Lu Qi sat in the reception room, shivering and wrapped in a random blanket. The plush, camel-colored blanket was piled up in several layers under his neck, covering a little less than half his face. His frightened face was so pale that it made people feel slightly distressed.

He seemed like a different person from the young hero who whacked the hoodlum with the Holy Sword of Physics just now.

He was obviously scared, but at that time in the dark corridor, this well-behaved kid still rushed over and shielded him.

Although Mu Nanqiao no longer needed someone to stand in front of him, the feeling of being protected was so unfamiliar that he couldn’t help but think about it over and over again, wanting to break it into pieces and taste it carefully.

He stood up, took a glass of water, and handed it to Lu Qi.

“Drink some warm water.” Mu Nanqiao’s voice was very low and slow. After handing him the water, he did not sit back down across from him. Instead, he sat in a chair on the same side as Lu Qi. Their shoulders were very close, touching lightly.

The temperature slowly spread from his fingertips. Lu Qi moved his stiff wrist and whispered: “Thank you.”

“It’s my turn to thank you.” Mu Nanqiao took the hood off his head, revealing his handsome face. He casually grabbed the slightly curly black hair a couple of times. “This person may have attacked with a purpose, and the target should be……”

“It’s me.” Lu Qi lowered his head dejectedly. “It might be…..my anti-fan…..”

Mu Nanqiao was speechless with astonishment.

He looked at Lu Qi again and asked uncertainly: “Are you a celebrity? I just returned to China not long ago, and I don’t pay much attention to the entertainment industry.”

“No, I’m a painter.” Lu Qi explained in a low voice, “You…..have you seen the news about it? A painter harassed Party A when asking about the requirements…..”

He paused. The paper cup was slightly deformed. “This is a rumor. It’s not true.”

He cautiously looked at the man from the corner of his eye, a little afraid that his expression would suddenly change to show disgust.

But the man didn’t. He just shook his head and said: “I haven’t seen the news. You said it was an anti-fan, so I thought you were a celebrity. After all, you look very likable.”

This was one of the few positive comments Lu Qi had received recently. His eyes curved slightly, and his tense body relaxed.

“So actually, it’s me who should apologize.” Lu Qi lowered his eyelashes and whispered: “You may have been implicated by me.”

Mu Nanqiao smiled. He wanted to reach out and rub his head.

Why did he love to take the blame for his own mistakes?

Such a good boy with a high sense of morality. Why did some people think he was a pervert?

“The ambulance took away that person just now. Didn’t you notice what was going on with him?” Mu Nanqiao fiddled with the empty paper cup in his hand. “He was twitching, sweating all over, and crying with tears and snot. Do you think you could make him cry snotty tears with just a rod?”

“I thought I hit him in the head.” Lu Qi turned around and looked at Mu Nanqiao with wide eyes. “Didn’t I?”

The bright yellow paper cup was torn open by Mu Nanqiao. Those slender fingers seemed to be playing with handicrafts, first tearing it into strips, then into short petals, and finally, the paper cup turned into a blooming sunflower.

He patiently flattened the bottom of the cup little by little, and pushed the sunflower in front of Lu Qi like a child. “He’s a drug addict.”

Lu Qi: ……

Among those “sages” who hid behind the screen to blindly uphold justice, were there really such desperate criminals?

“Understand?” Mu Nanqiao raised his finger and casually pointed at himself. “He ran at me.”

There was even a smile at the corners of his eyes when he said this, his handsome face full of the casualness of telling a joke.

Lu Qi: …..

That was to say, prostitution, gambling, and drugs were all indistinguishable, and you really shouldn’t do anything illegal.

The air conditioner was turned on too low, and he couldn’t help but shiver when he was hit by the cold air.

Mu Nanqiao reached up and helped him pull down the blanket piled behind his neck.

He conjured up a tie clip out of nowhere, and together with the paper cup, stuck it to the corner of the blanket to hold it in place. It hung on his shoulders like a small cloak, so that Lu Qi didn’t have to keep raising his arms and grabbing the blanket.

Just as Mu Nanqiao was about to say something, the door of the reception room was pushed open.

The female police officer who had brought them in reappeared, this time with a serious expression, and was followed by two male police officers.

She asked: “Are you feeling better? If you’ve recovered, make a statement.”

Lu Qi nodded, and Mu Nanqiao also stood up. He patted Lu Qi’s shoulder comfortingly. “If you feel uncomfortable, I’ll go first and you can rest for a while.”

“Okay.” Lu Qi whispered: “Will your profession cause you trouble, ah…..”

Mu Nanqiao: ……

Still thinking of him as a duck.

Lu Qi saw him raise his eyebrows and reveal that half-smiling expression.

The policewoman waiting to the side first checked the identities of the two people, asking coldly and simply: “Names.”

Only then did Lu Qi recall that he still didn’t know the name of this lighting store owner, Russian music lover, next door neighbor and top-rate duck.

Then he heard the man sitting next to him say:

“Mu Nanqiao.”

. . . . . . . .

The hoodlum they had clashed with tested positive for drugs, so Mu Nanqiao and Lu Qi also took drug tests. When no problems were found, they finally left the police station.

It was close to early morning, so it wasn’t easy to get a car. And it was not far from the community where Lu Qi lived, so he planned to walk back. He tugged the small blanket and touched a cold, hard metal bar, then remembered that Mu Nanqiao’s tie clip was still with him.

He turned his head and saw the young man walking slowly down the long steps of the city police bureau, one hand in the pocket of his black hoodie. His steps were loose and indolent, but even so, those simple concrete steps were like a catwalk for him at a fashion show for a sports fashion brand.

Lu Qi simply walked backward two steps and stood under the stairs, looking up at him.

Wu. It was no wonder Lin Yuan couldn’t forget him if he looked like this. But in the end, the Mu Nanqiao before him was not the same as the white moonlight everyone mentioned. Where was that weak little white flower he had been promised?

Wasn’t it said that they were very similar?

Lu Qi thought frustratedly that those people were all lying. 

He was clearly not so masculine.

Mu Nanqiao lowered his head and sent a text to his assistant. When he raised his head, he met the beautiful deer-like eyes of the little painter who couldn’t hide his emotions. He stood at the foot of the steps and stared at him with his head raised, as if he was observing an endangered animal.

He just noticed that the way Lu Qi looked at him had suddenly become strange.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Like an energetic high school boy, he jumped down the last three steps and took two steps toward Lu Qi, tilting his head to look at him. “Is it because I said I had just returned to China and haven’t had time to find a job yet, so I’m still a ‘freelancer?’”

Lu Qi thought to himself, your profession is quite free. Too free.

But of course it wasn’t because of that.

He hesitated for a moment, then asked directly: “Do you know Lin Yuan?”

It was difficult to clearly describe Mu Nanqiao’s expression at that moment. It seemed gloomy, with a hint of ridicule. In the end, all these emotions were concentrated deep in his eyes. He narrowed those beautiful fox eyes and said: “I know him as a classmate. He was very caring, and took care of me.”

He seemed to chew those words hard before saying them with a half-smile, but Lu Qi didn’t notice this detail. He stared at Mu Nanqiao’s features in surprise and whispered: “Not alike at all.”

Mu Nanqiao: ……

What alike? He couldn’t be talking about him resembling that dumbass Lin Yuan, right?

Mu Nanqiao shuddered, disgusted by the idea. He wanted to ask, but found that his little neighbor had turned around and walked away very quickly, without any intention of waiting for him.

The other party intended to put the word “alienation” on his forehead, and Mu Nanqiao didn’t catch up. He had long legs, and followed slowly from a distance. After all, he didn’t know if he would encounter any “accidents” tonight, so it would be better to keep a distance from this little neighbor who had been in trouble recently.

But the little neighbor actually knew Lin Yuan?

Mu Nanqiao kicked away a pebble in his path.

What was their relationship?

If Lu Qi told Lin Yuan about his return to China, would Lin Yuan realize that the recent troubles he was encountering in Hengjin Group were related to him?

Although the dumbass shouldn’t guess it considering his IQ, he hadn’t thought of this flaw.

With this thought in mind, the two of them entered the unit door one after another.

Lu Qi’s footsteps as he walked to the upper floor stopped for a moment, and the light that leaked down the gap in the stairway fell on Mu Nanqiao’s head.

The words “Check someone out for me” had been sent on the screen of his mobile phone, and his whole body was enveloped in a wash of light. The short five words in the typing box looked extremely dark under the cold white light.

When he looked up, Lu Qi was leaning on the handrail of the stairs, looking down at him. His eyes were evasive, and he asked in an unnatural tone: “Are…..are you afraid of the dark?”

Mu Nanqiao: ……

It seemed like feathers were falling down, gentle but itchy.

He turned his phone off and caught up with him in two steps. The corridor was very narrow, and it was obviously a bit crowded with two young men with wide shoulders and long legs side by side. Mu Nanqiao’s shoulder rubbed against the small blanket hanging on Lu Qi’s shoulders, and the cool temperature of the “sunflower” tie clip fell on his skin, reminding him of his mood when he tore up the paper cup just now.

There was no calculation, no violent emotions, just a simple desire to comfort the beautiful young man standing in front of him.

He suddenly no longer wanted to privately investigate Lu Qi. Those dark methods seemed to pollute his moment of peace.

If he wanted to know, perhaps he should just ask.

It seemed that in front of this little deer, sincerity was better than so many twists and turns.

“I’m afraid of the dark, ah.” He stretched out his fingers to hook a corner of the blanket and asked in puzzlement: “Did I make you angry just now?”

Lu Qi: ……

He didn’t have to turn his head to sense the caution in the other person’s eyes.

“I’m not angry.” Lu Qi explained weakly, “I just feel……awkward when I see you.”

Mu Nanqiao was innocent, but when he thought of how his current situation was caused by that beast Lin Yuan, and Lin Yuan liked Mu Nanqiao, he wondered whether the two of them would be together in the future…..

Lu Qi felt uncomfortable when he thought about this, not to mention that he had also served as Mu Nanqiao’s substitute.

Mu Nanqiao raised his eyebrows and guessed: “You know Lin Yuan? He mentioned me to you? He said something bad about me?”

“He praised you and said you are very good.” Lu Qi snorted.

They were already at the fifth floor. Lu Qi opened the door of 501 and looked at Mu Nanqiao, who was standing behind him with a confused expression. He couldn’t help but speak again with emotion: “He’s a scoundrel, you should stay away from him in the future. He…..he doesn’t respect you!”

Mu Nanqiao: ……

He almost laughed at this soft “scoundrel.” Compared to so many vicious curses he had heard, this sentence was really cute. That garbage Lin Yuan was not worthy of such a soft “scoundrel.”

He didn’t know what this meant, but he was keenly aware of Lu Qi’s disdain for Lin Yuan, so he took a step forward and grasped the crack of the door before Lu Qi could close it.

“Ah…..” Lu Qi quickly let go of the door handle. “Be careful of your hands…..”

Mu Nanqiao ignored his fingers and said bluntly: “I don’t know what you’ve heard, but when I was in school, I didn’t have a good relationship with him. My classmates would lock me in an empty classroom, pour milk tea into my school bag, and pour ice water on me in winter…..”

Lu Qi looked at him blankly. He had heard this from Lin Yuan’s aunt, but when a sentence about school bullying turned into specific incidents, it still made him feel upset.

However, what Mu Nanqiao said next surprised him even more.

“These were all done by Lin Yuan,” Mu Nanqiao said, “to make me isolated and helpless, so that I could only be friends with him.”

---

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Chapter Six << Table of Contents >> Chapter Eight

Liu Zhenqing stiffened and immediately looked up at Huo Fenglie, who noticed his reaction and reached out to support him with worried and questioning eyes.

And Liu Zhenqing hesitated for a moment before saying softly: “I saw the vice president of the southern branch of the Liu Family Chamber of Commerce. If I remember correctly, he is indeed involved in a section of the river transportation business.” If he hadn’t participated in the family assessment, he wouldn’t have seen this.

Huo Fenglie frowned. “He must transport the food and broken silver.”

Liu Zhenqing’s heart sank. It seemed that he had transported the assassins from before to the capital and infiltrated the Liu Family Chamber of Commerce, doing a lot of things to deceive others.

Sure enough, the Old Master was elderly, and the two uncles were just frogs in a well. They only knew how to fight for the power in front of them, and had not carefully reviewed the matters of the Chamber of Commerce. This allowed the villains to take advantage of a loophole.

“Catch him,” Liu Zhenqing whispered.

The Liu family had been arrested in the name of the Imperial Examinations, so only the actual members of the Liu family had been taken. The chamber of commerce was too big to implicate, so the emperor hadn’t taken action for the moment. Many businesses were still running, but the president was not there, and the vice president was still in charge of the overall situation. Unexpectedly, they had caught him on the spot.

Just as he spoke, the party below seemed to have come to an end, and everyone was enjoying themselves. As soon as the leader clapped his hands, they saw his subordinates open the doors and push women in white clothes and veils to stagger inside. There were dozens of them. Faint sobbing could be heard, but it was covered up by the lively music.

“Everyone, look, these are the young girls we just collected. They are very clean. I wish you a good time tonight.”

“Leader, don’t let it get too out of control when the time comes. It is unsightly when they get bloody,” one person said.

“Ai, you don’t like it, but some people do. I like the strong ones. I’ve prepared beautiful ropes and whips.”

“Don’t worry, everyone. Look at them crying obediently. They were given the choice to either starve to death or behave themselves. The ones whose mouths are gagged are the strong ones. If they still can’t figure it out after everyone has trained them, then forget it.”

As soon as the leader said these words, everyone burst into laughter, as if they had found satisfactory prey.

Although Liu Zhenqing had experienced many terrible things, he was still unable to watch these disgusting things ruin the young girls. The hand that was holding Huo Fenglie’s arm unconsciously clenched down as hard as it could.

Huo Fenglie glanced at Liu Zhenqing and said nothing. When the people below left, the two decided not to take the evidence here for the time being and followed the leader instead.

The leader had a big appetite, and directly picked two girls. One was quiet, while the other struggled wildly.

Following the leader’s footsteps, they came to the inner courtyard. The guards drove the two women into the room to wait, and the leader went to the study first to listen to his men report on the night’s patrol.

Liu Zhenqing quietly waited for some time without speaking, but felt that every minute was very difficult. What was happening to those girls who were taken away now? If he hadn’t seen them, he wouldn’t have thought about them much, but now that he had seen them, he couldn’t be ambivalent. Those who had gone with the leader were of course going to be saved by them, but he also knew that there was nothing they could do about the others.

Just as he was thinking about this, Liu Zhenqing was embraced by Huo Fenglie and they landed under an unguarded hidden windowsill. Liu Zhenqing looked at Huo Fenglie in confusion. 

Huo Fenglie put Liu Zhenqing down and said in a deep voice: “I have observed their patrol routes, and they will not pass through here. You stay here and don’t move. Wait for me for a while.”

Liu Zhenqing said doubtfully: “You want to go to the study? But…..” Liu Zhenqing was about to say that the courtyard was full of guards, and the least likely way to alert others was to wait for the leader to enter the inner room alone.

“I’m going to save those girls.”

Liu Zhenqing was taken aback, and stared at Huo Fenglie in astonishment, his eyes flickering. Logically speaking, the overall situation should be the most important thing, not……

Huo Fenglie explained: “There is enough time. I’ll just knock them all out and lock the doors. It won’t take long.” As he spoke, he gave Liu Zhenqing a firm look. “Someone once said, if you can’t save the people in front of you, how can you save all living beings?”

Liu Zhenqing was stunned for a moment, but before he could react, Huo Fenglie flew away.

Huo Fenglie had listened to that sentence Liu Zhenqing had once said? This was not an unusual statement. They were the words of a young person who was inexperienced in the world, full of heroic intentions, convinced that he was the protagonist of the world. He did not know the heights of the sky and the cruelty of existence. 

Reality would prove that this sentence was very idealistic, so idealistic that it was a bit silly. When you really had everyone in your hands, you would realize that nobody was the protagonist of the world, and there was no protagonist halo to make the journey smooth. There were only extremely heavy burdens, and trade-offs to be made.

But it must be said that when Huo Fenglie left so decisively, Liu Zhenqing felt more at ease than ever before, as if Er-gou had taken away the breath that was stuck in his throat.

Liu Zhenqing didn’t realize that he had a smile on his face. At some point, he heard movement from the window sill next to him. “Mom and Dad, I’m sorry. This daughter will be filial again in the next life.”

Liu Zhenqing was stunned. He immediately stood up and opened the window in front of him to see a woman hanging beside the window sill, her body struggling and swinging wildly.

He immediately leaped over and hugged the girl’s legs, dragging her back in an attempt to save her, but she struggled fiercely. At this moment, he saw a white shape flash in the corner of his eye. The other woman had noticed and come over. He didn’t see the woman rushing to help, but only sensed her raise her hand. In the next second, the tension of the rope loosened. He didn’t know if the rope had been tied loosely or something, but the girl fell down directly. Liu Zhenqing could only hold her awkwardly, but the girl had already lost consciousness when she fell.

Liu Zhenqing quickly looked at the woman, and saw her regarding him calmly. She was rather tall, and he couldn’t see her face clearly because of the veil. She only looked at him with a pair of beautiful eyes.

Liu Zhenqing smiled at once and said: “Young lady, don’t get me wrong, I’m not a bad person. I’m here to save you.”

The girl raised her eyebrows and had just reached up to remove her veil when there was the sound of footsteps and the door opening from the outside.

This was the inner room’s dressing room, so they wouldn’t be exposed for the moment. Liu Zhenqing sensed that it might be the leader coming in. He quickly shushed the woman, looked around, and found a cabinet. He hid the unconscious girl inside and picked up the cloak on the ground, wrapping it around himself. He said to the calm woman: “Young lady, you can see by my appearance that I’m not a bad person, right? So let’s cooperate to buy time. A great hero will rescue us later, but you don’t have to be afraid. I won’t let that beast take advantage of you, just hide behind me.”

As he spoke, Liu Zhenqing scattered his hair, put on a veil, and did his best to cover himself up. Hiding a dagger in his sleeve, he protected the woman behind him.

Suddenly, he heard the woman behind him whisper: “You’re too tall.”

When he heard this, Liu Zhenqing automatically crouched a bit to lower his height, but suddenly realized that the voice just now didn’t sound feminine.

He wanted to look back, but it was too late.

“Come out from wherever you are, do you still want me to invite you personally?”

