On the other side, Song Xingmu spent a lot of effort handling trouble, and told Yi Chuan to go back and bring Liu Zhenqing over. 

After Song Xingmu spoke, he stepped forward with a stern expression. However, Yi Chuan did not leave, and instead stepped forward with his head lowered. The person in front of him suddenly stopped, and Yi Chuan bumped into him.

“Aiyo, what are you doing?” Song Xingmu looked back at Yi Chuan in surprise and said with a smile: “Throwing yourself into my arms?”

Yi Chuan’s bronze skin looked a little pale. He ignored Song Xingmu’s teasing and just lowered his head, saying: “I’m sorry.”

Song Xingmu’s eyes flashed slightly, and he said: “After all these years, you still care about these words?”

“I don’t care.” Yi Chuan turned around and said, “I feel like I have dragged you down and become your weakness. How about…..I stay in the shadows in the future…..”

If Song Xingmu hadn’t taken action back then, there was no telling what the outcome would be for their whole family. They would always be despicable pirates, constantly taking tortuous paths. It was Song Xingmu who brought his family back. Yi Chuan initially thought he was repaying this kindness, but didn’t intend to cause trouble for Song Xingmu everywhere after coming back.

Song Xingmu nodded and said: “You are self-aware that you have become my weakness.”

Although he had said so, Yi Chuan still became angry when Song Xingmu said it so bluntly, and glared at him.

Then he saw Song Xingmu smile evilly and say: “However, I don’t like to hear such words. Don’t say them in the future, or I will spank you.”

This sentence instantly distorted the heavy heart of the reckless Yi Chuan. He remembered that when he was younger, this person always wanted to spank him in the name of him being a younger brother. Not only did he spank, but he also wanted to clutch and pinch, simply a complete pervert.

Yi Chuan glared fiercely at Song Xingmu, then turned and left.

After a while, Liu Zhenqing was taken over. Of course, Huo Fenglie followed secretly.

“How is it going?” Liu Zhenqing asked when he saw Song Xingmu looking fine.

“Song Jing was sent back to recover from his injuries. The others are stable. Let’s interrogate the three prisoners first.”

“The content of our interrogation cannot be allowed to get out.”

“Don’t worry, we will finish the interrogation in one go. Colluding with pirates is a capital crime, so it is not their turn to snitch.”

Although the two had not seen each other for many years, they still cooperated tacitly. When they came to the water prison, they first saw the evidence collected. They were all government account books and port records, and they soon came across some strange travel records. These, they took directly to confront the military officer and Wang Qi.

But both of them were stubborn and would not answer anything. However, they knew that Wang Qi was the weakest link, so he was held alone for interrogation. Taking advantage of his suspicion and fatigue, they directly tricked him.

“They all say that you were the mastermind, and they were following your orders. Also, all the transported items have been handed over. They are privately made weapons.” Song Xingmu directly deceived him and said, “According to the laws of the Great Zhou Dynasty, this is treason, and nine generations of your family must be killed. Is there anything else you want to explain?”

Sure enough, Wang Qi’s face paled after he said this, and his psychological defenses were immediately broken.

“It’s unfair, ah. This one…..this one really doesn’t know anything. He was just greedy for money and secretly used the Liu family’s river transport to smuggle goods. The entire process was our employer’s, this one had no idea what was being transported. How could it be weapons?”

Observing from the side, Liu Zhenqing suddenly felt that Wang Qi’s demeanor was wrong when he said that last sentence.

“If not weapons, then what was it? Did you see anything?” Liu Zhenqing asked.

As expected, Wang Qi trembled all over. “I…..I don’t know, I really don’t know. But in two years, there were a total of twenty-five shipments, and each one was different. How dare I look, ah?”

Song Xingmu smiled. “You didn’t dare to look, but you knew that they were different every time?”

Wang Qi immediately collapsed. He didn’t even have time to think of what he was saying due to the fear, and suddenly revealed a large flaw.

“This one…..”

“Speak. If you don’t speak, you will be the main culprit.”

Wang Qi was so frightened by Song Xingmu that he couldn’t endure any longer, and said: “Yes…..I peeked twice. One time there were silver taels, and the other time it was…..saltpeter.

“Saltpeter?” Song Xingmu’s expression changed. “Do you know what saltpeter is used for? How did you dare help people transport it overseas?”

“This one……of course this one knows that it is used to make gunpowder, but at that time, this one was already riding on the tiger’s back. If I didn’t do it, I would be silenced. There was nothing that could be done. Begging Captain Song to spare me…..to spare this one’s life.”

“Then do you know where they were transported to?” Song Xingmu asked.

“This one really doesn’t know. He only knows that according to the time the ship left and when it returned, it should…..not have been to another country.”

This meant that there were two possibilities. One was that it traveled by sea to another coastal county, which were all close in terms of distance, and the second was that it docked at an island in the sea.

The information was incomplete, so they could only continue to interrogate others. That military officer was always firm in saying that he only collected money to open access to the sea. But they all knew that this man was lying. In the face of death, he refused to reveal any information. Even when the same trick was used and the weapons and saltpeter were mentioned, he remained indifferent. It was unknown if this was because he was loyal or because he was more afraid of the person behind the scenes.

Song Xingmu was at a loss. He looked at Liu Zhenqing.

Liu Zhenqing could only break forward and grab the military officer’s wrist. He said: “I won’t talk nonsense with you. I actually know that you are a rebel. You want to join them in rebellion? You didn’t hesitate to plunge people into misery and suffering, and now you are going to die. Even if the rebellion succeeds, glory and wealth will not be yours. What are you after?”

At this time, the military officer smiled strangely: “I don’t know what you are talking about? I’m not after anything. My family members are all dead anyway, and I’m not afraid of death either. No need to waste time interrogating me. Just kill me.”

