshu patted his belly and pulled down his clothes, turning to look at Mu Nanqiao. “Okay, Xiao Mu, stop standing at the door, let’s go in to eat and talk.”

She could see that her son was well taken care of, and the small knot in her heart also lifted. During the meal, she frequently served Mu Nanqiao food. Thinking about what it would be like to have a daughter-in-law come to the house, it wasn’t awkward to do so.

After dinner, Mu Nanqiao and Lu Qi washed dishes together while Lu Fangshu and Lin Chunhe watched TV outside.

Lu Qi was in a very good mood, and the smile in his eyes never faded from beginning to end. They were ostensibly washing dishes together, but he barely moved a hand as he hugged Mu Nanqiao from behind like a little koala.

On the other hand, Mu Nanqiao restrained himself a lot in someone else’s home, and even asked in a whisper: “Baby, won’t it be bad if Uncle and Auntie see you?”

“You can actually be embarrassed…..” Lu Qi smiled evilly. He knew the structure of the house, and after making sure his parents couldn’t see them, he stood on tiptoe and kissed Mu Nanqiao on the cheek. “You really know how to be serious, ah, Boss Mu.”

Mu Nanqiao gave him a deep look, but held back and continued to wash the dishes.

Lu Qi thought, his parents were home, and his bedroom was so close to theirs. Mu Nanqiao must be too embarrassed to do anything. Thus, he smiled and reached out to poke Boss Mu’s pert buttocks several times.

Mu Nanqiao: ……

He secretly grinded his back teeth, already thinking about how to deal with Lu Qi when they went back.

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[1] Tea pets (茶宠) are ceramic figures kept on a tea tray for good luck. You pour tea over them, and over time, they change color and gain the scent of tea. ⮐

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

She seems to have participated in some kind of social event today. I see that she is wearing dark red lipstick. Her long black dress hangs down to her calves, and she is wearing a pair of high heels in the same color.

After entering the door, she takes off her thin black gloves and hands them to the auntie. Her painted eyes look at me from under long eyelashes. The eyeliner at the ends of her eyes is dark, and there is no expression on her face.

I don’t know if it’s an illusion, but I sometimes think that her temperament is becoming more and more like Mingcheng’s. And since she began practicing sports, her body shape has become much taller than that of an average woman. As the two people gradually overlapped in appearance and temperament, there was an indescribable feeling.

“Why did you remember to come to me today? If it’s to thank me for taking care of you for a day, that’s not necessary.”

She raises a corner of her mouth in what I’m not sure is a smile, but even if she is smiling, it probably isn’t a good smile.

But it doesn’t bother me. She cares about me, but for some unknown reason, she doesn’t want to talk to me properly.

I want to get straight to the point, but with the auntie here, I can’t say it directly. My hesitant appearance probably catches her eye. She regards me expressionlessly for a moment, then turns to the auntie and says: “You can leave work for today, don’t worry about us.”

After the auntie leaves, I intend to say something to her, but she stops me frankly: “I know that when you open your mouth, it’s going to be about my brother again. Don’t upset me after I worked all day.”

She goes to the wine cabinet and selects a bottle of white, then takes a glass and hands it to me with a slight smile. “Since you’re here, have a few drinks with me first.”

All of the children in the family are tall. Mingcheng is half a head taller than me, and Mingyi’s height is pretty much equal to mine. She might still be taller than me after playing sports for many years, but I won’t admit it.

She doesn’t change her shoes. Standing before me in high heels, she is obviously a little taller than me, a man.

When I’m with her, I often doubt my 1.8 meter height.

She pours wine into my glass and into another for herself.

The clear liquid flows over transparent glass. It has a light sweetness, a good drink for nighttime.

About an hour later, Mingyi and I are sitting at the long table in the parlor. I sit at one end and she sits at the other.

The lipstick on her lips has been diluted by the wine, with part of it remaining on the glass. Because she is sitting, her long dress touches the floor.

Seeing the change in her expression, I get up and walk to her side. I warn her: “Mingyi, you’re drunk.”

She tries to pour herself wine, so I raise my hand with a frown and cover the mouth of the bottle.

Wine drips from my fingers. She lowers her eyes for a moment, then slowly raises her eyelashes to look at me from below them. Suddenly, she smiles: “You’re still so considerate.”

I think her tone of voice is a little strange, but I don’t take it to heart. She is obviously drunk, and I can’t talk to her like this, so I move to help her stand up and go rest.

But she grabs my wrist and surreptitiously uses her strength to make me bend down and look up at her.

“Mingyi?”

I am yanked due to her sudden movement. Placing one hand on the table beside her to steady myself, I call out to her. 

She frowns as if suddenly waking up, and pushes me away again.

The sea breeze blows at night. It gusts through the open window, causing the lilies of the valley beside the window to sway with the wind.

Mingyi’s medium-length hair is also blown a bit. She drinks the rest of the wine and says abruptly: “I know why you came. It’s for Mingcheng. Your mom said that you think my brother is possessed, haha. She’s incredulous. She thinks you’re crazy. But actually, I think you’re crazy too.”

I never expected that my mom is so familiar with Mingyi. Mingyi knows what I had said to her just this morning. I want to explain that I’m not crazy, but she laughs and shakes her head.

“You don’t need to explain. In fact, from the time you told me that you intended to get married, I thought you were crazy. But now that I think about it, life is so absurd. My brother is a liar. You love him and became crazy. You two are made for each other.”

“Mingyi!”

Crazy. Liar. Her words make me confused and a little hurt at the same time.

Is this what Mingcheng and I are in her heart?

I look at Mingyi for a moment and realize all at once that she is really not the little girl she was in her childhood. She has grown up to be tall and cold, and I can’t see through her anymore.

I glance at the sky outside with some disappointment, feeling powerless in the face of unpredictable destiny.

We fall silent together.

After a while, I stand up and say goodbye to her: “I’m leaving first. I’ll come see you again when I have the time. Don’t…..drink so much wine again.”

I pick up my jacket and walk to the entrance to put on my shoes.

“A-Zhen-gege!” At this moment, she suddenly comes over with quick steps and calls out to me.

She hasn’t called me that in many years. I’m dazed for a moment, and feel a little sad. I turn around to look at her. “Mingyi?”

There are no lights on in the room, so as I watch her walk toward me, her long black dress seems to blend into the night.

She walks in front of me and suddenly hugs me hard.

We hugged like this many times when we were kids, but now that we are grown up and no longer children, this makes me stiffen a little.

“A-Zhen,” she says in my ear. Her nose seems a little stuffy. The mature mezzo-soprano tone is steady, but with a slight nasal sound, a bit raspy. “Let yourself go. Why must you turn yourself into this for my brother? He doesn’t deserve it at all.”

“He is your brother, Mingyi! Even if you hate him, he is a good person! Now that I suspect something has happened to him, aren’t you worried?” I hold her shoulders and push her some distance away, looking at her in disbelief. I don’t understand how she can be so heartless.

They are relatives connected by blood, and Mingcheng has never done anything to apologize to her for.

I can’t seem to recognize her anymore.

She laughs deeply. Her mouth is smiling, but her eyes conceal her real feelings. “You’re the only one who thinks he’s a good person! I already said he’s a liar, a pathological and selfish liar. He has just toyed with you and deceived you for half your life, and also made me miserable.”