Hearing the sound of the leader’s voice accompanied by the door closing, Liu Zhenqing’s heart calmed down. Patting the woman on the arm to comfort her, Liu Zhenqing extinguished the lights in this area, darkening the illumination in the dressing room while impatiently waiting for the leader to come inside.

Because of his disguise and the leader’s drunkenness, he didn’t realize that the person had changed, and he stepped forward to grab Liu Zhenqing’s wrist. “Weren’t you very spirited just now? Why are you quiet? Have you figured it out? Hahaha, it will be to your own benefit to serve this leader well.”

The leader reached out to remove Liu Zhenqing’s veil.

Liu Zhenqing was very experienced when it came to pretending to be a woman, and lowered his head shyly, dodging like a frightened little rabbit. This actually aroused the other person’s interest, and the pulling and tugging was like a game to delay time.

Finally, the leader became impatient and pulled this person into his arms. 

“Come, let me give you a kiss.”

Liu Zhenqing suppressed his nausea, and was about to use this opportunity to press a dagger against the other’s neck.

But before he could thrust the dagger out, the other party grabbed his wrist.

“You!”

Damn it, he didn’t realize he was a martial artist when he saw his sloppy steps.

“You’re courting death!”

The opponent was obviously angered by Liu Zhenqing, and was about to use the dagger to strike back. Facing this move, Liu Zhenqing also remembered the killing move he had learned before and was about to retaliate when a silver light suddenly flashed and a dagger appeared at the leader’s throat. The dagger was instantly stained with blood, and seemed like it was about to cut deeper.

The leader took a sharp breath.

“Shut up! Don’t move!” The sinister voice sounded like a snake crawling in the darkness. It was the woman from just now.

Liu Zhenqing was quickly pushed away by the leader. It was obvious that he wanted to resist the woman, but she was faster and covered the leader’s mouth with one hand from behind. Without blinking, she gripped the dagger and slashed, and three fingers of the hand the leader had raised were cut off. Clearly, only someone with internal strength could do such a thing. 

And the leader’s shrill scream was blocked back into his throat.

“I told you not to move.”

The leader was furious, but also knew he couldn’t fight back. The other party’s martial arts were clearly higher than his.

The dagger was placed back against his neck, and the woman chuckled: “I want you to speak. Just call out obediently and tell all the guards in the outer courtyard to leave. If you dare speak an unnecessary word or if someone breaks in, don’t blame me for cutting off your head and giving it to your father.”

Before the leader could speak, he felt the dagger on his neck bear down again. He was truly frightened now. When the woman let go of his mouth, he could only obey her command and call in embarrassment: “Everyone outside, go away. No matter what sounds you hear, you are not allowed to come in. If you disturb me, laozi will kill you!”

The guards outside looked at each other in confusion. But after all, the leader had the authority, so they could only obey and stay away from the courtyard.

The woman listened silently for a while, then kicked the leader over and said, “Kneel.” When the leader got up awkwardly, he could sense the person standing behind him. Although he didn’t know their position or how close the dagger was to him, the fear still oppressed him and kept him motionless. 

“What are you doing? Don’t kill me. If you want something, I can give you a lot of money, as much as you want.” The leader pretended to be calm.

Liu Zhenqing was presently dumbfounded. This turn of events had happened so fast that he was caught off guard, and the woman in front of him suddenly seemed familiar. Just as he was stunned, he felt a cold wind blow from behind him. 

At the same time, the kneeling man naturally saw the situation behind Liu Zhenqing and watched as a man flew in from the window. His eyes were as sharp as knives, and with a flash of red, he pounced on Liu Zhenqing like a terrifying beast in the late nighttime forest pouncing on its prey. The aura he brought in with him was simply more terrifying than that of the woman threatening him with the dagger.

The woman also saw this scene and was stunned for a moment. Just as she was about to speak, she watched as that person reached out and grabbed Liu Zhenqing’s arm, pulling him suddenly.

Liu Zhenqing felt an overbearing force change his posture. He was frightened, and when he turned around, he beheld a face that was about to freeze over.

Liu Zhenqing couldn’t see the anger and impatience in that face, but instinctively sensed the danger and tried to retreat. But when he realized who had come, his first reaction was to ask, “So fast? You did it? Have you taken care of everything? We haven’t been discovered.”

Huo Fenglie paused, and for a moment, he went along with the other person out of habit.

“En, I took care of it. Everything is fine.” After answering, he had to forcibly suppress his wild emotions after not seeing this person where he left him. He choked and couldn’t help feeling a little aggrieved, although it wasn’t evident in his tone. “You…..why didn’t you wait for me?”

Liu Zhenqing thought Huo Fenglie was blaming him for acting without authorization. After all, without martial arts, it would be easy to alert someone, but he couldn’t turn a blind eye at that time. He could only briefly explain the situation and then glance at the strange woman who knew martial arts.

Huo Fenglie seemed to be interested in seeing who the woman was. When he came in, he had just instinctively determined if the situation was okay and then focused all of his attention on Liu Zhenqing. 

When he turned around, Huo Fenglie paused for a moment and his expression became a bit subtle.

Liu Zhenqing was still wondering why the person in front of him looked familiar when he heard the woman say in an unkind tone: “What a coincidence.”

As the woman took off her veil, Liu Zhenqing’s eyes gradually widened. Then he took a sharp breath, and the other’s cold gaze swept over, as if he was saying with his eyes: Dare to laugh? Try it.

Liu Zhenqing swallowed his laughter, realizing that the person in front of him was actually Qin Yu disguised as a woman.

It wasn’t that Liu Zhenqing wanted to laugh, but the Qin Yu before him was dressed up so exquisitely, with makeup and powder. Even his lips were painted an extremely bright red. If he didn’t know Qin Yu or wasn’t sure of his voice, he would have thought this was Qin Yu’s sister. Even though he was pretending to be a woman, he didn’t have to sacrifice so much. Were there steamed buns stuffed in his chest?

And it was simply unimaginable that someone with Qin Yu’s temperament would dress up like this.

It was really too shocking. Liu Zhenqing said with a dry smile, “Actually, your disguise is quite good. No wonder you managed to sneak in.” Just as he was curious about why Qin Yu was with the contingent of women, this casual sentence made Qin Yu unhappy, and he seemed to be holding back his anger.

Qin Yu narrowed his eyes and said: “It’s not as good as Young Master Liu’s. With only a veil, this fool became obsessed with you, tugging and playing with you.”

The corners of Liu Zhenqing’s mouth twitched, and he heard Huo Fenglie beside him say in a deep voice, “What?”

Qin Yu directly told on him. “He even embraced Young Master Liu.”

Liu Zhenqing: I have no face, ah!

This Qin Yu was truly sinister and evil. He usually looked mild and quiet, and was also a bit aloof. But when it was time for him to speak out, he never spoke softly, and specialized in deceiving people.

As soon as he turned around, he found that Huo Fenglie’s face was so dark that he couldn’t look at it.

How strange, Er-gou seemed to be angry? He had thought he would only receive a complicated expression.

A figure suddenly flashed around him, and the leader grunted as his chin was punched. Then a kick broke his arm, and the agonized leader could only make muffled sounds and roll on the ground.

Qin Yu scoffed coldly, and found that Huo Fenglie had already raised his head to look at him. His meaning was obvious: why didn’t you help?

Qin Yu choked, then said with a shrug: “It’s not that I wouldn’t help, but the timing didn’t allow for it. This fellow knows martial arts, and I was afraid of disturbing the situation. I also thought Young Master Liu’s performance was very smooth, so I played it by ear.”

Liu Zhenqing said speechlessly: “I’m a man, so I wouldn’t suffer. I was just buying time.”

However, he saw that Huo Fenglie was still looking at him with disapproval.

And at this moment, the strange sound of a cat’s meow came from the roof.

Then a voice with an obvious smile came: “Has Beauty Qin been captured? Do you want me, the hero, to save the beauty?”

Qin Yu’s expression darkened instantly, and he raised his sleeve to wipe his face.

Liu Zhenqing: Okay, now I know why Qin Yu was holding back his anger.

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

“Ku You” was unconscious and looked like he would be lying down for a while. Liu Xian’an carefully examined his face, but could not find any trace of a disguise. He opened his eyelids and looked at his eyes, which were also a light gold like splashes of ink. Astonished, he rubbed his thumbs behind the other’s ears again but still couldn’t find it.

Gao Lin stood beside the bed with his hands folded, trying to come up with some kind of hypothesis. Since this person’s facial features resembled Ku You’s and his eyes looked like Ku You’s, was there a possibility that he was actually Ku You? 

Liu Xian’an also asked: “How did the prince conclude that he is a fake?”

Liang Shu shook off his gloves: “He deliberately pretended to be confused, as if his brain was muddled by torture. And I don’t know where he learned his Northwest accent when he opened his mouth, because it is far different from Ku You’s.”

Cheng Suyue burst out laughing, pfft, and Gao Lin sighed with emotion. He didn’t expect that such an honest man would have such ideas. In the early years, when Ku You was just an ordinary minor commander in the northwest, he was often sent by his superiors to surrounding villages to buy local products with soldiers and carts, then sell them uniformly to traders—there was no other way. The national treasury was tight, and the local army could only find its own way. Over time, Ku You had developed two major skills. One was bargaining, and the other was the Northwest dialect. Not only could he understand it, but he could also speak it fluently.

Liu Xian’an said: “So Commander Ku never used his actual voice from the moment he was kidnapped?”

“It’s not necessarily that he never used it at all. At least in the beginning, he still said a few words to the fake Gao Lin. But at that time, the other party was eager to lead him out of the camp. He knew that talking too much would lead to mistakes, and he needed to hold it in until the end, so the conversation between them likely didn’t exceed five sentences, just over a hundred words. If Ku You decided to do it later on, he would still be able to hide his accent.”

“There are some traces of the disguise here. The bonding points are thinner and more invisible than a cow hair.” Liu Xian’an was holding a crystal-polished lens inlaid with gold in his hand. It was originally a toy given to him by Liang Shu when he was bored. Now, he just used it to enlarge the counterfeit goods and examine them.

Liu Nanyuan also stepped forward, and her eyes were dazzled by what she saw. Then she found the wiring and stood up, saying in disbelief: “A human skin mask can be made so lifelike, and there is even a way to change the color of the pupils. Even our Baihe Mountain Village cannot do these two things.”

“It cannot be done because Baihe Mountain Village does not follow evil ways,” Liu Xian’an said. “If one implants Gu insects into their eyes, let alone golden eyes, even rainbow-colored eyes are possible. But the skill of this disguise is very good. After he wakes up, you can ask him carefully.”

“But I don’t think he’ll wake up for a while.” Liu Nanyuan tested the other party’s pulse. “He was probably afraid of being discovered by us, so he took drugs that would disrupt his pulse in advance, trying to create the illusion of being tortured. This person can be regarded as losing his life’s savings, and he paid with his own body.”

That was why Liang Shu kneed him so hard in the kidneys that he lost his breath and fell unconscious. Liu Xian’an told his sister: “Then you should wake him up as soon as possible.”

Liu Nanyuan asked in confusion: “Why don’t you treat him?”

“Because he is not difficult to treat.” Since he was not difficult to treat, it was not necessary for Second Young Master Liu to personally go into battle. 

Before Liu Nanyuan could open her mouth, Liang Shu had already said: “Then Third Young Lady Liu can do it. I will take Xiao An back to rest first. He has been feeling tired and low of energy recently.”

Everyone at the scene fell silent, mainly because they truly had nothing to say about this blatant favoritism. Liu Nanyuan looked at her lazy Er-ge and felt worry in her heart that was very similar to that of her parents. He was already immobile enough, but now he had someone to support him. In the future, would he not have to eat on his own, but lie down and be fed by a maid?

But in fact, it was not as dramatic as his sister thought. At least, His Royal Highness Xiao Wang would never let others feed the Sleeping Immortal.

After the two left, Gao Lin said: “Third Young Lady Liu, there’s no need to be so surprised. To be honest, we’re all used to it.”

Liu Nanyuan glanced at Cheng Suyue.

Cheng-guniang also nodded and said truthfully: “It’s not like there isn’t something more dramatic than this. Once, Second Young Master Liu just climbed an extra section of the mountain himself and coughed twice from exhaustion. The prince’s attitude at that time made it sound like he was going to split the mountain in two, and some people believed him.”

Liu Nanyuan: “……”

So Da-ge had been witnessing the extravagant treatment of Er-ge as if he was a concubine, which was thousands of li away from the Liu family’s rule of being diligent, thrifty, and putting others before oneself. How on earth had he resisted taking out the red sandalwood ruler?

Impressive, impressive.

Liu Xian’an said as he walked: “I walked a lot today.”

“Where did you go?” Liang Shu was puzzled. “Weren’t you waiting for me to come back to the room?”

“I waited but couldn’t sit still, so I kept walking back and forth in the courtyard.” Liu Xian’an patted his knees. “I didn’t feel it before, but now it’s starting to hurt.”

Liang Shu thought about the scene of him wandering around the courtyard like a spinning top, and thought it was quite cute. He smiled and said: “Then I’ll carry you.”

This was what Liu Xian’an was waiting for. He put one arm around Liang Shu’s neck and said: “I once saw a windwheel cart in my dreams. People can sit in it and move forward without relying on cattle or horses.”

“If it doesn’t use animals, then what does it rely on? Just the wind?”

“It also might be something else.” Liu Xian’an didn’t bother to explain. “Anyway, it went very fast.”

So Liang Shu carried him and also went very fast. Liu Xian’an was shaken up and laughed, patting him on the shoulder as he said: “The prince hasn’t said anything about what happened when you went into the dense forest today for the exchange. Did it go well?”

“It went well. Everything happened as planned, and all the gold, silver, and jewelry have been dumped into the lake. The other party sent a young woman. Judging from her figure, she should be the one who pretended to be a village girl and wanted to marry Gao Lin at the old woman’s birthday party that day. She also had a bit of a Nanyang accent when she spoke, and should be from the same place as the imposter lying in bed at this moment.”

“And the Scimitar Silver Moon Tribe?”

“Following the woman.” Liang Shu said, “The miasma will not hinder them. Hopefully, good news can be sent back soon.”

The two of them walked all the way to their residence. When the soldiers along the way saw this intimate scene, they quickly looked to both sides and at each other. Liu Xian’an didn’t think it was a big deal, because immortals were all very dissolute. Liang Shu opened the door sideways and leaned his face toward him: “You can still be a little more dissolute.”

Liu Xian’an pinched his face and jumped to the ground: “Where are the two Gu worms? Take them out and let me look.”

Liang Shu smiled and handed over the porcelain bottle: “They weren’t moving at the time, and I don’t know if they are alive or dead. Be careful.”

Liu Xian’an shook the bottle twice, and a click click sound came from the collision of hard shells. The things inside were still alive. He took out a large silver plate and a transparent ice crystal cover, poured out the Gu insects, and fastened them in. Ping, ping, ping, the hard black insects collided with the ice crystal again and again, leaving powdery black traces one after another.

Liang Shu was disgusted: “What kind of insect is this?”

“Soul-numbing Gu,” Liu Xian’an said. “Even if the powder only touches the skin, it will quickly penetrate into the blood and flow to the heart. Within a month, symptoms will range from half-body paralysis, loss of self-awareness, and death. If one is pricked by this sharp thorn, it will be even more difficult to treat. However, although this Gu is very poisonous, it is delicate and difficult to maintain, and has extremely high environmental requirements. Only the Baifu Sect, who live in the forest miasma, have the conditions to let them grow strong.”

“No wonder he took these things out right away. If they could bite me, they could make a profit with very little investment.” Liang Shu asked, “Can you find a way to maintain them?”

“I can try feeding them some poisonous mushrooms, but it may take hundreds of soldiers to find food for them.” Liu Xian’an sealed the ice crystal cover. “But let’s talk about it first. I have only read about them in books, and I have no experience. If I feed them to death, they’ll just die.”

You absolutely must not seek compensation from me.

. . . . . . .

The woman in red flew like a wild sparrow into a ring of green trees on the mountainside.

The people of the Scimitar Silver Moon Tribe followed closely behind. They were dressed in yellow and emerald green clothes, and practically blended into the mountains. They bypassed the guards unnoticed, and a young man said upon looking at the large undulating tile-roofed farmhouses that suddenly appeared in front of them: “If I were to start a cult, I would at least have a black and red hall tens of zhang high, and more than a dozen raging fires burning with drag chains, with ghosts and wolves howling everywhere.”

The woman slapped his face: “I’ve told you so many times not to listen to the ghost stories about Second Young Master Liu flying through the clouds and mist. If you really have nothing to do, you can learn more from First Young Master Liu.”

The young man stuck out his tongue: “Then what should we do now?”

“You just stay here and don’t move. I’ll go find Commander Ku first.” Another man stood up. “This place is really big though, so it will probably take some time.”

The young man looked out through the trees and said: “Although it is big, there are not many people.”

“The evil cult relies on the weakness of people’s hearts to win over believers, so force is the least important.” The woman said, “They don’t need too many people, but those ones are more difficult to deal with than thousands of troops.”

The man’s back quickly disappeared.

Feng Xiaojin looked at the silver-haired man in front of him and said: “A-Le seems to truly be in love with you, but you can’t marry her or even pretend to make her happy.”

“She fell in love with me just because she hasn’t met many normal men,” Ku You said. “Young Master Feng should understand better than I do how she has spent these ten years. Actually, I also have a question to ask. Since Young Master Feng cares so much about his brother and sister, why did he allow Mu Zhe to train them into a pair of murderous tools ignorant of good or evil?”

“Because this world is inherently upside down. There is no need to bother distinguishing between good and evil. And also because I had no choice.” Feng Xiaojin said, “You wouldn’t understand.”

“In the Dayan military camp, no matter how big or small the matter is, everyone can decide what they want or don’t want. I really don’t understand what ‘no choice’ means,” Ku You said. “But if Young Master Feng is willing to say—”

“I’m not willing to say it, and there is no need for you to hear it.,” Feng Xiaojin interrupted him. “I only have one condition. If you promise me, I will agree to cooperate.”

Ku You asked: “What is it?”

“Marry A-Le so that she can have a husband,” Feng Xiaojin said word by word. “This is my only condition.”

. . . . . . .

The first thing Liu Nanyuan did was to fix the misplaced ribs and the shattered wrist bones of this unfortunate fellow. The injuries were really serious, ah, and she couldn’t help but turn around and ask: “Sister Cheng, wasn’t the prince afraid he might have the wrong person? Even if the way he spoke was different, if Commander Ku had a cough, or took certain drugs, his voice could have been temporarily changed.”