Liu Zhenqing stood up and said: “It doesn’t matter. In any case, I got my answer.”

The military officer was stunned, and looked at him.

Liu Zhenqing chuckled and said: “When talking about the rebels, your pulse was particularly fast, and not without reason. At least you proved that our guess was correct. Behind these transports are traitors who intend to rebel.”

The military officer’s expression changed. He wanted to quibble, but no one was willing to listen.

They walked out of the military leader’s water prison cell and went to the cell where the pirate was imprisoned.

Liu Zhenqing said suddenly: “He just said…..his family members are all dead, and he was very agitated. He’s not after anything, and just wants to help the rebels?”

“He should be seeking revenge,” Song Xingmu said at once. 

Liu Zhenqing’s eyes swept across Yi Chuan’s face. It would be a tragedy if the situation was the same as Yi Chuan’s.

“It is the strangest thing. Like Zhao Haicheng, he was born on a small island and his family were killed by pirates. Logically speaking, he can’t bear any grudge against Great Zhou,” Song Xingmu said.

“He is one of Zhao Haicheng’s people, so there is also a problem with Zhao Haicheng,” Liu Zhenqing said.

“It’s pretty obvious by now,” Song Xingmu said. “It’s just a pity that he is a navy officer.”

The three of them came to the pirate, who seemed to be indifferent. After all, a pirate like him would definitely die if he was caught, so no matter what they said, the pirate just sneered at them.

But Song Xingmu had more methods to deal with pirates. “If you don’t speak, tomorrow we will do our best to hunt down the nearby pirates and leave some alive to go back and report that you betrayed their sailing route.”

The pirate’s face instantly paled. If this was so, his family would certainly be treated as traitors by the pirates.

In the end, the pirate gave in and answered anything that was asked. He had been bribed to not attack the Liu family ships or land on nearby islands. Everything else didn’t matter.

Liu Zhenqing and Song Xingmu had already concluded in their hearts that it was an island!

“You followed,” Liu Zhenqing said, based on the overheard conversation that time.

“That’s right, I followed. I deliberately made excuses to harass and attack it, only to find that it had become a deserted island. It seemed like things had been transferred directly in a short period of time.”

With such caution, there must be no doubt that the rebels were hiding on an island.

But this was very strange, because the residents of the islands all had household registration records. People came to the islands to check them every year, and there had never been an accident. This was to prevent more traitors and pirates from sneaking onto the island. There were not many residents, and it was not as easy to hide as on land. Was it possible that they were bribed or negligent?

However, there were more than a hundred inhabited or uninhabited islands nearby. They were also worried about alerting the enemy and the island becoming deserted like what happened with the pirate. It was truly difficult to investigate.

It would be nice if the scope could be shortened. 

Song Xingmu and Liu Zhenqing looked at each other. Even if it was difficult, they had to investigate them one by one.

As they were thinking, there was a sudden noise outside.

Someone immediately rushed in.

Song Xingmu saw Zhao Haicheng in the lead and smiled, saying: “You gave me a fright. This move makes me think that Lieutenant General Zhao intends to rebel against me?”

Zhao Haicheng’s eyes flashed, and he saluted: “Captain, why did you kill those two suspects?”

“What?” Song Xingmu was stunned.

Zhao Haicheng said shortly: “People just broke in, perhaps to save them, and were killed along with the suspects. The bodies are still lying there now.” After saying this, he looked at Yi Chuan.

He clearly thought Yi Chuan had done it. After all, only Yi Chuan could come and go at such a fast speed here.

But they all knew it should be Huo Fenglie.

Song Xingmu said directly: “Oh, Yi Chuan reported it to me, and he didn’t kill those people. Perhaps their accomplices were afraid of us interrogating them and came to kill them in order to silence them. Yi Chuan could only do his best to save them, but accidentally dealt a cruel blow. This is also excusable. He was just apologizing to me.” After speaking, he looked at Yi Chuan.

Yi Chuan knelt down to apologize.

Before Zhao Haicheng could say anything, Song Xingmu said: “Forget it, the accomplice was probably a pirate anyway. He didn’t ask anything, and just killed them. Get up.”

Yi Chuan stood up again.

The two people performed in front of Zhao Haicheng.

Zhao Haicheng could only regard them coldly, and in the end, said that his actions were inappropriate and should be punished.

Song Xingmu thought for a moment and then said: “Then how about this. Yi Chuan, you go swimming in the sea for half a shichen, no matter if you drown or not.”

Yi Chuan immediately agreed, then turned around and left.

Zhao Haicheng suddenly became short of breath, and heard a soft laugh. It was very quiet, but he still heard it. Looking up, he saw a scene that did not belong here at all.

When he saw Zhao Haicheng looking over, Liu Zhenqing looked back. Stunned, Zhao Haicheng said: “It is not appropriate to bring others to the water prison.”

“Aiya, Lieutenant General Zhao doesn’t know. This is not ‘other people,’ but my wife. It is the first time he has come here, and he is scared and very clingy, and insists on not separating from me.” Smiling, Song Xingmu took the opportunity to monopolize others. “I hope Lieutenant General Zhao will be tolerant. A weak scholar like him would be in great danger if he were alone and encountered bad people. After all, anyone dares to break into our water prison now.”

Zhao Haicheng frowned slightly and said: “My subordinates will change the patrol methods and strengthen the defenses.”

“Okay, I believe Lieutenant General Zhao. By the way, that military officer must be your fellow countryman.”

“We come from the same island. I didn’t know he had gone astray.”

“Yes, Lieutenant General Zhao knows it was the wrong path, but the other person from the island did not. People are really different,” Song Xingmu mocked.

Zhao Haicheng nodded in agreement before retreating.

Liu Zhenqing was paying special attention before they left, and found that Zhao Haicheng was really looking at him.