“A-Zhen, we have both been hurt by him.”

I keenly notice the sliver of madness in her eyes, and feel that she’s not in the right state of mind. Pushing her away, I take a few steps back. “Mingyi, you’re tired…..”

I try to turn around and leave, but she suddenly embraces me from behind. We are about the same height. I am a sickly man, and she is a tall woman. Because she practices sports all year round, the contours of her arm muscles are no worse than mine. I don’t dare push her hard, afraid of hurting her, so I am momentarily restricted by her.

In my ear, her hot, moist breath puffs out from bright red lips. I tilt my head slightly and see a faint smile on her cold face. 

There is a hint of silk in Mingyi’s voice: “You love him, but it’s better to love me. A person must know how to weigh the pros and cons. You see, at least I won’t lie to you. I’ll tell you whatever you want to know.”

My face darkens. Her words tonight have touched my bottom line. I can fool myself into thinking she’s just drunk, but I don’t want to say anything more to her. I hold her wrists with slight force, trying to rip her off of me.

But suddenly, something soft and wet seems to come in contact with the side of my face. She sticks her head over to look at my face, her mid-length hair falling over my shoulders.

“Do you only like my brother’s type? Am I not like him? Why do you reject me again and again?”

“Oh, I see.” She seems to come to a sudden realization, and her eyes bend in a smile. A pair of eyes very similar to Mingcheng’s blaze with a scarlet light. Raw, sharp, thick and heavy with madness. 

“I could totally role play……a character like my brother, if that’s what you’re into.”

She says this in a very suggestive tone. I don’t understand what she means for a moment until I meet her predatory gaze.

In fact, I have seen this look in the eyes of many people. Even Mingcheng looked at me like this sometimes…..

I suddenly understand what she means. As though I’ve been struck by five thunderbolts, my eyes slowly widen and my whole body freezes in place.

After a moment, I hear my own questioning voice, dismayed and a little sharp.

“Are you crazy?!”

---

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Chapter 16 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 18

For someone who practiced martial arts, this right hand was basically useless.

Liu Zhenqing’s face was solemn, and he held Song Xingmu’s wrist tightly.

Song Xingmu shook his head and his glass earrings swayed, reflecting the light.

“It’s because my skills are inferior to others.”

Liu Zhenqing raised his eyes and looked at Song Xingmu expressionlessly.

Song Xingmu said with an uncomfortable look on his face: “I went to the capital to collect a person’s body, but failed.”

Back then, Song Xingmu was still pursuing pirates at sea, and as soon as he got off the ship, he received a message. It was from Bai Yu, Liu Zhenqing’s right-hand man.

Song Xingmu couldn’t believe it. He heard that his good brother Liu Zhenqing had passed away several days before, and that Bai Yu had sent this letter to ask him to help collect evidence that Prime Minister Liu, whom the world reviled, was not actually like this. Before Song Xingmu had time to think, he heard that something had happened to Bai Yu, and Liu Zhenqing’s body had been buried indiscriminately.

No longer caring about anything else, he rushed to the capital. He wanted to at least…..at least collect the body of his brother. 

But at that time, Liu Zhenqing’s body had just been buried and many people from the Jinyiwei and Dongchang set up an ambush beside the grave. They were ordered to capture the so-called “treacherous minister’s” accomplices. Naturally, a graveside ambush was the most effective.

“Why did you act impulsively!” Liu Zhenqing said in disbelief.

Song Xingmu raised his eyebrows and said: “I thought I could do it. My martial arts skills were not inferior to Huo Feihan’s at that time.”

In fact, he knew there was an ambush and that it was too risky, but…..everyone could spurn Liu Zhenqing’s tombstone in broad daylight, when it was obviously he who had broken every inch of his own bones to support Great Zhou’s pride. How could he tolerate his brother staying there any longer? Those scenes made his eyes redden, and he had to take away the body even if he died.

“But you were still beaten badly.” Yi Chuan revealed this news mercilessly.

“You went too?” Liu Zhenqing said in surprise.

Yi Chuan nodded and said: “I was studying in the mountains at that time, and incidentally heard about Prime Minister Liu. I looked for him when I came out, but he had run away on his own, and I had no choice but to rush to the capital to find him. He was half dead when I arrived. If he hadn’t met a skilled doctor, he would have died. At the end of the treatment, only his hand was disabled, but it was only a year later that he had the energy to get out of bed. And I heard at that time…..”

Yi Chuan glanced at Huo Fenglie and stopped talking.

Song Xingmu understated it, but Yi Chuan supplemented it.

Liu Zhenqing frowned and was about to speak, but Song Xingmu promptly changed the subject and said: “By the way, it wasn’t only me at that time.”

Liu Zhenqing was taken aback.

“Liu Qiao also came back.” Song Xingmu directly gave Liu Zhenqing a piece of news.

Shocked, Liu Zhenqing said: “Liu Qiao?! He’s still alive?”

Song Xingmu said: “We separated eight years ago, and after so many years, I don’t know about his situation. We met there by chance and started working together. His martial arts skills are better than mine, and if he hadn’t taken me with him in the end, we wouldn’t have been able to escape. When we recovered from our injuries and intended to go back, we heard the news. I asked him what was going to happen next. He said that he still had unfinished tasks he had to complete, and he left.”

Liu Zhenqing fell silent.

Liu Qiao, the slave he bought, came with a broken piece of jade with the character “Qiao” on it. Because the slave had no name, Liu Zhenqing gave him the surname Liu and the first name Qiao.

Liu Qiao had been bought and sold as a slave since childhood. At that time, Liu Zhenqing had just become Prime Minister Liu and wanted a loyal bodyguard who could help him easily in the future. When Huo Feihan accompanied him to find a suitable candidate, he met Liu Qiao by chance.

Huo Feihan had never praised another’s character like this, not to mention their natural power, so he bought Liu Qiao. He was taught how to read and practice martial arts, and it turned out that Huo Feihan’s judgment was correct. Liu Qiao was a martial arts genius, and within a year, he came to work as a guard by his side. Although he was a bit reticent, he obeyed orders and acted quickly and accurately. He was already considered a master when he first became a guard, and continued to improve in the following years, like a wall of copper and iron protecting Liu Zhenqing. Except when he was sent out to do things, no matter how many assassinations there were, Liu Zhenqing never suffered any harm.

Thus, Prime Minister Liu had Bai Yu and Liu Qiao as his right and left hands.

After rebirth, Liu Zhenqing didn’t dare to think about him. When he found Bai Yu, he could only pray in his heart that everything would be fine with him.

But regarding Liu Qiao’s whereabouts, Liu Zhenqing also didn’t know, because he had told Liu Qiao before leaving that he should go as far away as he could and not tell him where he intended to go after completing the mission.

Liu Qiao was frightened at that time, thinking that Liu Zhenqing didn’t want him anymore, so he knelt and refused to move. Liu Zhenqing could only agree that when he finished his mission, he could return to him as a guard.

As for that mission, Liu Zhenqing could not give it to just anyone. Only Liu Qiao could do it…..

Huo Fenglie saw that Liu Zhenqing was distracted, so he asked: “How was he recovering from his injuries when he left?”

Yi Chuan said: “He had basically recovered. There were no hidden dangers left on his body.”

“That kid’s martial arts are really good,” Song Xingmu said with a sigh.