“Even if there was only a slight abnormality, the prince would not hesitate, because if he hesitated for a moment, the danger would increase dozens or hundreds of times,” Cheng Suyue said. “Although his injuries are serious, he can still be saved, right?”

Liu Nanyuan nodded: “En, it will just be a little troublesome to move, but it’s not life-threatening.”

“Then isn’t this right?” Cheng Suyue said, “Even if the prince’s judgment was wrong and he really was Ku You, it’s nothing more than a few broken bones. There is A-Yuan in the military camp, as well as First Young Master Liu and Second Young Master Liu. Is there any reason to fear that he won’t be healed? So to be on the safe side, it’s better to be economical first.”

Liu Nanyuan: “……Can this kind of thing be economical?”

Cheng Suyue nodded. If we can save time and money, we must save time and money. We’ve been following the prince for so long and have already become accustomed to it.

---

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Chapter One Hundred Eleven << Table of Contents >> Chapter One Hundred Thirteen

The trees on both sides of the car windows receded rapidly.

Pei Yi was dressed in a serious little suit with a small black school bag in his arms, and looked quite precious.

His gaze moved from the car window to the front row, and there was uncontrollable excitement in his eyes. “Father Yan, Father Rong, can I really see that gege again today?”

“You can.”

Zong Baiyan glanced at him through the rearview mirror. “Father Yan will definitely do what he promised you.”

Xu Rong turned to look at his child and said warmly, “Pei Yi, today is the birthday of that little gege’s grandma. When you follow us to meet her later, you must be polite. Do you understand?”

Pei Yi nodded.

Xu Rong looked at Zong Baiyan with worry in his expression that only an adult could understand. “I remember that your Zong family rarely interacts with the Bo family?”

Although both Bo and Zong were among the top groups in the Imperial Capital, they rarely interacted with each other in domestic life.

Zong Baiyan chuckled. “Actually, it’s not that big of a deal.”

When Zong Baiyan’s grandfather was young, he was in a business competition with Mrs. Bo, who was in charge of the group. As a result, he suffered a rare big loss.

But there were no eternal enemies, only eternal interests.

“After my grandfather passed away, my father led the Zong family and had some business dealings with the Bo family, but the cooperation was not deep.”

Zong Baiyan glanced at the cute Pei Yi in the mirror again. “This time, I can use the excuse of Xiao Yi to break the ice and communicate privately. My father is very supportive.”

Xu Rong felt relieved.

He was just an outsider and didn’t know much about these “big families.”

Zong Baiyan noticed his lover’s confusion and continued to tell what he knew, “Old Mrs. Bo is a well-known strong woman, did you know that? At this age, she was happily divorced two years ago.”

“The old man had an affair behind her back. The other party was still married back then, and as a result, his reputation was stained and he left the house.”

At the same time, Old Mrs. Bo also severed ties with her eldest son and his family.

“The young man Pei Yi met last time is called Bo Yueming. He’s Old Mrs. Bo’s second grandson. I heard that he’s the second son of Bo Lihong, and came about when the man was young and romantic…..”

Probably out of concern for Pei Yi behind him, Zong Baiyan didn’t explain the entire matter. “But I hear that the Second Young Master of the Bo family is very talented.”

“He’s not even grown yet, but his temperament is as stable as that of a young adult. And he has already won a grand slam in those simulated stock trading competitions, which is very outstanding.”

Sitting in the back row, Pei Yi’s eyes flitted back and forth. In fact, his “cat” ears were perked up very seriously.

As soon as he heard Zong Baiyan’s affirmation of Bo Yueming, he felt an indescribable ambition—

Even such an outstanding father praised the other person’s excellence? Then he must be friends with Er-ge!

. . . . . . .

Old Mrs. Bo’s birthday banquet was arranged at the Bo family’s main residence. When Zong Baiyan arrived with Xu Rong and Pei Yi, there were already many guests who had come to celebrate her birthday.

Zong Baiyan located Old Mrs. Bo and approached her proactively. “Hello, Chairman Bo. I’m Zong Baiyan.”

Bo Peizhi recognized her at a glance. “It’s young Mr. Zong. Long time no see.”

As she spoke, her eyes wandered toward Xu Rong and Pei Yi.

Zong Baiyan introduced them with poise, “Chairman Bo, this is my husband, Xu Rong, and my son, Xiao Yi.”

When the guests heard Zong Baiyan’s words, they all looked surprised—

Although it was no secret that the other party had married a same-sex lover, few people knew that they had also adopted a child.

Xu Rong calmly ignored the glances around him. He greeted Old Mrs. Bo politely, and didn’t neglect to pat Pei Yi’s little head.

Receiving this reminder from his Father Rong, he raised his head and greeted with a sweet smile, “Hello, Old Madam. I wish you a happy birthday, good health, and safety.”

Old Mrs. Bo liked children the most, especially those like Pei Yi, who were cute and intelligent.

She responded kindly, “Ai, thank you for your blessings. Such a good child.”

After Pei Yi replied, his eyes searched the crowd unconsciously.

Once he confirmed that he couldn’t find the person he wanted to see, he approached Zong Baiayn, who was still talking, and gently tugged on the corner of his clothing. He was a little anxious, but due to politeness, he didn’t dare to say anything.

Zong Baiyan understood his child. 

He calmly recounted the horse riding incident half a month before to Old Mrs. Bo, and added his justification at the end, “……We left too quickly last time. Xiao Yi had been thinking about it and wants to thank the Second Young Master in person.”

Old Mrs. Bo responded, “That’s right, the housekeeper with Yueming did tell me such a thing.”

She met Pei Yi’s expectant eyes and simply called a nearby servant. “Take him to find the Second Young Master. The child should still be in his room.”

This was a place for adults, and as a child, it would indeed be boring for Pei Yi to stay here.

The servant accepted Old Mrs. Bo’s instructions and patiently gestured to Pei Yi. “Please follow me.”

Pei Yi was a little unsure. He looked at Zong Baiyan and Xu Rong on both sides of him and silently asked his parents for consent.

Zong Baiyan agreed. “Go ahead, Father Yan will pick you up later.”

Xu Rong asked, “Do you need to carry your school bag?”

Pei Yi thought of the treasures in his bag and nodded heavily. “En.”

. . . . . . .

The Bo family manor was very large.

The two walked out the back door of the main house and walked for a while until they approached their destination—

Only then did Pei Yi realize that Bo Yueming actually had a large villa of his own, and the “wow” in his heart soared into the sky.

But before the two of them could get close to Bo Yueming’s villa, they heard a burst of children’s mischievous playing.

“That’s him! The blood-sucking insect that no one wants and is still living in this house!”

Pei Yi heard this clearly malicious tone and subconsciously broke away from the servant’s control, trotting ahead.

In the next second, he saw the little boy in the lead throw the stone in his hand, which hit the other person’s calf with force.

“……”

Bo Yueming felt the slight, dull pain in his calf and looked at Bo Wang, who was with a group of arrogant children nearby. A hint of irritation flashed across his expression.

Before he could figure out how to “dispatch” this conceited half-brother, a figure rushed over at once and stood in front of him.

“Don’t bully my Er-ge! If you do it again, I’ll tell your parents!”

The group of children, including Bo Wang, looked stunned when they heard this.

“……”

Bo Yueming stared at the silly little head tilted up in front of him. Through his address, he identified the other party, and his originally depressed heart became clear.

Bo Wang looked at Pei Yi, who was not as tall as him, and frowned very unhappily. “Who are you, ah?”

Pei Yi had been beaten up in the orphanage when he was a young child, and was most afraid of such a one-against-many situation.

He tightened his grip on the strap of his school bag, but tried to be brave and refused to move away. “A-anyway, you can’t throw things at people!”

Young Master Bo Wang’s temper rose, and he raised his head. “This is my home! I can do whatever I want! It has nothing to do with you!”

“I..…”

Just as Pei Yi was about to say more, someone suddenly grabbed his arm—

Bo Yueming wordlessly pulled him behind him and told him from the corner of his mouth, “Stand still and don’t talk.”

“……”

Pei Yi opened his mouth, but still obeyed.

Bo Yueming returned his gaze to Bo Wang. “Grandma is about to cut the cake. Aren’t you going?”

Cutting the cake was not the point, but getting red envelopes and attention was.

Bo Wang remembered his mother Xue Min’s instructions early in the morning, and immediately changed his focus. He gave a deliberate scoff and hurried away with his little friends.

Standing behind Bo Yueming, Pei Yi leaned half of his body out and glared at the backs of Bo Wang and those peers of his who had shown off their power. “Hmph! They have no quality at all! If they come back again, I’ll fight them!”

Hearing this “ferocious” cry, Bo Yueming purposely replied, “The one in the lead is my brother, so you can’t hit him.”

“……”

Pei Yi gave an “ah,” a little embarrassed.

How could he solve a minor conflict between two brothers?

Bo Yueming hadn’t expected to meet Pei Yi at his home today. He asked with a hint of subtlety, “Did you come to the birthday banquet with your Father Rong and Father Yan?”

Those members who could go to the racecourse were either rich or noble.

An unfamiliar child such as Pei Yi had appeared at the family’s main house. After some thought, there was only one possibility.

Pei Yi nodded, and blurted out an explanation, “I didn’t purposely leave without saying anything last time.”

Bo Yueming walked back to the small table in the courtyard and put away his study notes. “It’s fine. We didn’t know each other in the first place. You should go back to the main house, there’s cake to eat.”

He remembered that this person seemed to like sweets.

Pei Yi continued to follow behind Bo Yueming. “Er-ge? Aren’t you going?”

“……”

Hearing this familiar address, Bo Yueming stopped and said, “I’m not going. Don’t follow me, either. Good bye.”

He had already wished Old Mrs. Bo a happy birthday in advance, and she was aware that he would be uncomfortable on such an occasion. 

Bo Yueming’s long legs gave him long strides, and Pei Yi could only trot behind, reluctant to let him go. “Er-ge, wait for me. I have something to give you, ah—”

He didn’t even have time to finish his sentence when he failed to notice the steps and fell to the ground.

Bo Yueming turned around in shock and quickly pulled Pei Yi up. “Are you okay? Did you get hurt from the fall?”

Pei Yi shook his head, his ears flushed with embarrassment at having fallen.

Bo Yueming couldn’t figure out what he wanted for the moment, but was also somewhat interested. “Why are you following me with such short legs? Why don’t you go and eat cake?”

Pei Yi was so agitated by the ‘short legs’ comment that he raised his head and opened his eyes, muttering unresignedly, “My legs aren’t short.”

“Father Yan took me to the doctor for a checkup. I….I just haven’t grown up yet. I won’t be short in the future.”

Bo Yueming smiled in spite of himself. “En? So what do you want?”

Pei Yi lifted the small school bag in front of him, opened the zipper, and took out the contents as if it was a bag of treasure. “Here, it’s for you—”

“This is my favorite taro bread, this is my favorite strawberry lollipop, this is my favorite sweet banana milk, and these are the egg yolk cakes that my Father Rong made yesterday. I left two for you.”

“…….”

Bo Yueming watched as a steady stream of snacks was stuffed into his hands, and was forced to take them. It was obvious that they were the favorites of the person in front of him.

“Enough, enough.”

Bo Yueming put a halt to the juggling act and said, dumbfounded, “You don’t want to eat them yourself?”

“They’re for you, ah.” Pei Yi said emphatically, “They’re very sweet and delicious.”

Bo Yueming made an unobtrusive sound in response, feeling much better.

Before he could ask Pei Yi again about his purpose in coming here, the other party asked with a pair of smiling eyes bright with sincerity, “Er-ge, I like you, can we be friends?”

---

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Extra 4/15 <<Table of Contents >> Extra 6/15

It was nearing early morning when Lu Qi caught Li Yimiao in the swaying crowd. The young man was drunk. Lu Qi dragged him out, rejecting two young ladies and a young brother who wanted to add him on WeChat.

“Ge~ Hehe~” Li Yumiao smiled against Lu Qi’s shoulder: “Look how popular you are…..”

Lu Qi held him by the back of his collar and made him stand against a lamppost. He wore an unhappy expression, but his eyes were too innocently-shaped and he looked like an angry kitten.

As expected, Li Yimiao was unafraid. When the cold wind blew, his drunkenness was alleviated a bit. He smiled in an ingratiating way and leaned closer to ask: “Ge, what about that boy? Did you enjoy chatting?”

Lu Qi raised his fingers and knocked on his head, making Li Yimiao cry ow, ow.

“You’ve got too much nerve! How dare you solicit a prostitute?” Lu Qi was furious. “What will you do when it’s on your permanent record when you take the civil service exam in the future?”

“Ow! Ge, I couldn’t pass the academic qualification test.” The great scholar Li Yimiao walked around the pillar and hid behind the lamppost, coming to his senses at last. “What prostitute? Ge, what are you talking about?”

Lu Qi recounted what had just occurred, and concluded angrily: “Tell me! How much did it cost! That person looked so expensive, he’s worth five thousand per minute!”

Li Yimiao laughed out loud. “Did you hear what you just said? Ge! I only earn six thousand yuan per month!”

The two looked at each other.

Li Yimiao may not be reliable, but his financial strength was stable and reliable.

“En…..” Li Yimiao said: “Ge, did you recognize the wrong person? But I don’t think it was a complete mistake. He asked the price when he came up, so professional! I mean, can you compare the five-thousand-per-minute one to the one I arranged for you?”

Lu Qi: “So what is the name of the one you arranged for me?” 

“Lai En, ah! His name is Lai En!”

Lu Qi: ……

. . . . . . .

Mr. Lai was stood up, and Lu Qi asked Li Yimian to give him an explanation. Li Yimiao inquired through his friends about what happened that night, and called Lu Qi to report the next day.

“It’s quite strange. Someone reported that the bar was involved in prostitution the next day and a man surnamed Lai was arrested. They say he was there to sell…..”

Lu Qi’s heart skipped a beat, and he thought uneasily, could they have arrested the wrong person?

“Ge, guess what happened next?” Li Yimiao’s tone suddenly rose. “That guy surnamed Lai was actually no good! The person sent to pick him up that night was his fiance!!”

The melon was getting bigger and bigger, like a snowball. Lu Qi quickly asked in a whisper: “Then did your friend tell that girl he……”

“I say, ah! The sister scratched that scumbag all over his face on the spot!” Li Yimiao viciously cursed this marriage-cheating dog to die without progeny. Then he said dejectedly: “Ge, I’m sorry.”

His original intention was only to make Lu Qi happy.

Lu Qi gave a hmm. “Don’t be so reckless in the future. I’m afraid you can’t judge others very well, and you’ll meet some messy people.”

Li Yimiao gave a long sigh: “It’s a good thing you ignored him, otherwise it would be hard to tell who the cheap one was.”

Someone called his phone on the other side, and Li Yimiao said goodbye to him before hanging up in a hurry.

Lu Qi tossed the phone away and threw himself onto the bed.

In fact, this reckless little cousin was still somewhat useful. If this incident hadn’t diverted some of his attention, Lu Qi would probably be more depressed now. He raised his hand to rub his swollen and painful temples. There was still some faint black and blue beneath his eyes.

He had been somewhat sleepless these days.

The rumors had been circulating for a week. Perhaps it could be said that this was cyber bullying.

At first, he felt that at worst, he could just not go online, but relevant news still reached his ears again and again. Friends in the real world or in the circle heard the news and also called him one after another. There were people who truly cared about him, and also disingenuous ones who were just watching the fun.

Lu Qi could only explain over and over again that he was not a pervert who harassed others.

He was really a little tired.

But he didn’t want to lower his head to Lin Yuan. Even if he gave in, he would never reconcile with Lin Yuan.

But the negative messages he continued to receive were mixed with personal threats, and this was affecting his life. Lu Qi installed a camera outside the door. Because the old building always had intermittent power outages, he bought one with a battery that could run for three or four days even with a power outage.

In the past two days, the nextdoor neighbor had moved in. This neighbor he had yet to meet seemed to prefer Russian music. Today, Tchaikovsky’s “Dance of the Reed Flutes” was playing. The sound was actually not very loud. Lu Qi’s place was too quiet, so the bright and lively music danced and jumped in his small living room.

His sofa was next to the neighbor’s living room. He could just hear a little bit while lying down on it, and he fell asleep while listening to the music.

When he opened his eyes, it was already dark outside and the music had stopped. He rubbed his eyes and sat up, touching the switch of the floor lamp.

There was a pop sound—

The room was still dark.

Lu Qi reacted belatedly. Oh. There was another power outage.

He fumbled for his phone, and upon opening it, there was a message from a stranger on the lock screen.

[Trash like you should die. Right Angle was driven into depression by your fans…..]

Lu Qi didn’t want to read any more, and swiped his finger to close the message. However, the lock screen became sensitive, and in the light from the building opposite, it unlocked with a click.

[Trash like you should die. Right Angle was driven into depression by your fans. If something happens to him and Honey Bear, you should die to atone for your sins. If you don’t do it then, I’ll assist you.]

Lu Qi’s fingertips shook as he turned off his phone.

The room returned to darkness.

He sat on the sofa and thought silently. He didn’t know whether 90° Right Angle’s depression was real or fake, but if this continued, he might have to see a psychiatrist.

Just as he was thinking, someone suddenly gave a quiet groan outside the door.

It was the faint voice of a man.

Lu Qi’s back subconsciously tensed, like a frightened cat in the dark that became so alert that its tail bristled.

He wanted to call Li Yimiao, but then he thought that Li Yimiao was half a head shorter than him and was really just a bean sprout, so he put it out of his mind.

He turned on the flashlight on his mobile phone, tiptoed to the kitchen cabinet, and took out the tool left there by the landlord after the renovation.

Standing by the shoe cabinet near the door, Lu Qi turned on the phone app connected to his camera.

The camera was all green under the night vision function, but Lu Qi could see a large black figure curled up at his neighbor’s door.

It was not accurate to say that he was curled up. The man was simply sitting on the ground, with one long leg bent up and the other stretched out. He wore a black hooded sweatshirt with the hood on his head, concealing most of his face.

He just sat like this with his head hanging. Several times, Lu Qi saw him getting up, holding his hands on the corridor’s cement floor with his tall body trembling slightly.

He might be someone who needed help.

If it had been before, Lu Qi would have gone out with a flashlight to help the person up. But the message he had just received, coupled with the threats he had gotten over the past few days, gathered in his mind like a dark cloud. He clenched the metal in his hand, and the cold temperature caused his limbs to stiffen.

As if he sensed that someone was watching, the man under the camera suddenly raised his head at this moment.

Lu Qi opened his eyes wide.