This made Liu Zhenqing a little uneasy.

Then he went to check the bodies with Song Xingmu.

The people who came had no obvious signs of being pirates, so if they were not pirates, they were rebels.

Huo Fenglie descended at this time.

“Why didn’t you leave one alive?” Song Xingmu complained.

“I tried. They had poison in their mouths,” Huo Fenglie said.

“Were they here to save people or kill them?” Liu Zhenqing asked.

“To kill them,” Huo Fenglie replied.

This was not a place for chatting. The three of them returned to Song Xingmu’s small bamboo house. They thought things over again and again until Yi Chuan came back.

“Yo, you have good physical strength. Not out of breath this time?” Song Xingmu teased.

Yi Chuan ignored him, and Liu Zhenqing apologized: “Sorry for troubling you.” After saying this, he took the initiative to pour him tea.

Huo Fenglie, who was about to speak, was stunned for a moment as Liu Zhenqing replaced it.

Yi Chuan admired scholars and thought Liu Zhenqing was a talented one, so he had the best attitude toward him and waved his hand, saying: “I’m fine, I usually train like this.” As soon as he sat down, he gulped down the tea. As a result, he was still thirsty after drinking and moved to pour some himself. He moved too quickly and accidentally bumped Song Xingmu’s elbow, causing Song Xingmu’s teacup to spill.

Song Xingmu said speechlessly: “Slow down, no one is competing with you.” After saying that, he continued drinking.

Liu Zhenqing looked at Song Xingmu with a strange expression and said: “Your…..glove is wet. Don’t you need to take it off?”

Since when did Song Xingmu like wearing gloves so much? Just now, whether he was reading account books or torturing, his sleeves were rolled up and he never took off his glove. It made Liu Zhenqing feel strange.

Song Xingmu smiled and said: “It’s a cool look, isn’t it?”

Liu Zhenqing frowned.

“Your hand is injured?” Huo Fenglie asked. “Is it the tendons?”

Song Xingmu was taken aback, and recalled that he had used this hand to send a palm at Huo Fenglie before. A person who practiced martial arts could naturally sense it.

“En, I was injured.” 

“Let me see, you know I have medical skills,” Liu Zhenqing said at once.

Song Xingmu quickly hugged his hand. “You can’t. My muscles and veins were damaged, but if I let you take a look, I will be completely disabled. You think of yourself as Li Xingruo, ah. Don’t hurt me with your limited medical skills.”

“Let me see, I’m not unable to treat it.” Liu Zhenqing said aggrievedly, “And during this period of time, I helped Fenglie with acupuncture and other things. I did a great job. If you don’t believe me, ask him.”

“En.” Huo Fenglie could only think of the scene where he was being tortured. He begged to differ about his medical skills, but didn’t dare to say so either.

“How come Young Master Liu has the same medical skills as Prime Minister Liu?” Yi Chuan, who didn’t know Liu Zhenqing’s identity, was surprised.

“Cough, cough. We are relatives. I have learned the same things, and my medical skills are better than his,” Liu Zhenqing said deceitfully.

“Oh, then take a look at him,” Yi Chuan said forthrightly.

Song Xingmu pinched Yi Chuan’s ear and said: “If my hand is completely disabled, will you help me bathe, feed me, and undress me in the future?”

His words angered Yi Chuan, who said: “Don’t even think about it.”

The two people made a scene, and laughter filled the small courtyard. Liu Zhenqing, however, grew silent.

Huo Fenglie looked at him and then at Song Xingmu.

Song Xingmu also noticed how quiet Liu Zhenqing was and looked over with a slight frown: “Hey, let’s get down to business.”

“Show me your injury, and I will judge whether or not it is okay. If it can be treated, I will ask the miracle doctor to treat you,” Liu Zhenqing said calmly.

“Miracle doctor?! Can this be done? I heard that he doesn’t heal people easily. And nobody knows where he is living in seclusion now,” Yi Chuan was instantly excited upon hearing this.

Song Xingmu did not rejoice, and just looked at Liu Zhenqing.

“What? Is it hard to talk about?” Liu Zhenqing asked, “Isn’t it an old injury?”

Song Xingmu didn’t speak, but Yi Chuan actively cooperated: “Right, it has been a long time, almost nine years. Is it too late, ah?”

Song Xingmu turned to glance helplessly at Yi Chuan.

“Nine years?” Liu Zhenqing chewed these two words slowly.

Nine years ago. When he died.

With all this beating around the bush, he just didn’t want to let him see his injured hand. How could he not think about it?

His grace while dancing with the long and short swords was still before his eyes, but now he had given them to someone else and almost never took action.

“What did you do?” Liu Zhenqing asked as he removed Song Xingmu’s glove.

The hand that was originally slender and fair, with hidden strength, was now covered in crisscrossing raised veins from the fingers to the wrist. It looked hideous and terrifying, and the fingers would twitch and tremble from time to time.

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

Dizzy…..

Lu Qi propped himself up on his elbows and sat up halfway, looking up at Mu Nanqiao where he was standing beside the bed.

“Ah…..” He blinked and rubbed his face with the back of his hand, smiling softly. “I’m a little dizzy, but I know the…..I know the process. I did my homework.”

“What homework did you do? Did you watch videos?” Mu Nanqiao was very dissatisfied. He knelt on the bed and leaned over to kiss him, asking as he did so: “Is this what a good baby should do?”

Lu Qi embraced him. He shook his head first, then nodded, and pa, smacked Mu Nanqiao on the back. “I’m an adult, I can watch them.”

“Okay…..” The distinct joints of his fingers undid his buttons as if unwrapping a gift. Mu Nanqiao lowered his face and asked with a smile, “Do I look good?”