Liu Zhenqing couldn’t help but let out a breath. Thank you. I’m sorry. These words pressed on his heart, but saying them would only insult the other party’s friendship, so he had to lower his head and focus on Song Xingmu’s injury.

“When things are completed here, you can make arrangements to go to the Medical Valley with us,” Liu Zhenqing said in a deep voice.

Song Xingmu was about to open his mouth.

“You must go,” Liu Zhenqing said directly.

Song Xingmu said no more.

“So the sudden change in your military power was because the emperor found out you were going…..” Liu Zhenqing asked.

“I’m also not very clear. Those people may not have known who I was. Although I am indeed dissatisfied with the current emperor, and it is fair to say that I left my post without authorization. News would certainly spread out from the navy. I deserved to be punished, and I couldn’t lead the navy while recuperating for a year. Just asking me to come back…..the emperor’s heart is unpredictable. Tell me, what does he mean?”

Liu Zhenqing was silent for a moment, and then said: “As you say, the emperor’s heart is unpredictable.”

Perhaps Yuan Jue knew something was wrong here and had to bring Song Xingmu back. Otherwise, the timing was too coincidental. And he also saw Song Xingmu’s strength, and could not waste such a naval officer. He needed such a person to guard the waters of the Great Zhou Dynasty for him. 

That night, Song Xingmu wanted to send Liu Zhenqing back to the inn.

“No need,” Liu Zhenqing said.

Song Xingmu teased: “Can this be done? You are my wife. It would be inappropriate for me not to escort you there.”

When Yi Chuan on the side heard this, his eyes widened in shock, while Huo Fenglie, who was about to become invisible, glanced over with cold eyes.

“Just arrange a carriage to take me back. There is no reason for Fenglie to go with me and hide in the shadows,” Liu Zhenqing said.

Huo Fenglie looked at Liu Zhenqing.

Song Xingmu raised his eyebrows. “It seems you have a purpose. Casting bait?”

Liu Zhenqing nodded: “I’m curious, so I’ll give it a try.”

Soon after, Song Xingmu led his people to the water village. He arranged a carriage and groom and looked reluctant to leave, waving his hand in farewell with a posture reminiscent of bidding goodbye to a loved one.

Until the carriage left, Song Xingmu remained looking into the distance infatuatedly.

“Hey, you don’t really have feelings for him, right?” Yi Chuan said suddenly.

Song Xingmu looked back at Yi Chuan with a smile and said: “Yo, are you jealous?”

Yi Chuan said with a frown: “Are you going to fight General Huo?”

“Ah?” Song Xingmu glanced at Yi Chuan in surprise.

Yi Chuan said: “Although Young Master Liu said before that General Huo likes Prime Minister Liu, I think that the general likes the current Young Master Liu.”

Song Xingmu almost choked to death on his own saliva. “You’ve seen it all?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Yi Chuan said matter-of-factly.

Song Xingmu was very amused. “Yes, ah, it is obvious, but don’t you hate men being together? You are even gossiping about such things.”

Yi Chuan glared at Song Xingmu unhappily. He hated it not because of discrimination, but because of what happened to his brother at home, and couldn’t bear it psychologically.

“Don’t worry, he and I are brothers,” Song Xingmu said with a smile.

Yi Chuan complained: “You said before that you and Prime Minister Liu were brothers, and you didn’t like him. Although you are a playboy on the surface, in fact…..”

Song Xingmu quickly stopped him, saying in disbelief: “What are you saying? How did you get this misunderstanding?”

“Isn’t it possible that you can like a man? Prime Minister Liu was so good-looking, and you were willing to die for him.”

The corners of Song Xingmu’s mouth twitched. “I don’t. And…..leaving aside everything else for now, was Liu Zhenqing better-looking than me?”

Yi Chuan nodded.

Song Xingmu became petty and said at once: “I wonder who it was who fell in love with me at first sight. It wasn’t Liu Zhenqing. And that person wanted to marry me, and forcibly kissed me…..”

Yi Chuan was instantly infuriated. He covered his ears and ran away.

. . . . . . .

The carriage swayed away from the water village. Before it could get out of the navy’s guarding range, it suddenly stopped.

Liu Zhenqing closed his eyes in repose, predicting what would happen next.

A weak young master who held a place in Song Xingmu’s heart, and who even appeared with him at the scene of arrest and at the water prison, was very suitable for testing, tricking, threatening, or hijacking.

“Who is in the carriage?”

“Answering the official, he is the friend of Captain Song.”

Listening to this conversation, he couldn’t say he was surprised. The person who had come was probably Zhao Haicheng.

He wondered if he could catch this big fish.

He heard Zhao Haicheng say below: “Since he is Captain Song’s distinguished guest, and this night is restless, he cannot be sent away in such a simple manner.”

Then he knocked on the carriage wall. “Young Master, this is Zhao Haicheng. We have met before. I happen to be going to the streets, so you might as well let me see you off. It is safer this way.”

“Then I will trouble Lieutenant General Zhao,” Liu Zhenqing said calmly.

His words had just fallen when the carriage shook, and a tall figure opened the carriage curtain and got in.

Liu Zhenqing greeted him with a smile, and Zhao Haicheng was polite and courteous. But the carriage suddenly shook again, nearly causing Zhao Haicheng to fall over.

Zhao Haicheng said in a deep voice through the carriage curtain next to him: “Be careful with the horses. Don’t scare the guest.”

“Understood. I don’t know what happened…..”

The carriage began to move slowly.

Zhao Haicheng didn’t think much about it, and sat down directly.

But Liu Zhenqing leaned against the carriage wall with the corners of his mouth raised. Zhao Haicheng before him was stunned for a moment.

There was a slight knocking sound through the wooden boards. The sound was masked by the rolling wheels, but Liu Zhenqing could feel the vibration. It was obvious that Huo Fenglie was no longer willing to protect him from a distance and was sitting on the back of the carriage, always on guard.

“Young Master…..” Zhao Haicheng said, “I don’t know what to call you?”

Liu Zhenqing didn’t expect that Zhao Haicheng would say such…..ordinary greetings after coming in.

“I’m…..” Liu Zhenqing skewed his eyes. The surname Liu was still too taboo. He smiled and said: “My surname is Huo.”

Zhao Haicheng was startled. After all, Huo was such a famous surname and brought to mind the general guarding the country.

“Could it be the Huo family from the city…..”

Liu Zhenqing waved his hand and said: “No, it’s just a coincidence. You are talking about the general’s Huo family, right? They are all warriors and I am a scholar…..and I come from the Southern Islands.”

Zhao Haicheng nodded, feeling that this was so. He said: “It seems that Young Master Huo met our Captain Song in the Southern Islands. Are you here to visit friends?”

Liu Zhenqing looked at Zhao Haicheng with some surprise. Did Zhao Haicheng not realize that he and Song Xingmu were not a couple? That playacting was not in vain. Thus, he deliberately adopted a shy posture and said: “Captain Song is not young anymore, so I thought…..”

Zhao Haicheng was taken aback upon hearing this. His expression changed, and he said: “Has Young Master Huo never heard about Captain Song? I see that Young Master Huo appears to be a relatively pure scholar, so I would like to warn you. Everyone here knows that Captain Song does not discriminate between men and women, loves the new and hates the old, and is not very loyal emotionally. If Young Master Huo wants a good companion, Captain Song is definitely no good.”