Even though the face was pale and gloomy through the night vision lens, someone who saw it once would never forget it.

It turned out to be Lion, the little duck.

Click—

The lock sprung open with a crisp sound, and the door was pushed open a small crack. The light of the mobile phone spilled out through that crack in the door and did not directly land on the other person’s face, but politely on his hand.

The hand hanging on his knee made a grasping gesture, as if he wanted to hold this cold white light.

Sitting on the ground, Mu Nanqiao slowly raised his head. His hood pressed down on his hair to cover his eyebrows, but the moment they looked at each other, Lu Qi could still see the fierceness that flashed across his handsome face.

Like a great beast hibernating in the dark.

Lu Qi shrank behind the door, only revealing one eye: “Hello? Are you okay? Why are you here?”

Mu Nanqiao’s expression was startled for a moment. He tilted his head, and the fierceness in his eyes subsided. After looking at him for a second, he asked in a hoarse voice: “Why are you here?”

Lu Qi: ……

Didn’t I ask first?

However, the other person’s expression was clear and sober, not like he was in a drunk or drugged state. A little relieved, Lu Qi poked out most of his body. “Do you need help?”

“En.” Mu Nanqiao nodded this time. “Please give me a hand.”

Lu Qi reached out to pull him up.

He had touched this slender hand twice. At this time, his palm was wet with cold sweat, and there were grains of dirt from the concrete floor. It was unknown if it was due to a sudden illness, but those long legs were completely unable to use their strength. Lu Qi finally pulled this person up, and he half leaned on Lu Qi as he took a bunch of keys out of his pocket.

“I live here.” He answered Lu Qi’s recent question, his voice low and leisurely. “What a coincidence, ah. Neighbor.”

It turned out that he was the “lighting store owner” and Russian music lover.

Lu Qi struggled to support him, and whispered softly as he opened the door: “This kind of work is very harmful to the body, look at how your legs are shaking…..”

Being so close, even though his voice was low, Mu Nanqiao heard it very clearly.

The chest against Lu Qi’s back trembled. The man seemed to be laughing.

“Actually, I…..”

His unfinished words were interrupted by disordered footsteps, and the two of them turned simultaneously to look down the stairs.

A figure quickly rushed up.

The light in the corridor was dim, but Lu Qi still saw the bright strip in the person’s hand. 

That was a sharp knife, reflecting the light.

The figure didn’t seem to expect to see two men “hugging each other” in an intimate posture in the stairwell. He froze in place, like a mouse that had suddenly lost the target of its theft.

When their eyes met, Mu Nanqiao was the first to react. He instinctively pulled the boy behind him, but before he could pull him, Lu Qi stooped down like a little loach, slipping under his arm and back to his nest?

Mu Nanqiao: ……

So straightforward?

After just a moment’s hesitation, the figure was already rushing forward with the knife. He was clearly stumbling and not quite sober, but he swung the knife very fiercely and made a he he sound in his mouth, as if he was holding a mouthful of saliva.

Just as Mu Nanqiao was about to turn aside, the door behind him opened again and a breeze blew past. The little loach who slipped away had returned, and stepped between him and the knife-wielding hoodlum. There was a bam—clang—

The hoodlum rolled down the stairs with a grunt, and Lu Qi threw the knife far away.

Mu Nanqiao: ……

For a moment, there was an eerie silence on the stairs, and the only thing that could be heard was the boy’s nervous and rapid breathing.

Mu Nanqiao stared at Lu Qi’s slightly thin back, and slowly relaxed his tightened fists.

“What did you hit him with?” he asked.

Lu Qi gasped out in a trembling voice: “The…..the Holy Sword of Physics.”

Mu Nanqiao: ? ? ? 

When he looked down, the boy was holding a rusty crowbar in his shaking hands.

---

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Chapter Five << Table of Contents >> Chapter Seven

Huo Fenglie was not interested in men. When he heard that a man wanted to marry Liu Zhenqing, Huo Fenglie had been disgusted.

He still had some sense at this moment and didn’t want to hurt the woman, so he just pounced on him instead.

Fortunately, he had only stayed in that room for a short time. If he’d been in there longer, he would likely be in a state of, “If there are no women, men are fine.”

“Calm down, ah, Brother Huo.” Liu Zhenqing pushed Huo Fenglie’s head. He could feel that he was resisting his body’s instincts, and his entire body was extremely stiff.

Liu Zhenqing was about to take out a detoxification pill for him, but Huo Fenglie jumped away from him and rushed toward the door.

The woman at the door thought she was being targeted again and was so frightened that her legs went weak, but in the next moment, Huo Funglie rushed past her and crashed through the door.

Startled by this turn of events, Liu Zhenqing stood up and hurriedly chased after him.

As soon as he went out, he saw Huo Fenglie standing in the moonlight. He seemed to be eating something with his head down, shaking all over and trying to endure it.

Just as Liu Zhenqing was about to approach, he heard Huo Fenglie say: “Don’t come over.”

“No, I have your antidote pills, Brother Huo.” Liu Zhenqing spoke quickly.

Huo Fenglie tensed and said: “I’ve taken the antidote. There’s no problem.”

In fact, it wasn’t a detoxification pill that he had taken. The smoke just now had the effect of making people lose their mind and stirring their blood up, which triggered his old injury. If he took the medicine to treat his old injury, the effects of the aphrodisiac could be completely eliminated by his internal strength.

Liu Zhenqing breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this. When she saw this, the woman on the side finally collapsed onto the ground, sobbing quietly.

There was a sudden noise in the room. It seemed that the unconscious man had woken again due to the drug’s stimulation.

Liu Zhenqing hurriedly went to investigate. Taking advantage of Huo Fenglie’s absence, he felt his pulse and let out a sigh, then took out an antidote pill worth hundreds of taels and gave it to the man. After all, if he wasn’t saved, he would probably suffocate to death. 

Moreover, Liu Zhenqing just now recognized the man. After he killed the corrupt officials back then, among the remaining officials, this one was considered useful and was later promoted.

How had he ended up drugged here like this?

Liu Zhenqing couldn’t figure it out, and could only wait for the man to wake up.

At this time, footsteps came from behind. Liu Zhenqing glanced back and saw Huo Fenglie walking with a slightly stiff gait. Although he still had an upright body and was facing squarely ahead, he could sense the avoidance of his eyes.

Liu Zhenqing suppressed a smile and asked with concern: “Is Brother Huo feeling better?”

Huo Fenglie finally raised his eyes to look at Liu Zhenqing, but his gaze suddenly paused and his entire body froze for a moment. Then he lowered his eyes with even more embarrassment. “Apologies, Brother Liu. I offended you just now.”

Liu Zhenqing was confused. Was he looking at……his neck?

Liu Zhenqing couldn’t see it himself, but he was indeed licked by Er-gou before, and couldn’t be sure if he had been bitten or held in his mouth. However, it was normal for red marks to be left on the pampered white skin of a wealthy young master.

Liu Zhenqing couldn’t help but feel even more amused after thinking about it.

“Brother Huo, it was just a small accident. Everything is fine.”

Liu Zhenqing’s tone was normal. If Huo Fenglie continued acting bashful, it would be a bit embarrassing, so he adjusted his mentality and looked over again, only to see Liu Zhenqing put a hand on his neck as if rubbing it in the place he had just left a mark.

Huo Fenglie’s cheeks seemed to be set on fire instantly, and his body became stiff again.

Then he heard Liu Zhenqing say with a smile: “It’s only the effect of the drugs. I couldn’t possibly misunderstand Brother Huo because of this, right?”

Huo Fenglie didn’t speak. 

Liu Zhenqing did he utmost to push the corners of his mouth down.

The girl who was awake during the whole process was still feeling grieved and upset, and couldn’t care about the situation around her. 

It wasn’t until the other man made a noise that the bullied Er-gou was rescued.

When the memories hit after waking up, the man was so upset that he burst into tears. He looked at the girl nearby and apologized while crying.

Although the girl didn’t dare to get close, she shook her head vigorously. “Prefect, I know you are a good official, it was because they wanted to harm you. I don’t blame you, I only blame myself for being ignorant and falling into this deep pit.” As she spoke, she began to cry again.

Hearing the girl’s address, Liu Zhenqing raised his eyebrows. Prefect? It was one level lower than he expected. According to his evaluation of this person back then, he thought he should be in the highest position of prefectural magistrate.

Once Prefect Wu overcame his grief and anger, he calmed down somewhat and used the moonlight to get a clear view of the two people in the room and saluted to express his gratitude. Naturally, he didn’t know Liu Zhenqing. After scanning over him with his eyes, he instantly focused on Huo Fenglie.

“You…..you’re…..the general of the country!” Prefect Wu’s eyes widened.

Huo Fenglie nodded.

Prefect Wu trembled with excitement. “Is the emperor finally going to help us?”

Huo Fenglie frowned. “The emperor doesn’t know what is going on here.”

Prefect Wu was stunned for a moment, then could only wipe away his tears and say with choked sobs: “Of course the emperor doesn’t know, because the news couldn’t get out at all. Any officials who dared to spread unfavorable news were sent to be dealt with by Magistrate Wang. They could only send disaster-related information and ask for relief money and food from the court.”

Liu Zhenging thought, surname Wang? It seemed that among the minor officials left behind in the same area as Prefect Wu, there was someone named Wang. If he was the same person, he could have climbed faster than Prefect Wu and his ambitions could have grown faster. He had even deceived his superiors and subordinates to such an extent. Was he planning to become the local emperor of Yanqiu Prefecture with one hand covering the sky? 

Huo Fenglie asked directly: “What is Magistrate Wang doing? What does he have to do with the Heaven’s Blessing Sect?”

Prefect Wu looked up at Huo Fenglie and said agitatedly: “He secretly embezzled the disaster relief funds for food and let his son start the Heaven’s Blessing Sect to launder the official money!”

As soon as these words were spoken, Huo Fenglie and Liu Zhenqing’s expressions shifted.

The total amount of official funds was usually not too large. Officials at each level took some of it, and the rest was used for disaster relief. After all, disaster relief used official funds, which were difficult to circulate in the market and easily traced. But if the official silver was broken down and turned into private broken silver, then no matter how much wealth the country distributed, it would be swallowed up endlessly by them.

In other words, they probably didn’t care about the disaster relief at all, and swallowed up all the money, allowing the common people to die in large numbers. In the end, they blamed the natural disasters and continued to ask for money from the court.

How dare they be so bold? Could it be that the Imperial court was incompetent and the current emperor was blind?

As Prefect Wu spoke, the truth about Yanqiu Prefecture in the last few years gradually emerged.

“There are natural disasters every year in Yanqiu Prefecture. It can be said that officials lead people to fight against the heavens, and the court often provides disaster relief. When the situation is good, we can live in peace for a year, but when the situation is bad, people starve to death everywhere. Since the death of Prime Minister Liu, the emperor has begun to support flood control, drought prevention, locust prevention, snow disaster prevention, and other construction projects. In fact, things got better in the first few years, but everything changed when Magistrate Wang became the magistrate of Yanqiu Prefecture through a promotion four years ago and became in-laws with the lieutenant in charge of the military.”

Huo Fenglie frowned when he heard about that lieutenant. No wonder they were lawless. This was collusion between civil and military officials.

“Magistrate Wang asked his son to found the Heaven’s Blessing Sect and then began to exploit the government’s disaster relief food funds. It was still a small amount at first, and the Heaven’s Blessing Sect still kept things mysterious, so the common people still had a way to survive. I was far away in another county and had incomplete information. Then two or three years ago, the Heaven’s Blessing Sect began to grow, and the money and food allocated to our county decreased each time. Only then did I realize there was a problem, and then I investigated with like-minded colleagues and discovered Magistrate Wang’s conspiracy.”

“He pretty much only gave us a little perfunctory silver for disaster relief and kept the rest for himself, and also only gave us a little bit of the food. It was enough for the victims of disaster clinging to life in the cities and towns on the official roads, and the rest was taken away by the Heaven’s Blessing Sect and re-sold to other disaster-ridden prefectures to make money.”

“He is truly a heartless person.” Hearing this, Liu Zhenqing had to sigh with emotion. He was not such a ruthless person when Liu Zhenqing was ruling the country, or why would he have left him behind in the first place?

At this point, the girl next to him began to weep. She had only discovered the truth after she had come in.

It turned out that it wasn’t that the Imperial court refused to save them, but that these villains sucked the blood of the common people regardless of their lives or deaths. However, they were so stupid that they kneeled down and worshiped the Heaven’s Blessing Sect every day.

The girl said: “All the men they arrested are locked up next to the furnace in the back mountain and forced to work day and night. The women they arrested are all young and good-looking, just to…..to accompany those officials and merchants. Some of the sisters were defiled and committed suicide directly, while others had to endure hardships and stay in order to have a bite of food for their families. I just arrived. In order to force us to be their accomplices, Magistrate Wang had us drugged and locked up together. They are all beasts! Beasts!”

Seeing the girl weep as she thought about the plight of the people here, Liu Zhenqing sighed and took off his cloak, stepping forward to place it on the girl.

The girl cried so hard that she leaned against Liu Zhenqing. He couldn’t bear her sobs, so he patted her and said: “Don’t be afraid. You heard it just now, hasn’t the general of the country come? You are all saved.”

He glanced at Huo Fenglie as he said this, only to find that Huo Fenglie was also looking over with an unhappy expression on his face. It was evident that he was also angered by these things.

Upon hearing Liu Zhenqing’s words, Prefect Wu nodded firmly and said: “Right! We are saved. I haven’t persisted for so long in vain. General Huo, I have evidence that can be handed over to the court to sentence them to death! Over the years, some of us have been responsible for making appeals, while some have been responsible for collecting evidence. In the end, the people who made appeals died, and those collecting evidence were either caught or threatened with their families. And people like me who controlled important evidence were locked up here. Because they don’t know where I hid the evidence, they tried their best to make me complicit.”

In fact, before Prefect Wu opened his mouth, Liu Zhenqing had pretty much guessed that he had evidence in hand. Magistrate Wang and others hadn’t found it yet, so they had no other choice but to entrap him.

Otherwise, it wouldn’t make sense for Prefect Wu to have appeared here.

Prefect Wu was quite cautious, and was only willing to let Huo Fenglie listen. When he finished speaking, Huo Fenglie nodded.

He immediately decided: “You two just wait here, we will return quickly. Also, write down all of the officials involved that you are aware of.”

Prefect Wu hurriedly said: “I have written down the names of all those officials. They are in the evidence.”

“I also want the military officials under the lieutenant. Write down everything you know.”

Hearing this, Prefect Wu immediately nodded in agreement.

Liu Zhenqing considered for a moment and finally suggested that they go back to the previous room.

When he mentioned this, the victims became frightened.

“If someone comes to investigate, you won’t be safe. As long as you stay in that room, you will be safe at least until dawn, which will give us enough time to act. Besides, what are you afraid of? We can just take away that poisonous smoke.”

When Liu Zhenqing went next door to get started, Huo Fenglie had to stay with him. In fact, Liu Zhenqing knew this drug well, and if he held his breath, it would naturally have no effect. After the smoke was extinguished, it dissipated quickly. Liu Zhenqing motioned for Huo Fenglie to take a breath and act as a guinea pig.

Huo Fenglie hesitated for a moment, but seeing that Liu Zhenqing couldn’t hold his breath any longer, he had no choice but to try it himself to prove that there was no problem before letting Liu Zhenqing breathe.

Liu Zhenqing smiled and made up a lie: “I happened to see my two cousins collect this thing before, so I know how to deal with it. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve never used it myself.”

Of course, he couldn’t say he knew this because of his “medical skills.”

Huo Fenglie didn’t question him further. He simply called the two people over and left a skylight for them. Then Huo Fenglie carried Liu Zhenqing and flew out the skylight, locking the door from the outside.

After flying up to the eaves again, Huo Fenglie suddenly said, “Is it cold?”

Why did he ask this suddenly? It was fine for Huo Fenglie not to ask, but really a bit of a surprise when he did. In the end, the wind above was stronger, and although he wasn’t cold when he was wrapped in the cloak before, now he felt chilly. But the places where Huo Fenglie was holding him were quite hot.

Liu Zhenqing once again said things he shouldn’t say: “It’s not cold. A martial arts practitioner like General Huo has a strong body, full of fire and warmth. How could I be cold?”

Sure enough, Huo Fenglie looked a little tense again when he said this, and looked like he didn’t know how to answer.

Liu Zhenqing really felt that Er-gou was more fun as an adult than he was as a child.

Of course, teasing him all the time wasn’t good. Liu Zhenqing also brought up serious matters and said: “Is the evidence hidden here?”

Huo Fenglie nodded, otherwise he would have just gone down the mountain to mobilize his troops. But now, it was best to collect the evidence first and then mobilize the troops, so as to avoid the trouble of accidentally losing the evidence during the battle.

“He hid the evidence in three places, one of which is on the main beam of the main courtyard hall. When he was hung up for questioning, he climbed up the rope when no one was around and placed it there. One place is under the screen in the guest room where Magistrate Wang stayed last time, where he hid it while being questioned by the magistrate alone. The other place is in a crevice in the stone wall next to the furnace in the back mountain.”

Liu Zhenqing said with a frown: “He was dragged to the furnace and questioned?”

“No, to let him see how much money he could get for being obedient.”

Liu Zhenqing shook his head and chuckled: “He is truly a good and mighty official who cannot be compromised by wealth or lust. He’s also a very lucky person to hide things like this without being discovered. I fear Magistrate Wang never expected that he would dare to carry the evidence on him and hide it everywhere in his lair. It’s rather amusing.”

Huo Fenglie analyzed: “Let’s check on the situation in the main hall first. Only his son knows which guest room Magistrate Wang had last time. Magistrate Wang usually comes with his own people to protect him, and other officials don’t know where he is. Then we’ll check the back mountain. They only rest for an hour late at night, so we can sneak in then.”

With this said, they arrived on the roof of the main hall of the main courtyard. There seemed to be some kind of party going on below, which was in sharp contrast to the dead silence of the city in the distance.

Huo Fenglie lifted up a tile and took a look. His expression gradually became ugly when he saw the lively atmosphere inside, but his eyes soon lit up.

“Found it.”

“Really?” Liu Zhenqing said in surprise.

Huo Fenglie stepped back a little to make room for Liu Zhenqing to look. “The third beam in the southeast corner.”

Liu Zhenqing took a closer look, and sure enough, he saw the gray pamphlet just under the junction of several beams. It was hidden very well.

Liu Zhenqing had just glanced at it when his attention was diverted by the excitement below.