There was a dim lamp turned on in the bedroom. The light fell on the straight bridge of his nose and cast shadows on his deep features. Light and dark played across his face, which looked like a sculptor’s proud work, and the small red mole at the end of his eye made his face suddenly come alive.

“Look good,” Lu Qi murmured, touching his eyelashes. His beautiful deer-like eyes were full of bright, unabashed love. “Mu Nanqiao, you’re really so good-looking……”

The big fox’s eyes narrowed dangerously. Pulling Lu Qi’s wrist down a little, he placed those soft fingertips on his slightly cool lips. Mu Nanqiao moved his lips and placed Lu Qi’s fingertips into his mouth, lightly rubbing his teeth.

His fingertips were wrapped in something hot, moist, and soft. Lu Qi’s heartbeat suddenly accelerated so violently that it gave him the illusion of his chest going numb.

Mu Nanqiao released his fingertips and leaned forward to kiss the side of his face, sliding gentle kisses along his jawline little by little. Unknowingly, Lu Qi was led by him to lay on the pillow.

His thinking was stagnant and erratic under the influence of alcohol, but his senses were sharpened. Lu Qi’s eyelids lowered half-mast, and under Mu Nanqiao’s ministrations, he hummed comfortably like a cat getting its belly rubbed.

Up to this point, these were all still areas of practice that he was familiar with. But today, Mu Nanqiao seemed to be particularly patient and restrained. Lu Qi was about to finish several times, but Mu Nanqiao didn’t let him, coaxing him in a low voice.

Lu Qi couldn’t help but cry. “Don’t…..don’t you know what to do next? Do you need me to teach you…..”

The big fox was excited enough to wag his tail.

Although Lu Qi was usually very frank and direct, Xiao Lu’s level of frankness after drinking had obviously increased by another degree, and could be called enthusiastic.

“Okay, ah…..” His voice was low and hoarse, with a doting smile. “Then you teach me.”

“First…..want that…..” Thinking of something, Lu Qi grabbed Mu Nanqiao’s randomly moving hand and said with reddened eyes: “I forgot to buy…..”

“I bought it.” Mu Nanqiao kissed the tip of his nose. “Baby, just tell me where you put the 8-pack you bought.”

What followed entered the blind spot in Lu Qi’s knowledge. It was a bit difficult at first. Lu Qi kicked out, and his ankle was caught again. Such was the discomfort that he immediately sobered up, hugging Mu Nanqiao’s neck and licking it softly, like a kitten that hadn’t been weaned.

Mu Nanqiao also didn’t feel comfortable, the veins on his forehead protruding. He continued to coax in a low voice and kiss him tenderly, and it took a long time before he could continue a little bit.

After a while, Lu Qi took a small breath and cried pitifully: “You said you wouldn’t…..again…..you lied to me!”

The big fox immersed in him just smiled. His curved eyes were full of love and satisfaction, and his sexiness made a person unable to take their eyes away.

This night, autumn in Shanghai was coming to an end, and there was frost on the window. The room was so hot that Lu Qi couldn’t breathe. Once the initial discomfort wore off, the excruciating drunkenness was like drinking another bottle of alcohol.

As he was drunk, a voice in his ear spoke a passionate and emotional “Деткa,” and the person being called felt like he was laying on a cloud, floating erratically with the wind.

Semi-consciously, Lu Qi clutched the pillow and thought that when he got up in the morning, he should see how many 001’s were left in the box. Would this seductive vixen use them all up…..?

Help, ah!

. . . . . . .

It was cloudy the next day, and some gray sunlight shone through the half-drawn curtains. This weather was particularly suitable for sleeping under a blanket. Lu Qi hugged the quilt and huddled up warily in a small ball. He was clearly awake, but wouldn’t open his eyes.

He heard a beeping sound against his forehead, and then a mechanical voice said: temperature is normal.

It should be that Mu Nanqiao was taking his temperature.

With difficulty, Lu Qi opened his eyes just a slit. Just as he saw Mu Nanqiao’s blurry form, his vision was blocked by a cool towel.

His sleepiness had dissipated a lot by now, and Lu Qi asked blankly: “What are you doing?”

When he opened his mouth, he was taken aback to find that his voice was hoarse.

Recalling some intermittent memories, Lu Qi felt his exposed ears outside the towel warm. He had cried out so embarrassingly last night that his voice was still hoarse today. It was fortunate that Mu Nanqiao had covered his eyes, otherwise he would want to sew himself into the quilt.

What free gift with the potatoes. Thinking back to it, he was so embarrassed that he tried to dig a hole into the bed with his toes.

He seemed to hear a chuckle, satiated and lazy, like a large predatory animal that had eaten and drank its fill.

Mu Nanqiao cleared his throat and turned the towel over again.

“Lu Baby, your eyes are swollen.” As he spoke, he wanted to laugh again, so he asked teasingly: “Детка, are you made of water? It seemed like there was no end to the flow last night.”

Then he added, making the matter worse by trying to cover it up: “I’m talking about the tears, of course.”

Lu Qi: ……

Someone come and take this vixen away! He was embarrassed to death, ah!

It was unknown if his shouts could be heard. Mu Nanqiao’s mobile phone rang, and he held Lu Qi’s towel in one hand while answering the phone with the other. Due to his closeness, Lu Qi could hear Talia’s beautiful Russian voice through the receiver.

Lu Qi understood a few sporadic words, and was so shocked that he floundered into a sitting position. This affected his waist and hamstrings, causing him to gasp in pain.

The towel fell onto the quilt, and a small ice pack fell out. Mu Nanqiao looked at him helplessly and placed the towel back in his hand, telling him to cover his eyes to reduce the swelling.

Lu Qi covered one eye and tried to open the other one wider, mouthing out: Is Auntie coming?

Mu Nanqiao nodded and said into the phone: “Mom, Xiao Lu is very well. You had better accompany Dad to rehab more often. Don’t go out of your way to come up, the floor is too high…..”