When Zhao Haicheng finished speaking, Liu Zhenqing was dumbfounded.

Not asking questions or using pretensions, how did it turn into persuasion? What kind of routine was this? Liu Zhenqing’s brain was running fast, but he couldn’t understand it.

Could it be that Zhao Haicheng simply hated Song Xingmu and couldn’t stand his behavior, or perhaps someone in his family was let down by Song Xingmu, so he was against him at all times? Was he overthinking it?

Wait, it seemed that there was no need to be so kind to a stranger.

Liu Zhenqing stared in confusion at Zhao Haicheng for a moment, but Zhao Haicheng’s staunch look at the beginning turned into involuntarily avoiding his gaze in the end.

Liu Zhenqing was immediately alarmed. 

Had Zhao Haicheng fallen in love with him?

He was speechless for a moment. What kind of fish had he caught, ah?

Now Liu Zhenqing knew why Zhao Haicheng had looked at him several times. Whatever, he had no interest in talking anymore.

“Thank you, Lieutenant General Zhao, for warning me. I already know this.”

When Zhao Haicheng heard this, he immediately looked at Liu Zhenqing with displeasure, as if beholding an incompetent love-brained fool.

But it seemed that Zhao Haicheng truly wanted to persuade him. “Young Master Huo, why are you so stubborn? You will be hurt.”

Liu Zhenqing sneered internally and said: “I’m not trying to choose a man to spend my life with, I just want to choose a hero, especially a hero who protects his family and country. Even if he is fickle, at least he is loyal to Great Zhou. Being responsible for the common people and keeping the territory safe is enough to cover up all of his shortcomings.”

Zhao Haicheng was stunned upon hearing this. It was unknown if he was stunned by Liu Zhenqing’s way of thinking or having been unintentionally ridiculed. In any case, his expression did not look very good.

If you dare to talk about my friend, you can’t blame me for being a bully.

Liu Zhenqing smiled and said: “Lieutenant General Zhao, don’t you think Captain Song is a hero? How many pirates has he eradicated, and how many common people of Great Zhou has he protected? He is better than those men who are clearly of Great Zhou but collude with pirates for their selfish desires. How could I not admire such a man?”

Zhao Haicheng seemed unable to listen, saying: “He has performed meritorious deeds, but there are also many sins.”

Liu Zhenqing stared blankly: “What? Lieutenant General Zhao must have some sort of misunderstanding, right? Captain Song has never harmed the common people of Great Zhou, and even if his hands are stained with blood, it is for the sake of the Great Zhou Dynasty.”

Seemingly suppressing his anger, Zhao Haicheng said: “Young Master Huo is indeed too naive. He collaborated with Liu Zhenqing, the treacherous minister who harmed the country and the common people, and killed a lot of Great Zhou’s people.”

Liu Zhenqing silently regarded Zhao Haicheng. Recalling that he had been the one to go to the capital to complain, he couldn’t help but chuckle: “I heard they had a bad relationship.”

“He is the one who left his post without permission in order to collect Liu Zhenqing’s body. How could their relationship be bad? It is only that outsiders don’t know the truth and spread rumors.”

Liu Zhenqing was taken aback. He knew of this?

“Although he was wrong, the circumstances are excusable. Did he cause serious problems when he left his post without permission?” Liu Zhenqing couldn’t help but analyze Zhao Haicheng’s reaction.

But he had heard Yi Chuan and others speak of it before. The reason why the emperor did not punish him severely was because although he left his post without authorization and the handover was chaotic, he didn’t cause any trouble to others. Therefore, the emperor only gave him a small punishment with a warning, otherwise the crime would have been punishable by death.

There were frequent pirate attacks. All the attacks during that period could not be blamed on Song Xingmu, and even if he was here, the attacks would have still occurred.

“Is your family…..” Liu Zhenqing probed.

Zhao Haicheng quickly returned to normal and said with a smile: “I just feel sorry for the common people. Not to mention anything else, just based on the fact that he and the traitor Liu Zhenqing were good brothers, I think Young Master Huo is doing himself a disservice.”

The corners of Liu Zhenqing’s mouth twitched. He had really become synonymous with certain unremovable stains. But it was amusing to think that this fellow was interested in him while cursing him to his face.

Liu Zhenqing really couldn’t figure out if this fellow was just following public opinion or not. Or was it that he had been implicated and hurt by some of the things he had done, so he hated him to this extent? But he remembered that in this region, he had only fought against pirates, ah.

Liu Zhenqing: “You hate Liu Zhenqing? For what reason?”

Zhao Haicheng looked up at Liu Zhenqing and found that his expression was gentle, as if he cared. Unable to avoid being affected by it, some true emotion leaked out: “There are so many people in the world who hate him. He has done many evil things, so no reason is needed.”

Even though Zhao Haicheng didn’t say it, Liu Zhenqing still saw the deep hatred in his eyes.

It seemed that it was truly not an ordinary reason, nor was he following the crowd.

“Did you meet him?” Liu Zhenqing asked casually.

Zhao Haicheng’s eyes were empty. Then he said with an ugly expression: “Why are you asking this?”

“You’re the lieutenant general. I thought you must have met him in person, and I’m a little curious.”

“I would rather never meet that kind of evil person.”

---

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

There is a big commotion over the matter of the house fire. 

I stay in the hospital for several days due to the excessive stress and respiratory damage caused by the fire, and my family comes during this period, including Mingyi.

When I wake up, it is already a day later. My mother is sitting next to me, wearing only house clothes and a thin jacket.

She has always paid attention to dignity and would never disgrace herself before others, so at first glance, I know that she had rushed here overnight when she was notified and gave no thought to changing clothes.

My eyes sting and I am about to call out to her, but she immediately notices I’m awake. A pair of gentle eyes redden at once, and she lays on top of me crying.

“A-Zhen, why are you so unlucky? It’s all because Mom is no good…..”

She sobs on me with no care for her image, and I am also very sad.

I want to comfort her, but I don’t have the energy.

The movement in the ward attracts the attention of people outside. The door opens and my older brother walks in urgently, eyes reddening when he sees me.

Behind him, I see Mingyi and Dr. Zhao.

Dr. Zhao is holding some sheets of paper, and looks a little tired. When he sees me awake, his eyes light up and he enters the ward.

They surround me, but Mingyi only looks at me from afar. She lowers her eyes and leaves. As she walks into the hallway dressed in dark gray, her tall figure looks lonely. I try to call out to her, but can’t make a sound.

My older brother comforts my mother and tells her to eat breakfast, but she refuses to eat, insisting on helping me drink some soup.

I actually have no appetite, but I don’t want to make her sad or worried, so when she feeds it to me, I try hard to drink it.

She seems to see my reluctance, and only feeds me two sips with reddened eyes, saying softly: “The doctor called last night and said there was a fire at your house and someone was taken away by ambulance. I thought the sky was falling…..” She pauses at this point, and I see her turn her head and rub the corners of her eyes. 

“Yesterday, your older brother and sister-in-law were still abroad. Fortunately, Mingyi came to pick me up. Thank goodness for Mingyi the day you fell unconscious.”

My throat is so sore that I can’t speak, so I try to reach out and hold her hand.