They were drinking wine and chatting happily, complimenting one another and imagining a bright future. Almost everyone had their arms around a scantily-clad beauty. He could tell that some were officials and some were merchants. The person sitting at the top should be the leader. He looked like a fat man in his thirties, and was surrounded by many women. There were musicians playing in the center of the hall, with women in white dresses dancing. The tables were piled with delicacies, with food enough for five people at each table, exceedingly extravagant and wasteful.

Liu Zhenqing’s eyes darkened uncontrollably upon seeing this scene, and suddenly, he caught a flash of a familiar figure in the crowd.

---

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

In a room covered with gauze curtains, candles flickered unnervingly. Nighttime had enveloped most of the light, leaving only a faint yellow in the room. The wind carried the intermittent sound of silver bells, and the sound of water made a person think of the Qinhuai cruise that year when he closed his eyes. The fragrance had also been specially blended. It was different from the sea of flowers stretching thousands of li in the southwest. Instead, it was sweet and cheap, like a viper’s tongue. The slightest touch could dizzy one’s head.

Mu Zhe sat on a chair and viewed the young woman behind the gauze. Her eyebrows were raised like a fox fairy, her eyes misty, lips stained blood-red, but she was a little less charming than before. He looked at her in a daze with a suddenly pained expression, and through the person before him, asked the lonely soul who had died several years ago: “Why didn’t you give birth to a daughter who looks exactly like you?”

Feng Xiaojin didn’t speak, and only closed his eyes indifferently. He could hear the other’s footsteps gradually approaching. They stopped there for a long time, and then a hand as old as tree bark touched his face.

“Why did you follow that dog official surnamed Tan instead of waiting for me?” Mu Zhe continued to ask, “They even said that you redeemed yourself.”

He didn’t understand why she had refused to leave Qinhuai with him once she had money.

Feng Xiaojin understood. It was actually not difficult to guess what choice a brothel girl would make when faced with a criminal who was being hunted by the Imperial court and a suave noble son from Wangcheng.

Mu Zhe had been confused for many years, simply because he didn’t want to admit it. He didn’t want to admit that the clean and pure goddess in his heart, like most women in the world, cared about a man’s status and actually didn’t fancy him at all in the first place. He didn’t want to admit that the separated lovers in his imagination was just wishful thinking. It was ridiculous that the cult leader was the best at playing with people’s hearts, but he was also susceptible to weaknesses of the heart and avoided them in cowardice. For so many years, he couldn’t figure out the simplest question, so much so that he turned into a lunatic.

Feng Xiaojin didn’t think that his mother was a bad woman, nor did he think that she was a good one. In the end, she was just an ordinary person. When she was young, she met a handsome young man from a prominent family and wanted to take a gamble. However, her life was miserable. She made the wrong gamble, and her life was ruined.

He could no longer remember what his so-called “father” looked like. When he was eight years old, he killed the tofu man and took all his family’s valuables all the way north. After going through a lot of hardships, he finally arrived in Wangcheng in the twelfth lunar month of winter. It was an astonishingly large city. The streets were wide enough for five carriages to drive side by side. There were carvings and paintings on the roofs of every house, and the glazed tiles were so bright that they were blinding in the direct sunlight.

The people were also different from the sharp and unkind neighbors in a small town. They were dressed in fashionable clothes, the nobles wrapped in thick furs, and they all looked very happy. The proprietress of a steamed bun shop spotted the little boy standing barefoot in the snow. She gave an exclamation and hurriedly sent a waiter to find some clean old clothes in the back courtyard, waving to him: “Child, don’t stay there, come in and warm yourself by the fire.”

Feng Xiaojin was pulled into the shop by the waiter. After scrubbing him and changing his clothes, the proprietress brought him steamed buns and hot soup and asked: “Have you come to Wangcheng to look for relatives?”

“Yes.” Feng Xiaojin looked at the red silk hanging on the tree outside and asked enviously while holding the hot soup, “Auntie, is the New Year in Wangcheng always so lively?”

“It is only the ninth day of the twelfth lunar month, and the New Year has not yet come. The red silk is hung for a happy event in the Tan family. Tan-daren is taking a concubine today.” The proprietress said with a smile, “My family’s little one is going to beg for sweets later, so you can go along and play, ba. By the way, who are your relatives and where do they live?”

Tan Manor. Tan-daren. Feng Xiaojin raised his head and asked: “Is it the Tan Manor on Zhengyang Street? That Tan-daren?”

“Yes, Tan Manor on Zhengyang Street. It is the only Tan Manor in Wangcheng.” The proprietress said, “Tan Xiaozhong, Tan-daren, is marrying the Third Young Lady of Zhou Manor.”

Feng Xiaojin’s fingers moved slightly wrong, and the sweet peanut brown sugar filling in the steamed bun flowed out, covering his hand warmly. He asked: “Tan-daren is taking a concubine, so who is his wife?”

“The daughter of Li-daren from the Ministry of Finance. When they married, it was much livelier than today.”

The proprietress began to chatter. It must have been eleven or twelve years ago. She was not married yet, so she stood by the street and watched the bridal processions march down the long street. The young master of the Tan family, who was riding at the front of the procession, had a face as beautiful as a crown jewel and a smile as bright as the spring breeze. With just one glance, he became the dream of countless girls in Wangcheng.

Feng Xiaojin thought to himself, eleven or twelve years ago.

At that time, his mother was holding her belly or holding him, living in that dilapidated tofu shop and gazing north day after day. She believed that he was waiting for her, and that as long as she could reach the royal city and appear in front of him, the lovers would still be able to get married. And that what caused this current predicament was not a fickle heart, but man-made difficulties.

She felt that the man loved her, so she often secretly told her son about their brief encounter, the man’s promise, the prosperity of the royal city, and the “good days in the future” that existed in her fantasies.

“Your father will look for us,” she said.

Therefore, Feng Xiaojin believed that his father would definitely go to Qinhuai to pick up him and his mother. Once it was discovered that this person was gone, he would send his servants to look for him wildly in all directions. With such extravagant dreams in mind, he gritted his teeth and walked all the way to Wangcheng. 

But on the first day he arrived in the royal city, he encountered his father taking a concubine, and he also had a wife, son, and daughter.

Feng Xiaojin finished his steamed buns in silence and followed the proprietress’s son to the door of Tan Manor. A steward in brocade was smiling broadly as he handed out sweets to the children, and a matron shouted something along the lines of, “more children, more blessings.” The environment was so noisy that his mind began to distort. With an intense pain as if being eaten by ants, he saw his father for the first time, wearing red clothing and riding a white horse. He smiled so happily as he went to pick up the bride, and didn’t even look at Feng Xiaojin.

All the boxes were wrapped in red silk. Some were blown by the wind and fell to the ground, where they were trampled and stained. Feng Xiaojin thought of his mother. She had not bought a new piece of fabric in eight years.

“You silly boy.” An aunt next to him suddenly patted his shoulder and said, “Tan-daren is getting married. Why are you crying at such a happy event? Be careful that the people in charge don’t see you and scold you. Where are your parents?”

“Dead.” Feng Xiaojin looked at the back of the handsome horseman through the mist covering his eyes. “Mother is dead, and so is Father.”

“Aiya.” The aunt was a little regretful, and said softly, “I shouldn’t have asked. Stop crying, where do you live?”

Feng Xiaojin pushed her away and slowly walked out of the crowd.

He didn’t want to recognize that father anymore, even if there was a slight possibility that the other party would be willing to recognize him. He was also not willing to recount the suffering he and his mother had endured over the past eight years in exchange for the cheap sympathy from the people in the manor who were curious, pitying, or astonished. Not to mention that they might not even have any sympathy at all, and he would just be kicked out like a wild dog.

The tube of red silk that rolled to the ground would take almost half a year of stone grinding before his mother could afford it. As Feng Xiaojin walked, he thought obsessively about what the people in Tan Manor were doing when he was in that tofu shop, hungry, cold, and mistreated because of a missing copper plate.

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became, and after the anger passed, he felt tired and numb again. He was like the walking dead, treading through the heavy snow in the royal city. The ill-fitting shoes on his feet fell off, but he didn’t feel the cold until he fell headfirst into the snow.

He thought he was going to die, but in the end, he woke up in a rickety carriage, surrounded by a circle of drunken men.

“Where are the officers and soldiers?”

“Don’t worry, we’ve already lost them.” 

They chatted and laughed. When the leading man saw that Feng Xiaojin was awake, he picked him up and tossed a bottle of wine over.

“Bastard, I see you’re homeless too. Come and follow me to the east to make a living.”

Feng Xiaojin took a sip from the wine bottle and choked until he coughed.

He didn’t ask who the other party was, but could guess a thing or two from them saying they “lost the officers and soldiers.”

They were enemies of the Imperial court.

That was, the enemies of his so-called father.

Feng Xiaojin said: “Okay.”

From then on, he became a vicious bandit who terrified the common people.

He once vowed to kill the entire Tan family and make them all go down to accompany his mother, so he worked hard to practice martial arts. Finally, five years later, he got the opportunity.

Tan Xiaozhong was ordered to escort disaster relief funds and food to the south. Although he brought many troops with him, he still suffered from the terrain and was beaten to pieces by the bandits. Screams echoed through the mountains and blood flowed like rivers.

Feng Xiaojin put the sword to his neck.

Tan Xiaozhong lay on the ground in a state of disarray. Perhaps because his face was covered in mud, he appeared much older than the day he took the concubine, with wrinkles and white hair. He swore loudly, cursing the bandits for their inhumanity: “How many people up and down the Baihe River are waiting for this batch of money and food? They are going to starve to death, starve to death! And you even want to grab the disaster relief supplies, you bastards! Thugs!”

“Is it so rare to starve to death?” Feng Xiaojin looked at him condescendingly. “Seven or eight years ago, my mother died of hunger and cold. Until her death, she was still waiting for a man who made a promise to her on a flower boat that he would find her. Where were you at that time, Tan-daren?”

Tan Xiaozhong didn’t understand the meaning of his words, and just got up with great difficulty to say: “The Imperial court knows that the common people are having a hard time, so it went around raising money and food. If you steal this batch of things, there will be thousands more women in the world who will also die of hunger and cold. At least……at least leave half of the food for me to transport to the disaster areas.”

Feng Xiaojin said: “It turns out you don’t remember her at all.”

“What?” Tan Xiaozhong said.

“If you have the ability, you can take these things back from me,” Feng Xiaojin said coldly. Then he got on his horse and walked away. He knew the laws of Dayan, and what an official who had lost relief supplies would face when he returned. This was more interesting than killing him.

Tan Xiaozhong was left behind to continue cursing.

The wind finally blew away all sounds.

But Tan Xiaozhong still died in the end.

The entire family died in Mu Zhe’s hands.

They simply died.

Feng Xiaojin thought to himself.

All men are mortal.

Mu Zhe caressed his face and refused to let go for a long time. He deliberately drank some wine, and while he was half drunk and half sober, he gazed at the beauty in front of him with a lifelong love. He felt that he was not old, but still young and full of vitality.

“You are not inferior at all.” Mu Zhe said, “Soon, I will make you the noblest woman in the world.”

A breeze gusted through the room, blowing the candle flames that were nearly extinguished. 

The shadows on the walls became stranger and stranger.

. . . . . .

Wumeng Yunle put the lampshade away and asked: “How long will it take for your injury to heal?”

“I don’t know. Neither the witch doctors nor A-Chang can say for sure.” Wumeng Yunyou frowned. “I feel as if all the bones in my body are aching. How has it been in the village lately?”

“Many nasty Nanyang people have come.” Wumeng Yunle said happily, “All the disciples are ready. They say that Dayan’s army may be coming soon.”

Wumeng Yunyou scoffed: “How could they pass through the dense forest unharmed? What about that Ku You? Is he still refusing to pay attention to you?”

“He is willing to talk to me,” Wumeng Yunle said leisurely. “That is enough.”

“But I heard A-Chang say that day that Master will use him to exchange for the lost gold.”

“I have already asked Master, and he says that Ku You will not be sent away, but will stay in our Baifu Sect forever.”

“He will not agree to marry you, and Master may kill him.”

Wumeng Yunle squeezed a handkerchief: “But Master knows that I like him, and I will not let him die. I want him to be my husband. 

Wumeng Yunyou couldn’t be bothered to listen to the girl’s ravings, so he pulled up the quilt to cover his head: “You’d better sober up a little, or Uncle will explain the truth to you.”

“I haven’t seen him for most of the day.” Wumeng Yunle turned back and looked out the window. “He seems to be staying with Master.”

. . . . . . . . 

A new letter was sent by green harrier.

Sure enough, as Liang Shu had guessed, the other party chose a lake in the dense forest as the exchange location.

Gao Lin said: “Pour all the gold and silver into the lake?”

“The miasma in this area is very strong,” Liang Shu said. “Our soldiers can only push the carts in and out quickly to avoid inhaling too much of the poisonous mist. This is indeed for their benefit.”

“The fact that they chose this place means that they have measured the depth of the lake.” Liu Xian’an said, “Are we going to do as they say?”

“Let’s exchange Ku You back first. They won’t be able to take this batch of gold and silver for the time being. We only need to wipe out the Baifu Sect in the shortest possible time, and there won’t be too much loss,” Gao Lin said. “The biggest problem now is that they will most likely not return the real Ku You.”

Liang Shu looked at the people of the Scimitar Silver Moon Tribe.

“Your Highness, please be at ease.” A man clasped his fists and said, “We will follow them and make sure no one notices us.”

“Then everything will proceed as planned.” Liang Shu told Cheng Suyue, “Go and load the gold and silver into the carts!”

Gao Lin also went to help, thinking to himself, Ku You must come back, but the money must also come back with him. After all, my family’s prince has already planned how to divide it up. He casually picked up a silver ingot and told his men to speed up. A soldier slipped over and asked: “Lieutenant General Gao, are we really going to give away so much money?”

“Yes, ah.” Gao Lin gave him a heavy pat. “Who made your commander so valuable?”

The soldier: “……”

What was going on? He had a vague feeling that Lieutenant General Gao wasn’t very worried?

After working all night and day, everyone finally loaded all the gold and silver into the carts and went all the way into the dense forest. Liang Shu personally led the team, and Cheng Suyue followed to escort them. At the junction where the fog was about to become thicker, the lake also appeared faintly at the end of their line of sight.

Ku You was hung and tied to an old crooked-necked tree. He was motionless and covered in blood, the quiet lake under his body.

“Your Royal Highness Xiao Wang, pour it in.” A woman in red stood in the forest. “It is best that we don’t play tricks, otherwise—” She glanced at the mechanism beside her. “If I cut this rope, hundreds of sharp arrows will shoot through his body.”

Cheng Suyue asked loudly: “What if we dump all the gold into the lake, but you still cut the rope?”

“Don’t worry, girl. The Baifu Buddha Mother is on our side. We don’t break our promises.” The woman in red chuckled. “Besides, we just want to get back the gold and silver. We don’t have the nerve to provoke His Royal Highness Xiao Wang. Leader Mu is still thinking of finding an opportunity for peace talks with His Highness, so he won’t play tricks with Commander Ku. What do you say?”

She easily jumped onto a branch so that she could see the other party more clearly: “This is the most reasonable method of exchange we could come up with. Even if the girl thinks it is unfair, there is nothing you can do about it. If you continue to hesitate…..” She held a burning torch between her fingers, which could burn the mechanism ropes at any time.

Liang Shu said: “Dump it!”

“Yes!” Cheng Suyue gestured, and the first batch of more than ten soldiers, their faces covered with towels, pushed the carts and rushed in the forest, dumping all the gold and silver contained inside into the lake. Then a second group of soldiers rushed forward.

Then the third.

Then the fourth.

. . . . . . . .

When the last ten carts of gold were dumped into the lake, the woman in red raised her hand and threw the torch into the lake, laughing loudly: “His Royal Highness Xiao Wang is indeed trustworthy, and so are we!”

After saying this, she turned around and fell lightly into the depths of the forest miasma. The other disciples of the Baifu Sect quickly disappeared without a trace, leaving only Ku You, who was still hanging alone in the middle of the lake.

Liang Shu flew forward and personally cut the ropes off with his sword. Ku You opened his eyes drowsily mid-air and spat out a mouthful of blood. He was in a daze, his golden eyes unfocused.

He said: “I, they, where is this, I—”

Before he could finish the sentence, Ku You’s eyes opened wide! Liang Shu wore an imperceptible layer of thin tencel gloves, and squeezed the hands that were about to make a sneak attack until the bones broke! Several Gu insects buzzed and fell into the lake. Liang Shu gave him a knee, causing him to gasp and stifle a scream. The two fell into the forest. Cheng Suyue immediately led people to shake out a huge blanket and wrap the injured person in it head to toe.

“Bring Commander Ku back quickly!” She shouted at the top of her lungs.

The woman in red who was hiding in the dense forest continued to watch them leave in a hurry, and then stood up with satisfaction.

And the people from the Scimitar Silver Moon Tribe also followed her silently.

. . . . . . . .

Liu Xian’an was waiting anxiously in the military camp. That something could make a forty-eight thousand year old Sleeping Immortal anxious showed that His Royal Highness Xiao Wang was indeed very important. He continued to pace back and forth until Gao Lin’s eyes were dizzy. Gao Lin didn’t dare to give any advice, so he had to look at the other two people from the Liu family, but didn’t see any results. Because everyone from Baihe Mountain Village had formed a consensus that Second Young Master Liu’s pacing was a festive event that could parallel the New Year. It was too late to comfort him, so there was no reason to stop him.

Therefore, Lieutenant General Gao had no choice but to continue to feel dizzy until he heard noise coming from the entrance of the military camp.

“Commander Ku is back, Commander Ku is back!” The soldiers shouted happily.

Everyone hurriedly welcomed him out. When Gao Lin saw his prince’s expression, he understood. “The one who came back is really a fake.”

While acting appropriately, he quietly asked his sister: “The truth has been revealed so soon? I’ve been thinking for half a day that the Baifu Sect would have carefully selected the person since they’ve studied Ku You for so long. The fake they trained should have at least confused our prince for a moment.”

“I’m also puzzled. As soon as the prince took action, he broke the opponent’s wrists and knocked him unconscious,” Cheng Suyue said. “I looked at him on the road. His face is exactly the same as Ku You’s, as well as his eyes. There’s not even a trace of a mask.”

Gao Lin was extremely confused. How had he been discovered?

---

Chapter One Hundred Ten << Table of Contents >> Chapter One Hundred Twelve

In no time at all, the electronic clock on the wall sounded the announcement that it was three o’clock.