“There is an elevator, I’m not going to climb up,” Talia said in Chinese. “I brought some Russian handicrafts for Lu Baby, and I’ll take a look at his wound by the way. Why are you so busy?”

Mu Nanqiao: ……

“Oh…..” Talia came to a sudden realization and asked, “Is it a bad time?”

Mu Nanqiao looked as calm as if he was drinking soy milk for breakfast. “En, he’s tired from last night…..”

“It’s not a bad time!” Xiao Lu wanted to save face, and interrupted the words of this shameless fox. He leaned over to the receiver and said in a failed attempt to divert her attention, “Auntie, come on up!”

“Xiao Lu, I’ll come over another day.” Talia was all smiles. “There will be a men’s clothing release in two days. I’m going to the show, and I’ll get you two sets of clothes there. I won’t come up today.”

Mu Nanqiao didn’t forget to tell his mother: “When you go to look at male models, you’d better take Dad with you, otherwise he’ll make trouble for you when you come back.”

Talia haha’d a few times, told Mu Nanqiao to take care of Lu Qi, and then hung up the phone.

Lu Qi: ……

He felt that he had lost all face.

With a groan, he buried his face in the pillow and said in a muffled voice: “How much does a ticket to Mars cost? I can’t live on Earth anymore.”

Mu Nanqiao chuckled. He reached to pull him out, lowering his head to look into his eyes. They were still a little swollen, but much better. He touched Lu Qi’s thin eyelids and said in a low voice: “I love you. Isn’t it normal for us to do this kind of thing? Why are you so shy?”

Early in the morning, he heard his boyfriend’s casual confession. Lu Qi’s cheeks felt hot. He slowly sat up and hugged Mu Nanqiao, rubbing his cheek against the big fox’s excellent jawline.

“I love you too…..” Lu Qi whispered: “I know it’s normal, but I still feel a little embarrassed. Cough…..”

He leaned close to Mu Nanqiao’s ear, and like the buzz of a small mosquito, said: “Last night, I actually…..felt really good.”

“Don’t flirt with me so early in the morning.” Mu Nanqiao patted his butt. “Okay, let’s apply some medicine.”

Lu Qi let him go immediately and held his pants, shaking his head. “I’ll do it myself!”

Mu Nanqiao didn’t insist. He left the ointment and went out to make breakfast for Lu Qi.

As soon as he went out, Lu Qi held the small tube of ointment and rolled over. He reached for the small bedside drawer and found a small box, taking it out to count them.

There were three left.

He had to hide them.

. . . . . . .

After breakfast, Lu Qi reclined in bed to draw a customer commission with washed cherries in one hand. Mu Nanqiao was working from home today, and was holding a video conference in the study. His voice could be faintly heard speaking in English. Lu Qi quietly started a live broadcast, and within three minutes, the other person’s English paused and his Governor came online.

Lu Qi: ……

Boss Mu, if you slack off on the job and watch others draw dirty pictures, will your partners on the other side of the ocean know?

The whole morning passed like this. When Mu Nanqiao finished his work, Lu Qi was still live broadcasting. He pushed the door open and came in, leaning over to take a look. Then he bent down toward Lu Qi’s ear and asked, “Baby, what do you want to eat for lunch? Nothing spicy.”

Lu Qi thought for a moment and whispered: “Heat up the leftover beef brisket from yesterday, and then you can make whatever you like. I’m not picky about food.”

Mu Nanqiao kissed his dimple and said with a smile: “Okay, that’s my good baby.”

He had changed into a more formal shirt for the meeting, and had to change it before cooking. The house clothes he had taken off last night were placed on the chaise lounge covered in plush cushions next to the bed. Mu Nanqiao undid his buttons with one hand and took off his shirt with his back to Lu Qi.

Lu Qi bit into a cherry and looked up.

That back view with broad shoulders and a narrow waist was undoubtedly pleasing to the eye. It was just that the scratches on that tight back were very obvious.

Choking on half a cherry, Lu Qi blushed as he coughed.

“Why are you eating in such a hurry? Are you afraid I’ll snatch it?” Mu Nanqiao came over with his house clothes and patted his back. “How are you? Are you choking?”

“Cough…..I’m…..I’m fine…..” Lu Qi wiped away the moisture at the corners of his eyes from coughing. He whispered with evasive eyes: “You…..put some medicine on your back…..”

“Oh…..” Mu Nanqiao smiled meaningfully. “But I can’t reach my back. Please help me, Wife Xiao Lu.”

This should indeed be Lu Qi’s responsibility. Although there were only a few places where the skin was broken, Lu Qi still used a cotton swab dipped in iodine to carefully sterilize them. When he was about to finish, Lu Qi’s phone vibrated.

If the message was someone else’s, Lu Qi might have finished treating Mu Nanqiao’s wounds before replying, but the message was from his dad.

So Lu Qi held the cotton swab with one hand and checked the message with the other.

Lin Chunhe had sent a picture of Lu Fangshu.

The setting sun shined in through a window, enveloping the reading woman in warmth. She was sitting in a clinic room full of greenery, reading a book titled “Psychological Analysis of Homosexuality.”

There was peace on her face that Lu Qi had not seen in many years. It was unknown if she had seen Lin Chunhe’s “study notes,” but there was even a faint smile on her lips.

Lin Chunhe also sent a message: 

[Xiao Qi, come home at the end of the year and bring your boyfriend back with you.]

Come home…..

Bring Mu Nanqiao with him…..

At that moment, Lu Qi felt as if a jar of cream had been poured into his chest, sweetly and lightly filling him up.

Boss Mu was still unclothed, waiting for the medicine to be applied, but the person behind him was silent. He looked back with a strange expression and was hit by the deer rushing toward him. He lost his balance and fell onto the soft quilt with Lu Qi in his arms.