Her hands are still as soft and warm as they were when I was little.

She is stunned for a moment, then her expression softens and she touches my forehead with her other hand. “I don’t think your house is very auspicious. I’m thinking that when you’re discharged, you can come out and live somewhere, but it’s inconvenient for you to live with your brother and sister-in-law at home. I want you to buy a different house nearby.”

This time, it is my turn to be stunned. This statement makes me feel a little strange, but I’ve just woken up. My mind is unclear and I can’t think with clarity for a while.

Before I can think it through, Dr. Zhao comes forward to check on my condition and my older brother takes my mother to eat.

Dr. Zhao asks me some simple questions, and I am responsible for nodding or shaking my head. Then he prepares some medicine for me to take and asks the nurse to change me to a new IV.

The solution falls down drop by drop, and my arm feels cold. Before I fall asleep again, I see Mingyi.

She is standing beside me, looking down at me. Although she is a woman, the children in the Wen family are extremely tall. I even momentarily mistake her for Mingcheng.

I’m startled, but she just puts a hot water bottle next to my hand and covers my eyes with her palm.

I blink, feeling that this gesture is very similar to Mingcheng’s. This was the usual way Mingcheng comforted me to sleep. 

My vision goes dark and I fall asleep again.

I spend several days in the hospital like this. These few days are very peaceful. I haven’t lived such a peaceful life in a long time, without fear, anxiety, or self-doubt.

It’s like all I experienced in the past few days was a nightmare, and I’ve suddenly woken up from the dream.

The outside world is still lush and beautiful, and the people around me are chatting and laughing harmoniously. The world is calm and peaceful.

It’s as if that terrifying existence never appeared. Day or night, he never shows up.

I’m discharged from the hospital about a week later. I’ve burned down one floor of my house. Although property management has told me that the repairs are almost finished, I don’t want to go back at all, so I’m staying at my older brother’s house for the time being.

Although my heart is full of worry for Mingcheng, I really have no choice. This sort of matter is too separate from the reality of my life. I’m unable to sleep due to thinking about Mingcheng’s safety every night, but during the day, I can only be compelled to enjoy the peace of life.

I’ve received physical and mental therapy in a timely manner every day, and I feel much better. My life is so stable that I actually suspect it was all a dream.

Up until I find that my peaceful life is a bit strange.

More and more, I feel like it’s odd.

At last, I find the problem.

“Mom, there was a fire at my house. Why haven’t you asked about Mingcheng?”

At this time, my mom, sister-in-law, and I are preparing lunch. The two of them are talking and laughing. An entertainment show is playing on TV, and the atmosphere is cheerful.

Just after I finish saying this, their voices suddenly die away.

The TV is still making a lot of noise, but nobody in the house speaks.

I see them both turn their heads and look straight at me. This scene brings up unpleasant memories, and my heart suddenly tenses. “Mom…..Sister-in-law?”

My words seem to wake them up. My sister-in-law takes a paper towel to wipe her hands and calls to my mom. When my mom is called out, she opens her mouth as if she doesn’t know what to say for a moment. After a long while, she said hesitantly: “A-Zhen…..are you blaming us for not being concerned about Mingcheng?”

“How could I blame you? I just feel strange. In fact, I feel like there’s something wrong with him lately…..”

I feel that these things should be made known to my family members, because I am truly at a loss. I need others to believe in me so that I can get help.

But my mom is old, after all. I don’t dare tell her that Mingcheng has been replaced, so I tell her that I sense something wrong with him, as if he has become a different person.

I hope she thinks Mingcheng is possessed by an evil spirit, because my mom believes in Buddhism and has many friends in the circle. Maybe she will have some methods to deal with ghosts and evil spirits.

So I tell her what I can about the things going on at home.

But contrary to expectations, instead of believing that Mingcheng is possessed, she thinks I’m the one possessed.

“A-Zhen…..” She looks alarmed, and her eyes scan my face several times. Finally, she grabs my hand and says, “I’ll just say, your honeymoon to Southeast Asia was not auspicious at all, and your illness has gotten worse since you came back. Have you worn that pixiu that Mom got for you?”

I’m silent for a moment. “I wore it, but I accidentally broke it later.”

As for how it was broken, of course I dare not say.

But she turns pale with fright. “Master Wuye might be free in a couple of days. I’ll take you to see him.”

“Mom!” I was speechless. “I’m not possessed by an evil spirit, I’m telling you that Mingcheng is. Do you think Master Wuye can do something about it?”

“……You’re sure?”

I am very sure: “Yes.”

“If you have something to talk about, wait until after dinner. Mom, come over here and pick a piece of beef with me.”

My sister-in-law is an intellectual and advocates science. She probably doesn’t want to hear about someone being possessed, and calls my mom back to the kitchen.

While eating, I try to convince her. My mom listens and is indecisive for a moment: “A-Zhen, ah, before you went to the hospital, how long ago was it that you took the medicine Dr. Zhao gave you? How about Mom accompanies you…..”

“……”

I have no words!

“I’m not possessed, and I’m not sick either. Um…..what are you looking at me for? My illness isn’t serious.”

Under the eyes of my mom and sister-in-law, I ultimately change this sentence to: “I’ll go find Dr. Zhao after dinner, okay?”

Why don’t they believe me?

I’m really depressed, ah!

. . . . . . .

I feel a little disappointed that I didn’t get my mom’s acknowledgement. When I walk out of the room, I also hear my sister-in-law express her doubts about me: “Mom, Brother’s symptoms seem to be getting more serious…..”

They are my closest family members. I can’t help but get childishly angry when I fail to get their support, so I don’t want them to accompany me, and I go to see Dr. Zhao alone. Dr. Zhao is a professional. He will believe me.

“I don’t believe you.” He adjusts his glasses with a tired expression. He must have spent a lot of time taking care of me these days. “How long has it been since you’ve taken medicine?”

“I…..have a reason.” I try to explain it to him. After all, who can find out that their family member has been replaced and still take medicine and live peacefully?

But he doesn’t accept it, and raises his hand to interrupt me with a serious look in his eyes. “A-Zhen, you have also received higher education. Where do ghosts and monsters come from in this world? And did you know that I discovered you were having visual hallucinations in the hospital? Did you realize it yourself?”

I freeze in my seat. These words are like a bolt from the blue to me.

I’ve always thought I was close to recovery, and never expected that this would happen.

This state of affairs not only means that my illness is getting worse, but also that…..no one will believe me.

Even my mother and doctor don’t believe me. Nobody will ever believe me again!

“A-Zhen, did you really see all the things you spoke of?” 

“I did, it’s true!” 

I grab his hand, and my tone is extremely affirmative. I hope he believes me.

But he only looks at me for a moment, and then tells me a story.

Before Dr. Zhao was hired by Mingcheng as my exclusive doctor, he was the vice president of a well-known psychiatric hospital.

In the last period of time before he left his job, he took on a patient.

This patient was a very gentle woman. Her symptoms were very mild and her family didn’t think she was sick, so they didn’t want to get her treatment. They made a big fuss in the hospital and asked for her to be discharged to prepare for her pregnancy.

“But soon after she was discharged, a fire broke out in her home.” Dr. Zhao raises his eyelids and looks at me. The whites of his eyes are bloodshot, and there are shadows under them from fatigue. “This female patient burned down her home and claimed that she had strangled a monster to death.”