Pei Yi looked at the glass door that no one had entered, and there was a trace of imperceptible loss and uneasiness in his eyes.

He quickly drank the remaining flower tea water in the thermos, still staring motionlessly at the door.

Bo Yueming saw that the person sitting next to him had changed from lively and active to extremely silent, and it seemed like he would stare a hole through the door with his eager gaze before giving up.

“Pei Yi?”

“…..En?”

Pei Yi slowly turned his gaze back to Bo Yueming, his pupils trembling. He held the canteen in his arms, as if this could suppress the uneasiness inside.

Bo Yueming recalled what Coach Gao had told Pei Yi just now. “Your parents are picking you up at three o’clock?”

Pei Yi nodded slightly, feeling a sense of indescribable grievance. “Father Yan said he would pick me up at three o’clock.”

The other party always did as he promised.

“…….”

Father Yan and Father Rong?

When Bo Yueming heard Pei Yi say something that was different from “Father and Mother,” the precocious and intelligent boy suddenly understood something.

As he was thinking, Pei Yi suddenly reached out and grabbed Bo Yueming’s wrist, feeling a little unsure. “Er-ge, did I get into big trouble today?”

Bo Yueming saw the anxiety that Pei Yi was trying hard to hide, and inexplicably patted his little head through the helmet. “Since nothing happened to anyone, it’s not a huge disaster. Don’t be nervous. They might just be delayed on the road.”

Pei Yi nodded dully, his brow furrowed.

Bo Yueming glanced at Coach Gao to the side and stepped forward.

After a moment, he returned with a phone that had already been dialed. “Here, it’s your parents’ number.”

Pei Yi took it slowly. “Hello?”

Xu Rong’s voice sounded. “Xiao Yi, it’s Father Rong. Don’t be afraid, we’re already on our way to pick you up.”

“Father Rong.”

Pei Yi gave a nasal hum.

Xu Rong promised, “Be good, just wait for us for another ten minutes. Father Rong promises to be there, okay?”

Pei Yi’s eyes reddened, and he held back the moisture. “En.”

The phone hung up.

Pei Yi handed the phone back in a well-behaved manner and smiled again. “Thank you, Er-ge.”

Bo Yueming saw how quickly his emotions came and went, and the corners of his mouth rose unconsciously before falling again. “When you encounter problems in the future, you can’t just stand there and be upset. You have to find a way to take the initiative and solve them.”

Pei Yi nodded at once, and the admiration in his heart rose another level.

. . . . . . .

Ten minutes later, Pei Yi saw two familiar figures outside the glass door. He slid off his chair and ran over.

“Father Yan, Father Rong!”

Bo Yueming immediately averted his eyes. When he saw Pei Yi throw himself into the arms of one of the men, the suspicion in his heart became true—

The two fathers mentioned by the other party were lovers.

In this case, what was Pei Yi’s identity? Was he the product of an ex? Or…..a child adopted under the same-sex marriage regulations?

Bo Yueming didn’t dwell too much on this personal issue. Instead, he signaled to Uncle Kai with his eyes and walked back to the outdoor racecourse in silence.

Pei Yi on the other side didn’t notice Bo Yueming’s departure, and remained in Xu Rong’s arms. “Father Rong, why are you here, ah?”

Xu Rong took off Pei’s crooked helmet and straightened out his messy hair. “Father Rong was too busy at school today. We’ll never be late again in the future.”

Pei Yi nodded.

Zong Baiyan beside him didn’t have time to speak before Coach Gao came over.

“Mr. Zong, there was a small incident today. I think it is necessary to inform the parents.”

“……”

When Pei Yi heard Coach Gao’s “report,” his face suddenly showed a trace of nervousness.

Zong Baiyan wore the same frown, and motioned with his eyes for Xu Rong to accompany Pei Yi while he followed Coach Gao into the monitoring room.

Pei Yi grabbed Xu Rong’s hand and called in a subtle voice, “Father Rong.”

Xu Rong could see his nervousness, but said nothing about it. He just steadily held his warm little hand and said, “Did you have fun riding horses today?”

Pei Yi abruptly thought of Bo Yueming, who he had just met today. When he turned around, he realized that there was nobody where the two of them had been sitting. “Huh?”

Xu Rong followed his gaze and asked, “What is it?”

“I met a gege today,” Pei Yi said honestly. “He was with me just now.”

Xu Rong looked around, but didn’t see the “gege” Pei Yi had mentioned, so he turned his attention back to the canteen.

“Have you finished the flower tea water I made you today?”

When he brought this up, Pei Yi showed a rare bit of pride. He held up the canteen slung across his body and said, “I drank it!”

Xu Rong weighed it and revealed a hint of relief. “Good job. It’s rare for our family’s kitten to drink so much today.”

Just as Pei Yi was about to say something more, Zong Baiyan walked out of the monitoring room with a look on his face that was more serious than ever before.

“Pei Yi.”

“…….”

When he heard this call, the smile on Pei Yi’s face vanished at once.

Xu Rong noticed that something wasn’t right. “What’s wrong?”

Pei Yi lowered his eyes and said nothing, his hands intertwined as he picked at them unconsciously.

Zong Baiyan easily picked up Pei Yi, who was silent in his guilt, and then held the hand of his lover beside him. “Let’s go. We’ll talk about it when we get home.”

Such a semi-public place was no good for teaching a lesson.

. . . . . . .

At the open-air racecourse.

Bo Yueming was jumping his beloved horse once more when he suddenly glimpsed a family of three walking out not far away, and his gaze unconsciously froze.

Uncle Kai followed his line of sight and looked.

Although he couldn’t see clearly from this distance, there were a limited number of people entering and exiting the racecourse, and he understood after a little thought. “Second Young Master, are you reluctant to let your little friend go?”

Bo Yueming denied it. “I’m not.”

Turning his eyes away, Bo Yueming suddenly remembered Pei Yi calling him “Er-ge,” and that indescribable subtlety rose again—

This was the first time since childhood that he had met a child who was willing to follow him and call him “Gege.” He didn’t know if there would be a chance to meet again in the future.

Uncle Kai asked again, “If the Second Young Master likes him, I will ask for his details later. Perhaps we can invite his family to visit Bo Manor in the future.”

Bo Yueming refused again. “No need.”

He had always had an awkward identity in the Bo family. It wouldn’t be good to have people come to the house for no reason to play.

Thinking of this, Bo Yueming immediately retracted those random thoughts, tightened the reins, and galloped off.

. . . . . . .

Bam!

The door closed.

Pei Yi silently followed his two fathers as if the word “dread” was written on his forehead.

Xu Rong tugged on Zong Baiyan and looked at Pei Yi, who was obviously guilty. “A-Yan, what’s going on? You didn’t say a word this whole time while driving.”

“Ask him what he did.”

“While Coach Gao was away, he dared to ride Changfeng and run around secretly, and almost collided with another member’s horse…..”

Zong Baiyan recounted the scenes he had seen on the surveillance records one by one.

Pei Yi fell from the horse onto the ground, and was almost trampled by the horse’s hooves. If not for that other child, something would certainly have happened!

Thanks to his luck today, he met a young man who had good equestrian skills and the accident was avoided.

But even though there was no accident, that didn’t mean this kind of thing should be handled lightly!

When Xu Rong heard this, his heart twinged violently.

Zong Baiyan maintained a straight face and used an unprecedentedly stern tone. “Pei Yi, do you know how dangerous that was? I wasn’t there today, so you dared to behave badly, is that it?”

Xu Rong saw Pei Yi trembling slightly, and gently tugged on his lover’s wrist. “A-Yan, let it go.”

“Rong-ge! This is a matter of principle!”

Today’s possible disaster had once again reminded Zong Baiyan of “the past.” Back then, not only had he lost his lover, but he had also lost Pei Yi.

“You didn’t even pay attention to the most basic safety knowledge, and you didn’t listen to the coach…..” The more worried Zong Baiyan was, the more harsh his lesson became.

When he saw that Pei Yi was still silent, he simply reached out and grabbed his arm. “Come here!”

“Wu!”

Pei Yi whimpered and automatically cringed in pain.

Zong Baiyan and Xu Rong noticed his strange reaction at the same time. The latter approached first. “Xiao Yi, what’s wrong with your arm?”

He unbuttoned his cuff and rolled up the sleeve. 

Pei Yi’s thin arm was covered in red marks and bruises, and his elbow even had broken skin and spots of blood.

“……”

Xu Rong and Zong Baiyan both frowned in distress.

Pei Yi, who had held it in over and over, lowered his head and finally threw himself into Xu Rong’s arms like a child, his sobs forbearing and tense. “I, I know I was wrong. I won’t do it again. Father Rong, you guys don’t make me go…..”

“I will definitely be good in the future. Don’t send me back to the orphanage, okay?”

Xu Rong was quick to hug him tight, and comforted him gently, “Good boy, don’t cry. It’s not that we don’t want you, Father Yan was just so worried about you today, and that’s why he’s so strict.”

The sound of Pei Yi’s crying was muffled, and he shrank down without speaking.

When Zong Baiyan saw Pei Yi’s rare tearful appearance, his heart broke and all of his harshness disappeared.

No wonder the boy never said a word on the way home.

At that time, Pei Yi was afraid that his family would be taken away and he would be sent back to the orphanage?

“Rong-ge, will you please help Pei Yi first and see if the injury is serious?”

With this conjecture, Zong Baiyan walked quickly to the cupboard and took out the medicine kit that was always kept at home.

“Never mind, shall we go directly to the hospital? Kid, why didn’t you say your arm was injured?”

Xu Rong wiped Pei Yi’s tears and inspected his arm again. “Does it hurt? Can you lift it up?”

Pei Yi shook his head. “I-It doesn’t hurt.”

“How can it not hurt?” Zong Baiyan saw it in his eyes and felt anxious. “Didn’t you fall off a horse? You didn’t tell Coach Gao?”

Pei Yi didn’t answer his question, but admitted his mistake to Zong Baiyan with red eyes. “Father Rong, I did something bad today. I won’t do it again in the future. I’m sorry.”

Zong Baiyan was very distressed, and patted his cheek. “Xiao Yi, you don’t need to apologize. It’s Father Yan who didn’t do a good job today. He shouldn’t have left you to learn horse riding alone.”

After finally protecting his lover, his child was still harmed.

Zong Baiyan felt increasingly guilty for his failure. “I’m sorry. Father Yan shouldn’t have criticized you like that just now.”

“It’s just that if something happens in the future, you have to think of us and not hide it from us, understand?”

Pei Yi sniffled. “En.”

Xu Rong carefully lifted his arm. “Can you lift it up? How about we go to the hospital to get an X-ray?”

Pei Yi returned to Xu Rong’s arms and mumbled, “Father Rong, I don’t want to go to the hospital.”

Today was originally his fault, which was why he kept refraining from mentioning the condition of his arm. Not to mention that the worst pain in his arm had already passed.

Zong Baiyan took another look and said, “It must be swollen due to the fall. There are probably no broken bones.”

“Rong-ge, please apply some ointment for Pei Yi to reduce the swelling. I’ll call a friend and ask to make an appointment.”

In the end, Pei Yi was still in his growing stage, and kept silent after falling off his horse. No matter what, he must be checked out by a doctor before they could feel relieved.

Xu Rong agreed, and Zhong Baiyan walked to the side with his phone.

Taking out the anti-inflammatory ointment from the medicine kit, Xu Rong said softly, “We’ll apply some medicine to the broken skin first, and the doctor will check the swollen area later.”

Pei Yi nodded obediently and stretched out his arm.

The moment the ointment touched the wound, Pei Yi subconsciously flinched in pain. “Wu.”

Xu Rong paused. “Does it hurt a lot?”

Pei Yi shook his head and endured it. “Father Rong, it doesn’t hurt.”

“Good boy, bear with me for a while.”

Xu Rong’s heart softened at his child’s well-behaved and sensible appearance. While wiping the ointment on the wound with a cotton swab, he gently patted around the wound with his fingertips.

It was soft and numbing, which seemed to divert the stimulation from the medicine.

Pei Yi carefully watched Xu Rong’s medicine-applying method, and repeatedly assured, “Father Rong, I will definitely be good in the future.”

Xu Rong paused for a moment and looked at him. “Xiao Yi, Father Yan and Father Rong aren’t forcing you to be a well-behaved and sensible child, but we hope—”

“That you will treat this place as your own home and us as your real fathers. Do you understand?”

“Huh?”

“You don’t need to be afraid. Even if you’re naughty and cause trouble, we will not abandon you.”

Pei Yi nodded silently.

Xu Rong continued while applying medicine, “Also, Father Yan’s attitude just now was a little too anxious, but you did do something wrong today—”

“First, you didn’t listen to the coach and secretly got on the horse, which caused an accident. No matter what you do in the future, you must do it within your own abilities.”

“Secondly, you hid your injuries. Let me ask you, which child gets hurt and doesn’t tell their parents? As long as Father Rong and Father Yan are in this world, you are our real son, do you understand?”

Pei Yi pursed his lips and held back his tears. “I understand.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Zong Baiyan returned after making his phone call.

The anxiety on his face had not completely dissipated. “Let’s go. I got in touch, and we need to be there at five o’clock. There’s still time.”

“Okay.”

Zong Baiyan came closer and rubbed Pei Yi’s little head. “Don’t cry.”

Pei Yi hooked Zong Baiyan’s little finger with his uninjured hand and shook it. “Father Yan, I’m not crying.”

The sparkling look in his eyes meant that he was “seeking peace.”

Zong Baiyan and Xu Rong smiled at each other and immediately took their kitten to the doctor.

. . . . . . .

Fortunately, the test results showed nothing serious.

After such a fuss, Zong Baiyan simply took Xu Rong and Pei Yi to have dinner at a restaurant outside, and then returned home.

Xu Rong had just finished washing up in the bathroom when he saw Pei Yi huddled at the door, looking in. “Father Rong.”

The last note contained a hint of familiar coquettishness.

Xu Rong saw through his intentions and patted the side of the bed. “Come here and sleep next to Father Rong tonight.”

Pei Yi immediately ran over and nestled next to Xu Rong contentedly.

Because he had grown up in an orphanage, Pei Yi was the most insecure while he was sleeping, and Xu Rong, who was gentle by nature, always gave him the most immediate and meticulous care.

Xu Rong covered Pei Yi with the blanket and reminded, “Don’t press on your arm.”

“En, Father Rong.”

Pei Yi grabbed Xu Rong’s sleeve lightly and whispered, “It was that little gege who ‘rescued’ me today. He was really good-looking, and had beautiful eyes.”

If Zong Baiyan hadn’t been so angry and stern at that moment, Pei Yi would have liked to take his fathers to say goodbye to Bo Yueming.

Xu Rong listened to Pei Yi’s secret confession and chuckled. “Do you like that little gege?”

Pei Yi nodded. “I want to be friends with him.”

Xu Rong patted his back. “In a couple of days, I’ll ask Father Yan to find out who he is. If possible, I will certainly find an opportunity to take you to thank him, okay?”

“But making friends is something you will have to figure out on your own.”

Pei Yi blinked. “Okay.”

Xu Rong coaxed him, “Go to sleep early. You have to finish your homework tomorrow.”

Pei Yi thought of his untouched homework today and closed his eyes obediently to prepare to sleep.

. . . . . . .

An hour later.

Zong Baiyan returned from the study. When he saw Pei Yi on the bed, he smiled blankly. “Why did he come to sleep with us?”

Xu Rong covered Pei Yi’s ears and replied in a low voice, “He was a little frightened today, and I suppose he doesn’t want to sleep alone. Are you finished?”

“En.”

Zong Baiyan had nothing urgent to deal with, and just suddenly ‘returned’ right now.

There were many company matters that needed to be reviewed again, and he had also discussed with his assistant about Shen Che’s follow-up matters, so he was busy until now.

Zong Baiyan raised his hand to gesture for Xu Rong to sit up slightly. After sneaking a quick kiss from his lover, he picked up the sleeping Pei Yi from the bed.

“What are you doing?”

“Taking him back.” Zong Baiyan looked at Pei Yi sleeping soundly in his arms and feigned disdain. “This little brat sleeping here will delay things tonight.”

“…….”

Xu Rong was rendered helpless by his shameless words.

After a short while, Zong Baiyan completed his task of “losing the kitten” and returned to the master bedroom, locking the door tightly.

They had been together for more than just a year or two, and Xu Rong knew exactly where his lover was going.

He immediately wrapped himself in the quilt and hid inside, pretending to be sleepy. “I’m tired today, let’s go to bed early.”

Zong Baiyan smiled and embraced him from behind. “Rong-ge? Wife? Pay attention to me?”

Teasing kisses moved from his earlobe to the side of his neck, and even those hands became restless.

Xu Rong was so provoked that his breathing was chaotic. As soon as he lost his mind, Zong Baiyan pulled him back and kissed him passionately.

“Wu….ah….”

Xu Rong finally managed to gain some breathing space. “Didn’t we just……last night?”

Zong Baiyan’s eyes were dark, and there was a suppressed sadness in their depths that Xu Rong couldn’t see though for the moment. “I missed you so much.”

“…….”

“Rong-ge, I, I missed you so much.”

Zong Baiyan looked directly into Xu Rong’s misty eyes and kissed him again lovingly.

. . . . . . .

The two tangled together until almost four o’clock in the morning before falling asleep in each other’s embrace.

An unknown amount of time later, Zong Baiyan was suddenly awakened by panicked murmurings. When he realized what was happening, he quickly turned on the bedside lamp and looked at his lover in his arms.

Xu Rong, who was still dreaming, seemed to be in pain. His forehead was covered in sweat, and he was mumbling something.

Realizing that something wasn’t right, Zong Baiyan called out softly, “Rong-ge?”

“Rong-ge? Will you wake up?”

“I’m here, don’t be afraid. Rong-ge?”

“—Ah!”

Xu Rong suddenly opened his eyes, which were filled with suffering that had nowhere to escape. The beating of his heart was accompanied by a terrible phantom pain, leaving him unable to tell whether this was an illusion or reality.

“……”

Xu Rong calmed down in silence, trying to sense everything around him.

After about six or seven minutes, he carefully hugged Zong Baiyan back. “A-Yan, I, I seem to have had a nightmare.”

Zong Baiyan’s thoughts moved, but he still coaxed, “It was just a nightmare, it’s over now.”

Xu Rong choked out, “I’m sorry, I’ve been ill for a long time. I shouldn’t have doubted you so much, and I shouldn’t have stimulated Xiao Yi.”

It was a dream in retrospect, but also a recognition of reality.