Before he could react, Lu Qi lowered his head and mwah, kissed him very loudly.

Mu Nanqiao laughed and pinched Lu Qi’s earlobe. “What made you so happy?”

Lu Qi’s eyes were curved and bright, full of sunlight, and he lowered his head to kiss him again.

“Your big gold bracelet…..” he said with a smile, “I’ve got it!”

---

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

“Is anyone there?”

“Is anyone there, ah? Mr. Wei? Mr. Wen?”

“Huh? The door is open? Ah! Ouch…..it’s so dark, ah…..”

The young guard accidentally bumps into something, and when he avoids it, he steps on some shards of glass and almost slips.

The interior structures of these houses are mostly the same, and the guards have received sufficient on-the-job training in advance, so they are relatively proficient at finding the indoor light switches.

There is a click, but no change in the room.

Is the light broken?

It is a dark and windy night, and the villa is filled with bottomless darkness. The owner of the villa had been laying in the attic asking for help, and the courtyard door has layers and layers of locks. In contrast, the house door is completely unlocked, there is broken glass on the ground, the lights aren’t working…..

This all looks unusual, and the young guard smells danger. His expression becomes serious as he looks around warily. He tries to call the captain and tell him to send more manpower, but finds that his mobile phone has lost signal.

He chooses the pager, but finds that this thing also doesn’t have a signal.

“Damn it!”

There is no telling what kind of danger lurks in the dark rooms. The young guard curses and turns on the high-power flashlight with a scowl.

In an instant, bright light pierces the darkness like a sword.

The interior on the first floor is quiet, but for some reason a glass bowl is broken at the door with water flowing everywhere. There is a quilt thrown on the sofa, all the drawers in the room have been thrown on the ground, and things are scattered in a mess.

“Holy shit, a home invasion?!”

The bold young man walks into the room with his baton and checks the first floor. Then he turns his eyes to the second floor and shouts loudly.

“I’m telling you — I have a one hundred thousand volt electric baton that can electrocute you! If you have any sense, release the owner immediately. Otherwise, I’ll teach you a lesson first and then call a bunch of people over!”

It is silent upstairs.

The guard shines his flashlight toward the second floor, and at that moment, the flashlight suddenly goes out.

The young guard stares at his flashlight in confusion, absolutely speechless. “Society is so messed up. How can the things provided by such a big company be worse than garbage?”

He throws the flashlight to the ground haphazardly and walks toward the second floor with the electric baton.

At this moment, a faint sound comes from the second floor.

When he walks up quickly, he finds that the second floor is even darker than the first floor. In desperation, he chooses to use his mobile phone for light.

The weak light of the mobile phone sweeps across the dark second floor corridor.

Exquisite oil paintings are hung in the corridor. This is a gallery. In addition to these Western oil paintings, there are also Eastern ink paintings. If someone was invited in by the owner during the day, this would be a feast of art, but now in the dark environment, the people in these paintings make the atmosphere a bit eerie.

The paintings look like ghosts waiting for an unsuspecting human.

The young man senses an unusual atmosphere in the air and suddenly begins to feel nervous. Standing on the stairs, he is a little afraid to go that way, but there is no signal on his mobile phone and his pager seems to be dead.

Then he discovers that the doors to these rooms are all open, so he boldly checks them one after another.

“Is anyone there?”

“Is there nobody here, ah?”

“Why is this house so big…..”

In fact, from the moment he entered this house, he’s had an anxious feeling in his heart that is hard to describe. It isn’t the sort of fear he would feel toward a heinous criminal, but a creepy feeling that is difficult to name.

He doesn’t understand why, but instinct causes him to look around warily, his hand holding the baton already wet with sweat.

Suddenly, a subtle sound comes from the room on his right.

“Who is it!”

The young man turns his head quickly with a gulp, regretting that he had walked in alone.

His sixth sense tells him that there is something wrong with this house!

It is as if something has been watching him ever since he came in.

How supernatural!

He shines his phone light around, but sees nothing.

Only the figures in the oil paintings on the wall with their differently-shaped eyes open, laughing or happy, sad or angry, and shocked or frightened.

He tentatively walks toward the room on the right with the electric baton in his hand already raised, ready to attack at any time.

Although his biological instincts scream at him to run away, he enters the room out of duty and conscience.

Swish.

A draft blows countless pieces of drawing paper at him, and the white papers whirl in the wind like a flock of frightened white doves.

When the wind stops, there is nothing.

“Huff, huff, huff, ha…..fuck, fuck, that scared me to death…..”

The young man breathes a sigh of relief, his body feeling a bit weak. He wipes his face and sits down on the floor to take a rest and contact the captain.

So he takes his phone out to examine its situation.

But it still has no signal, and still doesn’t work after restarting.

He clicks it randomly in anger, and can’t help scolding the company for taking so much money from the owners and giving them junk. In the end, he gives up.

After his eyes stay on the phone for a while, they are drawn to something else, and his gaze follows his instincts to slowly…..slowly……

Fall to his side.

Wait.

What…..is this?

It is so dark that it is difficult to see clearly. He rubs his eyes.

This is…..

A pair of legs??

There is somebody standing next to him!

Terrified, he immediately turns over and stood up, and a figure quickly passes by him.

There is actually a person!

Who is it? A criminal?

“Stop!” He runs after the figure and kicks open the room it had flashed into…..

. . . . . .

I don’t know where I am, or when I lost consciousness.

My body and soul seem to be bound.

It seems like someone is calling out to me, but I can’t understand.

But his noise revives my soul a little. I take a deep breath, open my mouth, and my body instinctively begins to gasp violently.

It’s as if I’m beginning to exist in this world again. The feeling in my limbs is starting to return.