When I hear this, I feel my hair stand on end. Not because of horror at this patient, but because of what I associate with it.

“……So what was the truth?”

“The truth is that she was hallucinating. She thought her frail husband was a goat spirit, so she strangled him to death in order to get rid of the monster.”

I slump in the chair and don’t speak for a long time.

I think I understand why Dr. Zhao insists on coming to deliver medicine to me even after midnight. Even though I am the only patient he is taking care of, he seems to have aged several years in a short period of time.

Their doubts about me are well-founded.

And I……

Dr. Zhao gives me the medicine he prepared for me: “I’m telling you this to let you know that hallucinations are dire. You haven’t had any particular symptoms over the years. I’ve done various tests on you during the past few days when you were hospitalized and found nothing. It cannot be ruled out that the hallucinations are caused by something other than mental factors, but you still must take your medicine on time and keep your imagination from running wild. After three more days of observation, I will take you to get a brain CT scan.”

I don’t continue to insist. Raising my head, I drink the water he gives me and swallow the pills.

But I don’t listen to him honestly this time either.

I might really be ill, but I have my own reasoning and feel that I can trust myself.

He sends me back to the door of my older brother’s house. After saying goodbye to him, I don’t go inside. Instead, I turn around and take a taxi.

Finally, I arrive at someone’s home. The auntie is surprised to see me and says: “You haven’t been here in a long time.”

I force a smile and answer her with a nod. Sitting on the sofa, I wait for the person I want to see.

Previously, apart from facing Mingcheng, I never had any strange fantasies or saw strange things. If this was my mental illness, would it be so selective?

I believe in myself, even though no one else does.

The auntie pours me a glass of iced orange juice, but I don’t drink it even until the ice cubes melt. I finally meet the person I want to see.

At 5:30 in the afternoon, the door opens.

Mingyi is back.

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Chapter 15 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 17

Winter in Shanghai came late, but left early. Only a little bit of light snow fell in a month, and a thin layer accumulated on the ground. When looking over the whole city from a high place, the buildings and streets were enveloped in a layer of misty white.

It was a snowy morning and the sky was overcast, perfect for sleeping in. Mu Nanqiao closed his eyes and reached out to grab the person next to him, but found nothing. The lingering warmth on the bed was still there, but the person who should be sleeping under the quilt was not.

His sleepiness dissipated in an instant, and he sat up abruptly. When he looked up, he saw Lu Qi lying by the window.

Perhaps in order to keep the sun from shining in, he only opened a small gap in the curtains. As he looked out the window, his head was stuck through the gap while his body was still outside the curtain.

Mu Nanqiao breathed a sigh of relief. He lifted the quilt and got out of bed. Walking over the carpet on bare feet, he hugged Lu Qi’s waist from behind and lay his head on his shoulder, getting behind the curtains with him to look outside.

“It’s snowing.” Lu Qi rubbed his ear against the side of his face. “And it’s time for postgraduate examinations again!”

Mu Nanqiao kissed his ear, amused: “Baby, you’ve been lying here for so long and you just want to say this? Where is that art student romance?”

“Yes, yes…..” Lu Qi lay on the window and exhaled loudly. He grabbed a thin metal tassel on the edge of the curtain and swiftly drew a little stick figure with antlers on the condensation. The character, pew pew, fired love bullets at a fox-tailed character’s head.

Finally, he said earnestly and a bit stiffly: “Ялюблютебя.”^[1]

Mu Nanqiao was struck by the romance of an art student. He pressed him against the floor-to-ceiling window and kissed him over and over, rubbing against the two stick figures on the glass.

From this day on, Lu Qi began to prepare for the exam. He liked to sleep in, but once he decided to take action, he would never procrastinate. Sometimes he went on a morning jog with Mu Nanqiao, and sometimes he didn’t. Whether he went or not depended on how much exercise he did the night before. In any case, when eight o’clock arrived, while Mu Nanqiao was getting ready to work, Lu Qi sat in the study room and prepared to study.

It was worth mentioning that he occupied Boss Mu’s large mahogany desk, while Mu Nanqiao retreated to the small sofa in the corner.

Sometimes when Boss Mu got off work, Wife Xiao Lu was still practicing copying paintings.

On Friday, Boss Mu left early and returned home at noon. He also brought Lu Qi’s favorite seafood, but after walking around the room, his baby only looked at him three times.

Mu Nanqiao went to the cloakroom and looked in the mirror to confirm that there were no flaws on his naturally handsome face, and his figure was still as vigorous and strong as ever. After a moment of silence in front of the mirror, he went to the master bedroom and took a shower.

In fact, faced with the temptations of beauty and delicious food, Lu Qi had to concentrate a lot to keep himself sitting in the chair. He wanted to finish his afternoon practicing quickly, so he just randomly found some material. Just as he was about to start painting, there were two polite knocks on the door.

It was probably not Xiao Sanhua. Lu Qi found it a little strange that Mu Nanqiao would knock on the door, and raised his voice to call him in. 

The door opened, and Mu Nanqiao came in with a plate of fruit. The fruit plate looked like it had been carefully arranged, with different fruits stacked on top of each other in particularly beautiful colors.

However, compared to the “dressed up” fruits, Mu Nanqiao’s packaging was a bit “simple.” With his hair still dripping water, he was wrapped very casually in a black silk nightgown, the overlapping collars loose. The scenery of his chest was unobstructed, without any masculine virtue at all.

Lu Qi raised his hand to touch his nose and said in a quiet voice: “What are you doing?”

“Sending you fruit.” The vixen swaggered over and set the fruit plate to the side, coming around to see the material Lu Qi had selected.

It was a sculpture of an adult male. The sculpture was in a relaxed, leaning posture, with smooth and beautiful muscle lines. Although it was stone and lacked temperature, it burst with vitality from the hands of its creator.

It was a very good piece of work.

“You’re drawing this?” Mu Nanqiao raised his eyebrows.

“En, en.” Lu Qi nodded and introduced to Mu Nanqiao: “This is the work of one of my seniors, and it has won many awards. Isn’t it particularly impressive?”

From an artistic point of view, it was indeed impressive. Mu Nanqiao was not small-minded, so he nodded and praised sincerely, “It’s really amazing.”

He leaned closer, and the scent of shower gel on his body was warmed by his body temperature, lingering at the tip of Lu Qi’s nose. Lu Qi was hooked and wanted to get closer to smell it. He looked up at this person. Because he was leaning over, the loose collar could not cover anything, including the teeth marks on his collarbone that hadn’t faded away.

Lu Qi swallowed silently, then turned his head and sat up straight with his pen, saying with a very upright expression: “I’m going to start. You go out first……”

Mu Nanqiao sighed, feeling deeply that the scholars in Chinese stories who were easily seduced by foxes were all sanctimonious hypocrites. Look at this little painter in his family and how at ease he was.

When all of his twisting and turning was useless, Mu Nanqiao decided to hit a straight ball.

He directly hooked Lu Qi’s chin, tilted his head, and kissed him.

The fragrance of shower gel that was on his mind finally wrapped around Lu Qi. He blinked his eyes and sniffed greedily again, not understanding how the same shower gel could smell different when used by two different people. He had no idea that the big fox was also hiding a bottle of cologne in the bathroom. 