“…….”

Zong Baiyan’s heart squeezed at once.

He had no intention of exploring the so-called “dream” or “rebirth.” He only knew that Xu Rong was still in his arms, and that was enough.

“Rong-ge, none of that was your fault. We’re still fine now. Nothing has happened.”

Zong Baiyan kissed Xu Rong’s sweaty forehead again and again. “As long as you’re okay now, that is more important than anything else.”

Xu Rong whispered, “A-Yan.”

“En?”

“Sorry, I…..”

Xu Rong thought of Zong Baiyan’s tearful, frightened look the day before, and a thousand words turned into just one sentence, “I won’t leave you again, we’re okay.”

Zong Baiyan took a deep breath and tried to suppress the turmoil in his heart. “En, we’re okay.”

He had originally thought that heaven had only given him a chance to start over and protect his lover, but didn’t expect that he would also receive an additional gift—

They still knew each other, and still had a chance to start over.

His lover’s embrace warmed his cold heart, and Xu Rong finally broke free from the “nightmare of his past.”

Likely due to their unique and innate tacit understanding, neither of them opened their mouths to talk about this “past” that had already happened and was difficult to face, but planned to live in the present.

“A-Yan, I want to take another psychological test.”

Although everything had restarted and the trigger that had caused his long-term illness had disappeared, Xu Rong was still a little worried about his mental state.

After all, he was afraid of being subjected so such long-term self-torture.

Zong Baiyan understood and supported him in everything. “Okay, I’ll go with you. It will be okay. It will definitely be okay.”

“En.”

“Rong-ge, can you sleep a little longer?” Zong Baiyan glanced at the time. “It’s only six o’clock.”

Xu Rong endured the exhaustion and shook his head. “I can’t sleep anymore. I’m afraid that if I sleep now, I’ll oversleep and won’t be able to get up to make breakfast for Xiao Yi later.”

He was equally guilty about Xiao Yi.

Zong Baiyan kissed him again and promised, “You go to sleep, I’ll get up and make breakfast.”

Xu Rong considered Zong Baiyan’s inferior cooking skills and wanted to simply refuse, but then remembered that the person in the “past” had learned a lot in order to take care of him.

He raised his head and pressed a gentle kiss to his lover’s Adam’s apple, relying on him freely. He no longer refused. “Okay.”

. . . . . . .

It was just after eight o’clock.

Pei Yi was forced awake by the alarm clock and reluctantly got out of bed. With his hair a mess, he looked at the layout of his room, his mind still confused—

Hadn’t he slept next to Father Rong last night? Why was he back here?

Pei Yi really wanted to shrink back into the warm quilt and stay in bed, but he had to get up to do his homework.

He opened the door and left the second bedroom. As soon as he entered the dining room, he saw an unexpected figure in the kitchen.

Pei Yi rubbed his eyes, full of doubt. “…..F-Father Yan? Good morning.”

Zong Baiyan took a few eggs out of the refrigerator and instructed, “Good morning. You drink the warm water on the table first. Father Yan will make breakfast for you.”

“……”

Pei Yi unconsciously took half a step back. “Where is Father Rong?”

“Father Rong is still sleeping. Don’t go over and disturb him.”

“Oh.”

Pei Yi responded honestly, but was inwardly worried.

Ah.

Didn’t Father Yan have the cooking skills of a three-legged cat? He wouldn’t be poisoned later, right?

---

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Extra 3/15 <<Table of Contents >> Extra 5/15

Lu Qi had an emoticon saved to his mobile phone.

Two cartoon characters were having a conversation, and a dialogue box appeared above one’s head. He said to the other character: I like your works so much.

Then the other character took the dialogue box and held it in his arms while sleeping.

During the holiday when Lu Qi’s parents discovered he was gay, he was gradually healed by the love of his fans. This emoticon was his state during that time.

Lu Qi also knew that love on the internet was unreliable and could be overthrown in the blink of an eye, but when he was really maliciously attacked by so many strangers, he still inevitably felt depressed.

Like a little mushroom that withered and drooped after being beaten by the wind and rain.

He posted a screenshot of his WeChat retrieval interface on Weibo, as well as the receipt of the case from the police station. Ordinary people would inevitably be at a loss when confronting a behemoth like capital, but Lu Qi still believed in the fairness of law, and at least the hot search had been removed.

It was just that it would take some time to wait for the results, and netizens who were instigated by trolls and didn’t know the truth had already turned his comments area into a mess.

[Whoever calls the police first is innocent, is that it?]

. . .

[Aiyo, the last person who said their account was hacked was that university professor who harassed first-year students. Do perverts like you share the same brain?]

. . . 

[You actually called the police. You won’t be slapped in the face, right? (covers face while laughing)]

. . . 

[The victim even sent you a WeChat code, but you self-destructed here and even made bogus accusations. Tsk, tsk, you are really thick-skinned]

Lu Qi even received private messages threatening his personal safety.

There was no telling how many were trolls and how many were passers-by who just wanted to “do justice” without knowing the truth.

The voices of “believers” began to become inconspicuous among the doubts that flooded the screen. Lu Qi temporarily disconnected from the internet and didn’t read any online news for three days, waiting for a report from the police.

On the fourth day, he was dug out of his nest by his cousin, Li Yimiao.

His cousin—a bright and savory little 0 from head to foot. He hooked Lu Qi’s neck and almost knocked him down.

“Ge! Don’t listen to those old dogs farting on the internet. What kind of man can’t you find? Would you still go harass that rotten man who looks like he has a kidney deficiency?^[1] Li Yimiao said: “Let’s go! I’ll take you to have fun! Let’s find a man!”

Lu Qi had still been sleeping before opening the door for him. His hair was stuck in bunches here and there, and there was a red mark on his cheek. He stared blankly at his cousin, who was looking through his clothes in the closet.

He calmed down after a while and hugged the clothes his cousin gave him, rubbing his eyes as he said: “It’s better not to go. I still have……”

He paused.

What else was there? The last Party A canceled their order, his private messages were full of malicious design invitations, and there was no response to a business proposal that was being discussed.

There was nothing that could be done.

“Let’s go, let’s go!” Li Yimiao pushed him into the bathroom. “It’s time to go out and have fun, why are you growing mushrooms at home? What a waste of your face, ah. Ge, if I looked like you, I would switch men three times a year.”

Lu Qi’s muffled voice sounded from the bathroom, very low: “Why three…..can’t there be just one?”

“Ge, do you still have this ambition?” Li Yimiao touched his chin and thought about how his Ge looked just now.

Like a sleepy little rabbit being taken out of its nest, its eyes red, sweet and soft, making people want to pet it.

He burst out laughing, holding onto the bathroom door as he guffawed. “Ge, just think about it. Today, Didi will take you to see the world and realize how sought-after you are. Those who scold you on the internet are just idiots.”

In the real world, few people who knew Lu Qi disliked him. Li Yimiao had never met a person as good as Lu Qi. He was charming and good-looking, had a gentle temperament, and always considered the other person’s feelings first in everything.

He didn’t have much contact with his cousin before junior high school. Lu Qi was what parents called a typical example of a standard that could not be met by others. He started participating in stray cat rescue in junior high, donated part of his living expenses to primary school students living in impoverished rural areas, and had outstanding academic performance. After hearing many times about how outstanding his cousin was, he began to instinctively hate that name. After all, this was the legendary “other people’s outstanding child.”

He felt that this cousin, whom he had only met a few times, was a temperless bleeding heart.

It wasn’t until Li Yumiao’s parents discovered his sexual orientation and several “educational” sessions failed that on the way to school, he was stopped by several burly men and dragged into a van.

He had long overheard his parents talk about it. They planned to send him to some institute for “treatment.” When most of his body was stuffed into the vehicle, he was completely desperate.

But Lu Qi appeared on a small electric eMule, like a beam of light piercing through heavy clouds. Lu Qi, who was also in his third year of high school at the time, looked neat and gentle, his skin so white that it practically glowed in the midsummer sun. Seeing his cousin being stuffed into the van, Lu Qi was stunned for a moment, then decisively rushed over on the small eMule.

Li Yimiao saw Lu Qi’s firm, bright eyes between the arms of those strong men, and then the small eMule in shopping center colors ran rampant and knocked down two men. Lu Qi reached out to grab him, and he held that slender, beautiful hand and quickly climbed onto the eMule and was led away by his cousin.

The summer sun was bright and hot, and the shadows of the trees cast mottled shadows on Lu Qi’s slightly thin shoulders and back. Li Yimiao sat behind, feeling that his hands and feet were slowly warming up.

He didn’t know if it was because of the sunshine or because of his cousin.

Later, he dropped out of school to work and escaped from that suffocating home, and Lu Qi would help him every month. Li Yimiao couldn’t understand how when it came to such a good person as his cousin, strangers who didn’t know him at all and never met him could say evil things without knowing the truth.

When the two were taking a taxi on the side of the road, Li Yimiao proudly pointed to the dark circles under his eyes: “I spent the whole night setting them straight. Fuck, I scolded them until three accounts were banned. If that kind of person were standing in front of me, I would give them a left hook, then kick them to the ground and beat them to pieces…..”

He gestured and danced, but he was not as tall as Lu Qi, and was so thin that the whole thing was total bluff and bluster. Looking at the shining water droplets at the ends of his eyes, Lu Qi finally couldn’t help but laugh.

His eyelashes cast shadows under the streetlight. His eyes were bent, and there seemed to be a forest stream reflecting the sky flowing inside.

Li Yimiao’s voice stopped suddenly, and he murmured after a moment: “Ge…..why are your eyes so good-looking…..”

“You’re good-looking too.” Lu Qi pulled him into the car. “I’ll just find a corner to sit in for a while. You go play by yourself and don’t worry about me. I just want to sit in a place with people for a while.”

Li Yimiao laughed, haha, and agreed, but his eyes rolled around in circles.

Lu Qi looked at him suspiciously. “What are you planning?”

Li Yimiao: “I’m telling you, you don’t have to be afraid.”

Lu Qi: “……”

“I…..I found you an extremely handsome guy…..” Li Yimiao said with a guilty conscience, “Anyway, you broke up with your ex-boyfriend, and you don’t have much work during this period, so why not…..”

Lu Qi said decisively: “Driver, stop the car!”

“No, ge!” Li Yimiao rushed over and hugged Lu Qi’s waist. “What would I let happen between you and him? Just chat with him and relax, aiyo~ My best brother~ I really spent a lot of effort to find this perfect dish, why don’t you just take a look~”

. . . . . . .

Unable to bear Li Yimiao’s puppy-like whining, Lu Qi finally took a seat at the bar, intending to explain things clearly to the other person. He didn’t have the energy to enter a new relationship for the time being.

The lights at the bar were low and dim, with young people dancing to the rhythm on the dance floor. The noisy environment and rhythmic music at last dispelled some of his cold unease.

Lu Qi held a cup of Coke and said to himself: You see, in reality, everyone is too busy and has no time to attack a stranger. So don’t worry, these things will pass soon.

While he was lost in thought, a pair of long legs flashed in the corner of his eye, and someone sat down across from him.

Lu Qi looked up and was startled for a moment upon seeing the appearance of his “blind date” partner.

It was unknown if he was mixed-race, but his facial features were particularly deep-set and handsome. He was full of vigor, with thick black hair that curled down between his refined eyebrows. The shape of his eyes was completely different from Lu Qi’s. The tails of those eyes were narrow and sharp, regarding people with an indifferent and imposing look.

There was a sense of wealth all over his body, and he had a roguish aura as he sat with his legs crossed like a CG model.

If it weren’t for the identifying flirtatious burgundy shirt, Lu Qi would have thought he’d recognized the wrong person.

But to be on the safe side, Lu Qi still asked: “Are you Lion?”

The man didn’t respond, but raised his eyebrows in surprise, eyes gleaming. He looked Lu Qi up and down and chuckled after a moment: “Yeah, that’s me.”

He added: “Sorry, nobody’s called me that name for a long time, so I couldn’t react for a moment.”

His attitude was somewhat proud and haughty, which confused Lu Qi a little bit. Was this kind of persona more popular on blind dates these days?

When Lu Qi looked at him, the other person looked back with some unexplained amusement in his eyes.

Lu Qi appeared handsome and clean, with a temperament somewhere between a boy and a young man. Perhaps he himself didn’t notice, but countless eyes all over the bar were sneaking peeks over here, either veiled or intense, most of them looking at Lu Qi.

Sitting here talking business with such a “little friend” made him feel unscrupulous and guilty.

The onstage performance officially started, and rock music suddenly began. In order for the other party to hear him, he had to get up and sit next to the boy.

“Don’t make an appointment here next time.” He leaned closer to Lu Qi and said, “Let’s go to the hotel opposite.”

Lu Qi: ……

Ah? Was this a blind date or a hookup? So direct?

Lu Qi’s ears felt hot. Amidst the deafening music, he had to amplify his voice to say: “There is no next time. I don’t think we’re suitable…..”

The music was too loud, and the word “we” was unclear.

The man only heard that it was unsuitable. He frowned, and continued to lean closer to speak in Lu Qi’s ear: “If you think it’s expensive, we can discuss it…..but one time isn’t impossible, right?”

After he said this, he stared blankly as that fair ear covered by soft black hair reddened little by little, finally turning the color of strawberry milk.

He had a gut feeling that something wasn’t quite right.

Lu Qi stared at him, his big eyes wide, like some kind of soft little animal with puffed up fur.

“Expensive…..” His voice shook slightly. “You, you…..you…..”

Seeing Lu Qi like this, the other party’s eyebrows knitted even tighter, and there was a hint of chill on that handsome and flamboyant face. “We negotiated the price beforehand and the deposit was paid. Do you intend to go back on your word?”

Lu Qi: ……

Mother! Was that what he meant? Did that little fool Li Yimiao find him a little duck?

His mind was filled with cries of “quack, quack, quack.” He didn’t know where to put his hands and feet for a moment, and it made his face heat up, the temperature even starting to spread to his neck. 

Wait…..

Prostitution was illegal!

Lu Qi couldn’t help but cast a vague glance at this man.

The dark burgundy shirt had two buttons undone. The brand was unknown, but the fabric was of high quality, and the other party also had a beautiful silver chain around his neck. It shined above the collarbones, and the chest muscles filled out those clothes just right. They were not overly large, very pleasing to the eye.

This was nothing more than a top-rate sex worker.

But…..

He was breaking the law!

Lu Qi’s little brain, which had been stagnant for several days, was working rapidly. He thought that Li Yimiao, who had solicited a prostitute, had also broken the law. If he reported this little duck and escorted Li Yimiao to turn himself in, could he get a lighter sentence?

Seeing that the little duck was obviously impatient, Lu Qi turned sideways and silently switched on his phone’s recording function. 

He had also recorded the phone call to that dog Lin Yuan. It was a pity that Lin Yuan did not directly admit to hacking the account, so it couldn’t be used as direct evidence. This time, he had learned his lesson, and made his position clear when he opened his mouth: “There won’t be a next time for sure!!!”

Fearing that the recording wouldn’t be clear, he was straightforward and decisive, like a child promising to his kindergarten teacher that he wouldn’t make any more mistakes.

The man: ……

If there wouldn’t be, there wouldn’t be. It wasn’t like this entertainment reporter needed to suddenly express his determination and try to scare him.

He stood up, his eyes cold and narrow: “The deposit is non-refundable, and there is no need for a person like you who has no credibility to be in this business anymore.”

Lu Qi almost laughed. Then thank you very much, are you quite proud?

Well, he did have the capital to be proud. His face, waist, and legs were all very expensive.

The other party had already said the word “deposit,” Lu Qi cautiously and prudently started fishing on behalf of law enforcement: “I can give you the balance, but I’m a little tired today and I don’t want to have sexual relations with you. However, I can’t spend money in vain. How about you…..be my model and let me draw your figure?”

He would normally be too embarrassed to say the words “sexual relations,” but his phone was recording, so he had to speak clearly and keep the little duck still. He was about to send a text message to the police.

The other person continued to stare at him. His eyes turned from cold to blank, then cleared bit by bit and finally turned into a natural smile. Unfortunately, the smile did not reach the bottom of his eyes, which were as bone-chilling as two knives flashing toward him.

Lu Qi didn’t take the opportunity to send the message. 

The man didn’t speak for a long moment.

From the angle at which he was looking down, the neat young man sat with his head down, his long eyelashes fluttering like the wings of butterflies.

He was obviously a little panicked, but pretending to be calm. It was a little cute.

The annoyance of being mistaken for a duck was halfway suppressed, and he couldn’t help but think, could there be such a coincidence? That duck was also called “Lion?”

What quality. Using the same name as him.

Just as he was about to open his mouth to resolve this, he heard Lu Qi say softly: “That…..you also have to take off your clothes anyway to provide services. Being a model means you don’t have to move, and you’ll save energy, right?”

“……” The man smiled like a fox with a full belly teasing a rabbit. “I’m at your service, so of course I’ll strive to satisfy you. How far should I remove my clothing? Can I leave my underwear on? Or…..”

With a smile in his voice, he said: “Total nudity?”

He said these two words in standard English, and the last note was slightly hoarse, ticklish to the ear.

When speaking of this, Lu Qi considered it seriously. “You can wear underwear.”

“Then…..thank you.” He suppressed a smile, and saw from the corner of his eye a man stand up in the opposite booth and look around. He was wearing a high imitation burgundy shirt of the same style.

“Tsk.” The man frowned and glanced sideways at Lu Qi.

The boy’s profile looked as white as handcrafted porcelain under the dim lights of the bar.

How could he dare ask for money for that kind of thing? Who should be giving money to whom?

But Lu Qi didn’t see the other burgundy shirt, and was still thinking about when to call the police when he saw the man next to him suddenly turn sideways, as if he was about to leave.

Was he getting suspicious?

Lu Qi took a deep breath and tried his best to act like an experienced customer. He grabbed the man’s slender hand and rubbed it ambiguously twice.

“Ch…..charge some interest.”

Under his gaze, the little duck suddenly laughed wantonly.

Lu Qi was baffled.

Then the man bent down and rubbed his head, turned around, and left.

Lu Qi: Ahhhh!!

His chance to get leniency for himself ran away!!

Where was Li Yimiao, that abominable legal illiterate?!

. . . . . . . 

When he came out the back door of the bar, the assistant waiting outside lowered his head and stepped forward to put a coat on the man. He waited for a moment, but the boss didn’t move. He looked up doubtfully and saw that the boss was in a good mood with his lips curved up, that flawless face pleased as punch.

The assistant: ? ? ?