All of my limbs hurt a lot. It isn’t a severe pain like something is broken, but soreness. I don’t know why, and can’t remember what I experienced.

I feel very uncomfortable inside and outside of my body.

Out of instinct, I put my hands on my stomach to relieve the discomfort, but can’t figure it out.

The noisy sound nearby slowly amplifies in my mind.

“Mr. Wei! Mr. Wei, how are you?”

It seems like someone is pinching me, and my upper lip hurts.

“It’s strange, you just ran away so fast, so why are you unconscious now?”

“Wake up! Are you still alive?”

He lays me flat on the ground again and presses hard on my heart to perform CPR on me. Now my chest hurts too.

I didn’t die, but I was tormented.

And I finally awake from the torment.

When I wake up, I’m lying on the floor in my favorite pajamas, and the person holding me up is an unfamiliar young man. He looks around nineteen or twenty years old, and his face is still very immature.

If I were clear-headed, I would immediately recognize the guard uniform he is wearing, and that he should be a patrolling guard here. But my mind is numb, so I just lay there and stare at him blankly.

When he sees that I’m awake, he also stares at me blankly.

“You…..” In the darkness, I see him scratching his head in embarrassment. His young face seems to turn a little red. “Is your family not here? Let me take you to the hospital, are you hurt anywhere? Someone said they saw you asking for help. Mr. Wei, what’s wrong with you?”

It’s like I’m a half-dead plant, and as his series of concerned inquiries swirl around in my mind, I can only understand the sentence “take you to the hospital.”

Take me away?

As if suddenly coming to life, I grab his hand and beg him: “Take me out…..”

When I open my mouth, I realize that my voice is very weak and hoarse.

“Okay.” The young man helps me up and half-carries me out.

At this time, a gust of wind blows by. I don’t dare to think about what it was, but my body begins to tremble in a familiar way.

Realizing that I’m shivering, the young man asks conscientiously: “Are you cold? Mr. Wei.”

He puts me on the floor and walks toward the door without waiting for me to stop him. “There seemed to be clothes in the next room. I’ll get some for you. Don’t run around, your house seems to have been robbed.”

Having said this, he walks out. I try to stop him, but his steps are too fast. I put my hands on the floor and stare at his back, intending to wait for him to return.

But the moment he walks out the door, I suddenly see a tall black figure appear next to him.

The figure slowly takes a step forward. His skin is cold and white, his features deep, his lips raised without a smile. However, such a handsome face is expressionless at the moment, looking down at the young man beside him with his gaze lowered condescendingly, his crow-black eyes the same color as the darkness.

Then he smiles at me, opening and closing his lips in silent words.

“I hate him.”

His figure disappears in the next second, and a huge oil painting suddenly falls from the air like the sharp blade of a guillotine.

When he hears the noise, the unknowing young man subconsciously looks up.

And right above his face, an oil painting weighing several dozen kilograms is about to hit his head.

“Ah—-”

“Stop!!”

. . . . . . . 

At the last second, I bend over the young man’s body.

The oil painting misses us strangely and hits the ground, its frame shattering instantly as it makes a huge crater in the marble floor. The loud noise practically shatters my eardrums.

The young guard is stunned and can’t rise from the floor for a long moment. “…..Was a screw loose?”

He is truly a newborn calf who is not afraid of tigers. He only freezes for a moment before he helps me up, panting in shock. “This house is dangerous. Let me take you to the hospital first.”

After speaking, he prods his phone again.

“Why is there no phone signal in this place, ah?! So supernatural…..”

The last sentence stimulates me, and I push him away with all my strength. “Go, leave me alone.”

“How can I do that?!” He doesn’t understand, and stubbornly intends to take me to the hospital.

I am touched by his kindness, but this is not something I can decide. So I push him away hard, suppress the sadness in my heart, and turn around to refuse firmly: “You go away, I don’t need your help!”

He is a little confused when he sees me suddenly turn my back on him. “Why?”

Because if you stay any longer, you will die.

I have no way to tell him this. In desperation, I can only say to him in the most serious tone I have ever used throughout years of classes: “I don’t need your help. Please leave quickly, or I will call the police.”

Students will smile playfully at me most of the time, but are sometimes afraid of my serious appearance.

He is several years younger than my students, and is clearly dumbfounded.

“Mr. Wei…..”

“Leave!”

Seemingly hurt, the young man turns around and walks away.

Before leaving, he says to me: “I hope you’re okay, but I’m still going to come back.”

“Don’t ever come back,” I say.

I’m sorry.

After witnessing his ferocity and unblinking killing intent, I know that relying on others to enter the house and take me away is a very dangerous and harmful thing.

I must escape on my own.

After the man leaves, soft footsteps ring out and stop beside me…..

I don’t know how long it took, but it is dawn.

When the sunlight comes in, I still maintain my curled-up position, body and mind having become numb through a self-protection mechanism.

I just experienced the most terrifying and tormenting night of my life.

It is like part of my soul has been taken away. My mind is confused, my head muddled, and I can’t even remember what I just experienced. But from start to finish, I grit my teeth and remember one important thing, because it gives me a new hope.

At seven o’clock in the morning, the first rays of sunlight rise.

My husband’s impersonator abruptly stands, gives me a deep look, and then moves backward step by step.

Then he turns around and walks downstairs as if he can’t control himself.

I notice that something is wrong with him. He doesn’t seem to be moving of his own free will.

I realize something and use all of my strength to get up and follow him down. Then I see him walk outside and close the door with his own hands.

The moment the door closes, I see his bottomless eyes, filled with gloom and anger.

I fear that this is one of his methods of playing with me, so I sit in the corner of the stairway and watch him closely.

Hour after hour passes, and neither of us speak through the door.

Then my brain starts working and I recall our days together.