Mu Nanqiao was dissatisfied with Lu Qi’s distraction and lightly bit his lower lip. Lu Qi felt the pain, and then the teeth loosened. The big fox took advantage without any ceremony.

After a while, Mu Nanqiao let go of Lu Qi, who was breathing unsteadily. He stared at those red lips for a moment and then kissed them, reluctant to part. 

Lu Qi was dizzy. When he returned to his senses, he realized that his hands were on Mu Nanqiao’s chest. He pretended not to notice, and pressed it silently, taking advantage of his boyfriend. Unashamed, he asked in a low voice: “What are you doing tonight?”

“Детка, I want to talk to you…..” Mu Nanqiao turned Lu Qi’s chair, picked him up, and held him face-to-face on his lap. “I know you need to concentrate on your studies, so I’ve tried my best not to disturb you. But when I come back nowadays, you don’t even look at me. Isn’t that rude? Hm?”

As he spoke, he lightly weighed the person on his lap, and his fox-like eyes narrowed. He moved closer to the tip of Lu Qi’s nose and said in a low, lazy voice: “Or is it that……after you got me, Baby, you’ve played with my body enough and it’s no longer fresh?”

Dirty words! These were really dirty words!!

“What is all this, ah…..” The roots of Lu Qi’s ears turned red, and the heat spread to his cheeks. He defended himself in a low voice: “We did it the night before yesterday…..hey, if I thought you were stale, I wouldn’t have messed around with you.”

The already arrogant vixen remembered something, and lifted Lu Qi’s shorts to glance at his knees. The red marks from kneeling were already very faint. He rubbed them a couple more times and was so distressed that he forgot which drama he was performing and asked softly: “Does it still hurt?”

“It didn’t hurt in the first place.” Lu Qi thought for a moment, then whispered: “I ignored you when you first came back because one look at you makes me want to look at you again. Then how could I finish my exercises, ah? Isn’t this called beauty leading a person astray? So I had no choice but to stop looking.”

He muttered aggrievedly: “It took me a lot of perseverance to ignore you.”

Mu Nanqiao: ……

He wasn’t upset to begin with. This was just an excuse to tease his Xiao Lu. But who would have thought that after being teased, the little deer would jump into his arms? His mind was swept away, and he couldn’t help but hug him and kiss him again and again.

“You’re so clingy, ah…..” Lu Qi rested his chin on his broad shoulder, complaining half-truthfully. After saying that, he couldn’t help but laugh again, “Forget it, forget it. Who made me like you?”

“You like me so much?” Mu Nanqiao said: “Then should I be proud of your favor?”

Lu Qi wore a straight expression: “Don’t even think about taking out that box of 001’s. We agreed on only two per day!”

Mu Nanqiao: “……Baby, that’s not what I’m talking about.”

Lu Qi looked at him warily. “Then tell me, I’ll listen.”

Mu Nanqiao just said directly: “Stop drawing your senior’s little stone man. Draw me.”

Lu Qi: ……

Oh-ho! That was indeed a combination of beauty and practicing. He could have his cake and eat it too.

Recalling the dramatic first encounter between the two when he regarded Mu Nanqiao as a little duck out for sale, he had also said that he would let the other person act as a model for him. Little did he know at that time that his casual nonsense would come true.

Boss Mu was natural and poised. He casually pulled off his belt and sat himself on the small sofa opposite Lu Qi in a pose similar to that of the sculpture, with long legs stretched out and a leisurely attitude. But the icy, brash vitality in his body could not be compared to lifeless, faceless plaster.

“By the way, Boss.” The perfect model Mu Nanqiao smiled, raising his eyes as he asked, “How far should I take off my clothes? Can I leave my underwear on? Or….total nudity?”^[2]

These words were very familiar, reminding Lu Qi of the past when his toes curled into the floor. He glared fiercely at Mu Nanqiao and gave a harmless warning: “Don’t be a scoundrel!”

Mu Nanqiao lowered his face and smiled. In coordination, he touched his lips and then raised his wrist toward Lu Qi in an unrestrained manner, blowing an elegant and romantic kiss.

This was truly a vixen, ah…..

Lu Qi touched his nose again, fearing that he would suffer an embarrassing nose bleed.

. . . . . . . 

The evening seemed to pass much faster than usual, and the drawing was completed quickly. Lu Qi happily stretched and ran over to crouch beside Mu Nanqiao and squeeze his shoulders. Eager, round deer eyes looked at Mu Nanqiao, and Lu Qi said sincerely: “Thank you for your hard work, la~”

Mu Nanqiao moved his arms and gathered up his undone bathrobe again. He raised a hand to pinch his ear, saying with apparent selflessness: “It wasn’t hard work. Dedicating myself to art is what I should do.”

Lu Qi was very satisfied with his conscientious attitude. He happily ran downstairs to eat snacks, not noticing the man’s fox-like eyes that were smiling but not smiling, or the big fox tail behind him that could not be hidden.

Sure enough, the profiteer Mu Nanqiao came to collect the reward for being a model that evening.

In the cloakroom, as Lu Qi was weeping pitifully in front of the mirror, he had to listen to the big-tailed fox whisper nonsense in his ear.

“Good baby, open your eyes. This can be considered as dedicating yourself to art…..” When he finished speaking, he couldn’t help but give a low, breathy laugh, which was simply a lack of virtue.

Lu Qi could only let out a tremulous “Wu…..”

But an emoticon popped up in his mind.

[Kitten holding a knife.jpg]

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[1] Ялюблютебя = I love you. ⮐

[2] “Total nudity” is actually in English, which is hilarious when reading the raws. ⮐

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

It is ten o’clock in the morning, and there is still no phone signal.

I’ve devised three plans to escape from this nightmare.

The first plan is to go through every room in this villa to try to find the Black Nanjia.

This plan is the most basic solution. I tried once last night, but unfortunately, time was too short and I failed.

And today, I plan to try again for two hours.

If I can’t find it within two hours, I’ll give up.

But when I get up, I feel dizzy and quickly grasp the stair railing for nearly a minute before my head clears.

Only now do I remember that I have not slept or eaten all night. My body has reached its limit.

Before everything begins, I need to eat something.

The refrigerator is full of food, but it is all fresh vegetables and meat. All I can make do with are a few pieces of hard butter bread and some fruit. I take out a package of bread and nimbly stuff it into my mouth, then swallow it with a glass of water.

I don’t have the heart to eat in earnest, and when I finish eating, I still don’t know what the food tasted like. But bread easily fills the stomach, and refined carbohydrates will easily turn into sugar and enter the bloodstream. Within a few minutes of eating this piece of bread, I feel like I have some strength.

I raise my head and drink the glass of water in one gulp, then leave the kitchen and begin to search the house.

Previously, I had limited time and could only check what I could see, along with some cabinet drawers. This time, I don’t miss a detail.

Behind and under tables, chairs, and appliances, in the corners behind the doors, inside hollow handicrafts, and even behind the paintings on the second floor.

In addition, there are six bed sets in this house, three of which have spaces beneath them. Because it is dark under the beds and the power is out in the house, I fear that I won’t check them thoroughly, so after scanning them with the naked eye, I find a broom and search under every bed. After that, I stand on a chair and check the top of every large item. In the end, I even inspect every vase and kettle.

But very regrettably, I find nothing.