It was clear that the other party had gotten the address wrong, and the boss’s trip was in vain, but he still seemed to be in a good mood?

He asked in a low voice: “Mr. Mu, do you still plan to look for that reporter?”

“I do.” Mu Nanqiao touched the back of his hand. There were still a few red marks on it. That little friend had rubbed it very hard.

“I’ll sell the news so that it gets out before the Dragon Boat Festival…..” He smiled. “Best wishes to my dear uncle for the festival.

The assistant followed two steps, but the boss paused again.

The assistant: “Mr. Mu?”

Mu Nanqiao thought for a moment, then turned to the side and tapped the back door of the bar. “There’s a duck named “Lion” in there. Find him and tell him to change his name, then get out of Chongxin District and do business elsewhere.”

The assistant: ? ? ?

---

[1] Kidney deficiency commonly means not being able to “get it up.” ⮐

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Chapter Four << Table of Contents >> Chapter Six

When they entered the city, there was no hustle and bustle like in the cities they had passed previously. People walked hurriedly on the road, and almost one third of the shops along the way were closed. Around corners and inside dark alleys, refugees begging or lying motionless could be seen everywhere. From time to time, patrolling soldiers drove them away in order to prevent the main street from becoming too unsightly.

This was the case on the main road, but it was even more difficult to say how the minor ones looked.

They searched for a long time before finding an inn that was open. It was quite large and had many guests, mostly travelers going from north to south.

When they asked about the price, the accommodations were fine, but the food was more than ten times more expensive than in the city next door.

Seeing the surprised expressions on the guests’ faces, the shopkeeper also said as usual, “Guests, we are the oldest inn here, we’re really not running a scam. The cost is high, but we can’t lose money, right? Both of you seem knowledgeable. You should know that our area is prone to disasters all year round, and the money and food provided for disaster relief is a drop in the bucket, leading to higher and higher prices in the city. Even the common people in the city can hardly afford to eat, and it’s already good that our shop can supply it now while other shops are closed.”

The shopkeeper complained with a knitted brow. It was obvious that with such high prices, sooner or later, their inn would no longer be able to stay open.

Huo Fenglie spoke little and simply paid.

The shopkeeper wouldn’t let them eat in the lobby, for fear of them being seen by the refugees walking near the door. They were very hungry, and would just rush in and grab the food. No one would be pleased with such a commotion, so he asked a waiter to deliver the food directly to the guest room.

When they arrived at the guest room, the entire street could be seen when the window was opened. The sight of the setting sun was beautiful, but the city looked lifeless under its glow.

Liu Zhenqing sat cross-legged on the windowsill, looking down expressionlessly. There was no telling what was on his mind.

He heard Huo Fenglie call out to him suddenly, and Liu Zhenqing turned his head to look over. He saw Huo Fenglie pointing at a decoration on the wall.

Upon closer inspection, it was the symbol of the Heaven’s Blessing Sect again, but this one was more delicate and looked like an ordinary decoration.

After a while, the waiter came with the food. In fact, it could not be considered as exquisite as in other cities, but Huo Fenglie still chose fish for Liu Zhenqing.

Seeing that the waiter delivering the food was quite thin, Liu Zhenqing asked curiously, “Waiter, do you usually not get enough to eat?”

The waiter was startled, and said quickly: “Guest, I didn’t steal your food. Our inn provides food for the waiters.”

Huo Fenglie naturally knew what Liu Zhenqing wanted to ask, so he said: “Your hands are unsteady, as if you haven’t eaten all day.”

The waiter suddenly looked embarrassed.

Liu Zhenqing thought this was a good starting point for the topic, so he cooperated with Huo Fenglie seamlessly and took two meat buns from the plate, handing them to the waiter: “We’ll treat you to a meal, and you can chat with us.”

The waiter was in disbelief. After all, two meat buns were worth several taels now. “Guest, what do you want me to talk about with you? These buns…..”

“I can’t make you waste your time in vain. Sit down and eat,” Liu Zhenqing said with a smile.

The waiter sat down and wolfed one down, but held the other one in his hand.

Liu Zhenqing first asked him why he looked like he didn’t get enough to eat. Wasn’t this managed by the shop?

The waiter said helplessly: “In our family, only the youngest has a job. The others are farmers and were affected by the disaster. They don’t have enough to eat. The adults are fine, but the children and the elderly are having a hard time, so every time the innkeeper distributes food, I keep some to take home for everyone to share.”

“How is the local disaster relief situation?” Huo Fenglie asked.

“Ai, the government records the number of people who don’t have enough food, and they receive food either on odd or even days. It is equivalent to eating one day and being hungry one day, but there is only one meal. Our area is pretty good, and there are at least few cases of people starving to death. In some remote places, there is not even enough food to distribute, and people starve to death in one village after another.” The waiter shook his head as he spoke: “I’ve seen many people who escaped from there, and they were all as starving and crazy as living ghosts. You two guests are generous, but when you encounter those disaster refugees, you must not be kind and give them food, or something might happen to you. We must be kind-hearted, but not at the cost of harm to ourselves.”

Both Liu Zhenqing and Huo Fenglie knew that the emergence of such refugees proved there was a serious problem of uneven distribution in the disaster relief process. It could be said that some places were simply abandoned by the government.

The situation turned out to be more troublesome than expected.

Liu Zhenqing feigned curiosity and pointed at the sigil on the wall, asking, “Waiter, what is this? We seem to have seen it several times since coming here.”

The waiter seemed pleased, and looked at the sigil piously. He said: “That is the symbol of the Heaven’s Blessing Sect. You two don’t know, but the Heaven’s Blessing Sect has been sent by the gods to save us. If they weren’t here, our lands would have fallen long ago. The government is useless, and the throne doesn’t care about us. We all suspect that the amount of funds allocated for disaster relief is not much at all, or was otherwise embezzled by officials. Speaking of which, the late treacherous Prime Minister Liu must also be mentioned.”

Liu Zhenqing sucked in a breath at once. Why was it him again?

The waiter spoke so agitatedly that he didn’t notice the change in Huo Fenglie’s expression. “Nine years ago, the situation was even worse here, and almost everyone was a disaster victim. The treacherous minister allowed corrupt officials to harm us. I still remember that what I ate those days could not be considered human food, but food for animals. There were a lot of complaints later, and although a few corrupt officials were finally dealt with, a bunch of them were left behind to continue to harm us, probably to make money for themselves. After that, the new emperor gradually sent new officials to take office, but everyone’s lives were still difficult. In the end, we were harmed by the treacherous minister. Our vitality and feng shui were damaged, and will never recover.”

“Cough, cough, cough. Talk about the Heaven’s Blessing Sect.” Seeing that Huo Fenglie’s expression was getting worse and worse, Liu Zhenqing wanted to avoid trouble, and interrupted directly.

As soon as he mentioned the Heaven’s Blessing Sect, the waiter was quick to say excitedly: “Thanks be to the Heaven’s Blessing Sect for coming to protect us. Many people who were about to starve to death due to the disasters this year are able to live well and send food to their families after joining. Unfortunately, I wasn’t selected, or I would have joined the Heaven’s Blessing Sect too.”

Liu Zhenqing couldn’t help but ask: “But you’re not starving to death now, and don’t you also send food to your family?”

The waiter was suddenly confused. “That…..that’s different. I’m so tired every day, and I still don’t have enough to eat.”

“Oh, it turns out that if you join the Heaven’s Blessing Sect, you can eat well and enjoy happiness every day without having to work hard?” Liu Zhenqing raised his eyebrows.

The waiter choked. He didn’t know whether those who entered the Heaven’s Blessing Sect would be tired or be able to eat their fill. In any case, they would have money and food to send home. Putting it this way, it seemed that there was really no difference between them and him, a part-time worker?

The waiter had originally held the firm belief that the Heaven’s Blessing Sect was a good place, but when someone questioned him at this moment, he couldn’t entirely grasp it. Finally, he seemed to think of something and said excitedly: “Right, tonight happens to be the Goddess Blessings Parade, which happens every three days. You will know how good the Heaven’s Blessing Sect is after seeing it.”

This was an important piece of information.

After night fell, the restlessness of the streets could be truly felt. Liu Zhenqing continued to sit on the windowsill, with Huo Fenglie standing behind him. Soon, the sound of music could be heard from afar, and the sacred sound seemed to welcome the arrival of the gods. People stood on both sides of the road, most of them refugees. Soldiers came at once to maintain order, forming formations similar to an official parade. With this scene, it was basically confirmed that the government had something to do with the Heaven’s Blessing Sect, or the government wouldn’t have lent them such manpower.

What was interesting was that people like the waiter believed solely in the Heaven’s Blessing Sect and were resistant to the government. They believed that the ones who could save them were the Heaven’s Blessing Sect, rather than the Great Zhou Dynasty. This good-guy-bad-guy routine was quite interesting.

Very soon, a contingent slowly approached with envoys in white in front and behind. Some played music, some carried baskets, some stood guard, and some carried platforms.

And the focus was naturally on the ten white-clothed women kneeling on the platforms.

Those women were dressed in holy white dresses and white veils. From their brows and eyes, a hint of youthfulness and beauty could be seen, and their figures also showed that they were all slim beauties.

They all sat quietly on the platforms, dignified and elegant, with their hands pressed together symbolically. They looked straight ahead like jade sculptures, as if they were truly performing some sacred blessing ceremony. As the rhythm of the music changed, the envoys in white holding baskets below would throw broken cakes and steamed buns toward the crowd.

The total amount of food thrown out was actually not much. It wasn’t enough for ten people, but hundreds tried frantically to grab it. Even so, they didn’t dare to disturb those platforms. Those who succeeded in grabbing some began to kneel down and kowtow, crying with gratitude.

This scene seemed sacred to those below, but from Liu Zhenqing’s point of view, it was extremely disgusting. The Heaven’s Blessing Sect was very good at controlling people’s hearts. Taking advantage of the common people’s dissatisfaction with the government’s arrangements, they used such small favors to win people’s hearts and make them feel grateful.

However, it was difficult to say whether this was a coordinated effort between the government and the Heaven’s Blessing Sect. What were they trying to do?

Were they just greedy for wealth, or did they have other motives?

Huo Fenglie had told Liu Zhenqing that he was here to investigate the disaster relief issue on behalf of the emperor, and to find out if there was any corruption or dereliction of duty on the part of officials. But now, it could be seen that it was not so simple. He didn’t know if Huo Fenglie had noticed, and hesitated over whether to warn him.

Suddenly, the person behind him said: “The women above have had their acupoints tapped by an expert.”

When Liu Zhenqing heard this, he immediately turned to look at Huo Fenglie and said, “You mean to say they’re being forced, and that’s why they don’t move?”

Huo Fenglie nodded.

“Putting it like this, at least the goddesses above are not there voluntarily. The Heaven’s Blessing Sect promotes itself so highly, yet still forces others to do things. It seems to have many secrets, ah,” Liu Zhenqing said with great interest.

“I must follow,” Huo Fenglie said suddenly, then lowered his head and looked at Liu Zhenqing with an intent gaze.

Liu Zhenqing blinked and said, “You go ahead, I’ll wait here.”

Huo Fenglie didn’t respond, continuing to look at him.

Liu Zhenqing said in surprise: “You don’t expect me to go with you, right? I don’t know martial arts, and I’ll be a burden if I go along. What if I accidentally alert the enemy?”

“I need someone to advise me,” Huo Fenglie said lightly. “I think you’re smarter than me.”

The corners of Liu Zhenqing’s mouth twitched. His words were nonsensical, yet true.

However, hearing Huo Fenglie say that he was willing to risk taking him to do such an important thing, it was clear that he was gradually accepting and acclimating to the original “Liu Xiaozhu.”

Naturally, Liu Zhenqing was not qualified to refuse. He could only say: “If anything happens, General Huo can…..”

Huo Fenglie quickly interjected: “As long as you don’t leave my side, I won’t allow others to hurt you in the slightest.”

Liu Zhenqing knew Huo Fenglie meant that if the two of them acted together, then even if they faced many opponents, he would be protected. 

Seeing that the contingent was about to depart, the two of them followed directly without delay.

They initially mixed in with the crowd following them, but after circling the city for what seemed like forever, they began to leave. 

The city gates were opened specially for them at night, and of course, only their contingent could pass through, thus separating the following crowd from the Heaven’s Blessing Sect team.

Just when Liu Zhenqing was about to ask what they should do, Huo Fenglie whispered: “Hold tight.”

As he spoke, he reached out and pulled Liu Zhenqing into his arms before he could react, then leaped into the air. Liu Zhenqing took a sharp, frightened breath and raised his hands to hug Huo Fenglie’s neck tightly. He used too much force, which caused his nose to hit Huo Fenglie’s cheek so hard that it became sore.

It was truly a good thing that Huo Feihan often took him flying in the past, otherwise his screams would be echoing around the city gate right now.

In a few moments, the wildly blowing wind around them stopped, and the two of them landed outside the city wall.

Liu Zhenqing took a breath and said: “General Huo, warn me in advance next time. You really must not be afraid that I’ll scream in fear.”

Huo Fenglie didn’t let go of Liu Zhenqing, but whispered: “Okay. Hold tight, we’re about to fly.”

“Ah?”

In the next moment, Huo Fenglie lifted Liu Zhenqing and chased after the team using qinggong.

Liu Zhenqing gradually adapted to it, but felt a little uncomfortable. It wasn’t that he was uncomfortable being carried by a grown man, but because he used to run around with Er-gou in his arms. Now that the child had really grown up and was able to fly with Liu Zhenqing in his arms, there was a strange feeling of abnormality that was difficult to describe.

Not long after leaving the city, there was fortunately a dense forest in the mountains where they could hide and avoid discovery. However, they noticed that something was wrong with the contingent. Some carriages had filed in behind them at some point. It was unknown whether they were outside the city gate or in the dense forest, but in short, they met up with the Heaven’s Blessing Sect contingent and entered the forest together.

Huo Fenglie carefully observed the team and then shuttled between the huge trees.

Liu Zhenqing’s eyesight was not as good as that of a martial artist, so he naturally couldn’t see that far. He cooperated by remaining still. When he got bored, he quietly gazed at Huo Fenglie’s profile, looking at the toughened contours of his face and carefully studying the angles of his nose, mouth, and eyebrows. The more he looked, the more good looking he became, and there was a sense of pride like that of a family member seeing their child all grown up.

Perhaps because his gaze was so intense, Huo Fenglie at last looked back at him uncomfortably, as if blaming him for disturbing him.

Liu Zhenqing blinked innocently, and they soon reached their destination.

There was an enormous courtyard hidden in the forested mountains. It was opulent and luxurious, with bright lights. People in white could be seen everywhere and there were many guards patrolling around, as if they were afraid of someone intruding. There was also a cave in the mountain behind the courtyard, which was also lit with lights. It was very strange.

And the whole area was much more vibrant than down the mountain.

Huo Fenglie observed their patterns for a while, and then sneaked in with Liu Zhenqing. After jumping over the roofs of several houses and approaching the central area, they suddenly heard a woman’s cry coming from a house below. It was a cry for help.

Naturally, they couldn’t ignore this situation. Once Huo Fenglie made sure there were no guards around, he jumped down with Liu Zhenqing and approached the door, only to find that it was locked from the outside. Huo Fenglie struck down with his sword and broke the chain. The door opened, and Huo Fenglie had Liu Zhenqing wait at the door while he rushed in first.

Liu Zhenqing also looked inside, and first smelled a faint fragrance. He frowned slightly. Why did this scent seem familiar? Presently, a man in his forties could be seen rushing toward a young red-eyed woman as if he was drunk.

And that young woman was dressed like the goddesses from before.

The woman ran away, crying frantically. When someone appeared, he immediately rushed over. “Save me!”

Huo Fenglie allowed the woman to hide behind him, and when he saw the man rushing toward her, he kicked him away. But immediately after taking action, he realized that the smell in the room was wrong and quickly raised his arm to cover his nose.

“There’s poison, get out!” Huo Fenglie said.

Liu Zhenqing also realized the problem and quickly called the woman out. The man was kicked so hard that he vomited blood, and rushed toward the goddess like crazy. Huo Fenglie was about to attack with the hilt of his sword, but when the woman saw him move, she thought he was going to kill him and quickly shouted: “Don’t do it, he’s a good official. He was drugged, he’s not a bad person!”

Presently, Huo Fenglie had already hit the man in the stomach with the hilt of his sword, knocking him out. Huo Fenglie quickly took the man out by his collar.

“In here.” Liu Zhenqing found an empty room next door and called them all inside. Otherwise, they could be easily spotted wandering around the courtyard. As they went, he casually reattached the chain in the first room for a bit of deception.

When Liu Zhenqing finished up and went in, he saw that the woman was hiding in the corner shivering. The middle-aged man was unconscious, but was full of vitality and had a very painful look on his face.

It seemed self-evident what kind of drug was in that room just now.

Fortunately, Liu Zhenqing was carrying detoxification pills with him. Even if he didn’t take one, at least the poisonous smog was gone, and he had only been at the door, so it had almost no effect on him.

But something didn’t seem to be right about someone.

“Young Master, the incense in that room just now is an aphrodisiac. It’s very strong, and can make people lose their humanity. What should be done?” The woman asked Liu Zhenqing in fright. She didn’t dare to go out for fear of being caught, but didn’t seem to dare stay here either. Her eyes wandered tremblingly to the middle-aged man and finally landed on Huo Fenglie in terror, because he was the only one affected and still conscious.

Liu Zhenqing looked in amusement to where Huo Fenglie was sitting cross-legged in meditation. Just as he was about to take out the antidote pills for the other person, he saw Huo Fenglie suddenly open his eyes. They had turned dark red, and were full of aggression. 

Without waiting for them to react, Huo Fenglie suddenly stood up and rushed toward the two of them.

“Ya! Don’t…..” The woman got up awkwardly and tried to flee, for fear of becoming a lamb to be slaughtered.

Liu Zhenqing’s expression changed slightly, and he immediately shielded the woman. He knew that if a man saw a beautiful woman in this sort of situation, he was more likely to lose his mind.  He blocked Huo Fenglie’s path and said to the woman, “You go out first.”

But the woman’s voice stopped abruptly in the next second, and she froze while opening the door. At the same time, a muffled masculine groan sounded in the room.

It wasn’t until his line of sight changed to the ceiling that Liu Zhenqing realized…..he had been jumped by Er-gou?

Feeling a strong, stiff body and an unusual situation, there was also a warm touch that suddenly fell on his neck. Liu Zhenqing was instantly itchy, irritated, frightened, and then amused.

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