Excessive anxiety causes me to suspect that the doll isn’t even in the house, but I don’t think the divine attendant would make up such a thing and lie to me.

Anyhow, I don’t have much of a choice.

So I find a small shovel in the kitchen and dig out all the soil in the big flower pots at home.

There is nothing in the soil either.

The house has no electricity. I’m able to find the remaining candles from the previous candlelight dinner, and after lighting them, I take one to check the third floor attic again.

The third floor attic is very large but very empty, and easy to inspect. I even look around the ceiling.

I’ve tried my best, but still achieved nothing.

The time soon reaches twelve noon.

I can only give up.

Plan one, failed.

As the morning passes, I go to the kitchen and take another piece of butter bread to stuff into my mouth. At this time, my mood becomes even lower.

My physical exhaustion has reached its limit. I feel dizzy and the kitchen spins before my eyes. The excessive mental fatigue makes me want to vomit. I have to take measures to save myself, but I’m really too tired.

After taking two bites of bread, I give up due to the strong urge to vomit. I look at the clock on the living room wall and intend to get up as soon as possible, but my consciousness gradually dies away…..

It’s like being in a coma. My whole body has sunk to the bottom of the sea. I am not in good health, and this short nap is a biological instinct to save myself after my body has reached its limit. I fall into a very deep sleep.

Until…..

“A-Zhen—” A familiar male voice shouts anxiously in my ear.

I’m not yet conscious when my body makes me open my eyes.

It’s that voice again!

Mingcheng!

I’m sure I heard it right this time. It’s Mingcheng!

I clutch my chest with a gasp, constantly looking around to find him, but just like last time, there is no one around me.

I just sit there slumped on the ground for a few minutes. All at once, I recall my surroundings and immediately look up at the clock in the living room.

1:20pm.

I actually slept – or passed out – for so long!

Without overthinking it, I stuff the bread I hadn’t finished before falling asleep into my mouth, try hard to get up from the floor, and walk toward the second floor.

My eyes are dry and sore due to fatigue and a bad headache. I rub them, but the soreness spreads from my eyes to my heart. Finally, I look back at the time and murmur something that only I can hear.

“Mingcheng, you’re trying to save me…..”

. . . . . . .

The first plan failed, so I must begin the second one.

This plan is simple.

There should be a lot of people outside during the day. As long as I can escape to the street outside, I don’t believe he would kidnap me in public.

Although human beings are vulnerable, in all the stories about monsters I have heard since I was a child, I’ve never heard of monsters that prey on people in public.

What’s more, I feel that he seems to be more restricted during the day.

The question is, how should I escape?

This house originally had two exits, the front door and a back door to the garden.

At this time, I don’t know if that thing that scares me is at the main entrance, and the back door is even more unfeasible. Back then, Mingcheng blocked the back door in order to make the garden more beautiful.

This means I have no way of escaping outside through the two doors.

So I climb up to the second floor.

The balcony on the second floor protrudes outward, and its outermost extension is in line with the wall of the backyard. If I can find a way to get down from the balcony on the second floor, I can reach the outside.

Without stopping, I tie the long-sleeved clothes at home together to make a rope. Once the rope is long enough, I tie one end to the foot of the bed inside and the other to my waist.

I will drop right outside the house in this way, then run to the guardhouse to find enough people.

When everything is ready, I walk to the window and open the curtains, preparing to open the window and escape quietly.

But just as I’m about to open the window, I take two steps back!

A pale, bony hand hangs from top to bottom in front of the window.

When I back away in horror, I see the other party raise a finger and knock proactively on the glass. Then I see a face slowly hang down from above. The light frames this person’s head. His features are exquisite, but his eyes are extremely dark, like a doll that has never opened its eyes.

His abyss-like eyes rotate in their sockets, and then he stares straight at me and curves his lips.

In a flash, I am absolutely horrified.

God, this is not what a living person would look like. Why did I turn a blind eye to him even though he has been frightening me for so long?

He is here, and I dare not stay long. I quickly close the curtains again and run to the first floor.

But on the stairs, I stop again.

A tall, lean man stands outside the floor-to-ceiling windows on the first floor.

At this time, the flowers and plants outside are luxuriant, and the hydrangeas are blooming in large clusters. Pink and white bougainvillea twine around the flower stands in lush clouds, like a paint bucket has been overturned, exaggerating the beauty of early summer. There are also several pots of succulents placed by the window, crisp, tender, and plump.

However, the “man” stands there in darkness, and the light seems to avoid him.

He is telling me that he will appear wherever I think of him.

He will guard me until day turns into night, and then he will enter the house and give me new nightmares.

Time is something that goes by quickly.

I have a third plan.

But I don’t want to do that.

If I hadn’t heard Mingcheng call me just now, I would choose the third option without hesitation, my last show of resistance as a human being.

But now I don’t want to. Mingcheng wants to save me. Whether that night or today at noon, I twice heard him call out to me at the most dangerous moment.

I believe this is because he wants to save me, and for me to live well.

Then I also can’t give up. I must save myself.

. . . . . . .

July 27th.

A fire breaks out in a high-end villa community of Nanshan, Yuhua City.

A house burns violently that evening.

Several firetrucks surround the house to rescue the person inside. People watch the fire fearfully and speculate about the fate of the house’s owner.

Indoors, a cabinet smashes against the wall, trapping me in a corner.

And before the cabinet falls, a burning chandelier is heading straight toward me. At the critical moment, the stable wardrobe standing next to me suddenly falls to shield me from this fatal injury.

Thick smoke chokes me. I can’t breathe. I cough, grinning at the “person” outside the window.

Not long ago, I poured varnish from my oil painting in the attic, lit a candle, and threw it in.

The thick smoke quickly escaped, and the fire alarm in the house blared.

He immediately began to put out the flames. I knew I couldn’t stop him, so I poured a bottle of orange peel oil over my body and pointed the lighter at myself.

Things inside are constantly being smashed against the walls. Without electricity, the TV turns on and off, on and off, before finally exploding. He is losing his temper.

But he has really given up putting out the fire.

It’s really funny that an evil spirit can actually be threatened by a human being.

The flames continue to spread, and they soon ignite the fireworks Mingcheng stored on the top floor. Explosions sound one after another, and gorgeous fireworks soar into the sky. In an instant, the entire city seems to be wrapped in fireworks.

Nestled in the corner, I see a rain of colors falling from the sky outside. Beautiful lights flicker across my body.

At this time, there should be many passers-by stopping to watch.

These fireworks were prepared for me by Mingcheng. They bloomed for me once when we married, and they are blooming for me again today.

Wen Mingcheng.

I don’t like fireworks, but yours amaze me every time.

Numerous rescue workers rush into my home.

The sound of an ambulance rings across the sky, and countless people gather around my house.

With fifteen minutes left before 5:25, I am carried out under a sky full of fireworks.

It is cloudy outside today, and it got dark very quickly, but the fireworks in bloom light up the sky as bright as daytime.

As I lay on a stretcher, the sky above me looks like my wedding day. A doctor puts a respirator on my mouth. I also see the young guard from last night. He is running after my stretcher, his young face filled with shock.

Before losing consciousness, I look in the direction of my home.

His figure appears at the door of the main room, looking at me from a distance.

I can’t see his expression clearly, but this time, I think I’ve won.

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Chapter 14 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 16