No matter what we went through during the night, whether it was pleasant or a quarrel, I wouldn’t see him the next day. When I thought he was Mingcheng, I thought this was an indication of him working seriously. 

But if not…..

Perhaps…..I think that perhaps I’ve found another constraint for him in this world.

Or a rule that must be followed.

. . . . . . .

July 27th.

I am home alone, planning my escape.

My husband has gone to work, but I know he actually hasn’t.

He is outside the door looking through the peephole at me, watching me all day long.

At 5:25 in the afternoon, he will open the door and enter the house.

I must escape.

Because he is not my husband. He is an imposter, and not only is he pretending to be my husband, but he is not a human being.

Now, I have three plans…..

---

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Chapter 13 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 15

‘Desolate Girl and Saka’ was created in 1725, in a Western country that had been ravaged by war and the Black Death. The pinnacle of human suffering was the pinnacle of human creation. The theme of this painting was evil and obscenity. The ugly and lustful demon Saka encountered a girl playing by a tree and intended to take her away by force.

The girl struggled desperately with a fearful face. Her golden hair was messy, her limbs were plump, and her skin was soft and filled with vitality in contrast to the dark and ferocious demon. The painting was gruesome and eerie, full of a paradoxical and despairing medieval atmosphere.

This had always been a famous painting because of the beautiful human body and the excellent modeling of light and shadow. When I studied oil painting in Russia and graduated, I copied this painting under the guidance of my teacher.

The painting won me a prestigious award that year, so I brought it back and hung it in the gallery on the second floor.

The lights in the villa were turned off at some point, and darkness now completely envelopes the house.

When studying this painting, although I understood the despair of the artist who created it on his deathbed, what I valued was the artist’s technique, the same as the other students. It is only now that I truly empathize with the girl in the painting, feeling firsthand her despair and pain, as well as that of the creator.

“Ah…..ugh!” I fall down the staircase in a state of disarray. Regardless of the severe pain in my body, I struggle to get up and escape downstairs. I see this painting when I pass through the hallway on the second floor, and tears flow uncontrollably from my eyes.

I had copied and painted the girl’s frightened and desperate expression, and at this moment, we are in the same darkness. My expression is probably exactly the same as hers. I am like a cornered lamb, pleading helplessly: “Help me…..s-save me…..”

I don’t know how I struggled out of his arms. It’s possible that he let me go in a playful way, enjoying the sight of me escaping in embarrassment.

But I have to run. I don’t even know if he is right next to me, watching my miserable appearance with a smile.

The light in the rooms is completely gone, as if it has fallen into a ball of ink. I hold onto the hallway handrail and go downstairs as fast as I could, hoping to escape from the house.

But just when I’m on the last flight of stairs, due to the lack of vision, I fall down again.

I instinctively hold my head, expecting to endure the coming agony, but this time I don’t fall to the floor.

“A-Zhen…..”

I fall into a cold embrace.

Someone calls to me in my ear, as soft as a sigh.

It turns out that he really was next to me all along.

I’m stunned for a few seconds, and then give him a hard shove.

What I don’t expect is that I actually push him. In the darkness, I see his body falling down the stairs. The sounds of a human body impacting the stairs are heard one after another, and I even hear a cry of pain. 

The world goes silent after the last thud.

I gasp violently. Opening my eyes as wide as possible, I stare blankly at the darkness below.

Nearly half a minute passes without any sounds from downstairs. The only thing in my ears is my own chaotic breathing.

Is he…..dead?

Can ghosts die so easily?

Is he waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs? Waiting for me to fall into a trap?

I can’t help but recall that when I pushed him just now, the body that my hands touched was as warm as a human being. Even through the shirt, I could still feel the sensation of flesh that only a human could have.

Reason tells me that I should flee quickly at this time, but as a human being, I begin to doubt myself emotionally…..in my mind, I begin to imagine my lover Mingcheng falling down the stairs.

No! I immediately dismiss my doubts.

He is not Mingcheng!

I emphasize this to myself before the heartache can arrive.

He is not Mingcheng, he is the demon that has taken over Mingcheng’s body. This is a trap! This is a bad joke!

I turn around resolutely and run upstairs. There are only my own footsteps in the empty hallway. Running quickly in the darkness, I find an inconspicuous room to hide in.

The mobile phone signal is very chaotic. I don’t know what time it is now, how long it will take until dawn, or even if all of this will turn around after dawn.

I don’t know if the gentleman opposite saw my plea for help. I hope he called the police. Although I don’t know if calling the police will be useful, I don’t have any other options.

In this state, I have no concept of time and don’t know how many minutes, seconds, or hours have passed.

But nobody comes to find me. The imposter I pushed down doesn’t appear by my side again.

I hide in the corner of the closet until my legs are numb. A long time passes, and there is no sound of anyone else in this villa other than me.

Have I escaped successfully?

Or…..is he dead?

Can it really be that easy for him to die?

After the violent fluctuations of emotions and panic, my mind becomes dull and blank.

What in the world went on tonight?

The demon took off his disguise.

Or is this a mentally ill person’s…..self-fashioned nightmare?

After briefly feeling safe, I begin to doubt myself again in this boundless darkness and soundless silence.

I try to control my thinking and tell myself that what I saw was real, but whether it is due to human nature or my own mental illness, I find that I can’t control my random thoughts.

I keep rubbing my hands, trying to avoid the skin where I had pushed him down the stairs. I feel the sensation, but that cry of pain keeps drilling into my brain, torturing my already fragile nerves.

I stealthily open the closet door a bit, and unexpectedly find that the room is not as dark as I had imagined. Bright moonlight filters through the window, shining off-white onto the floor.

The moon is still in the center of the sky at this time. It should be midnight.

Time really has passed.

The moon passes little by little under my sight, and so does time.

In the end, my chaotic and tangled spirit takes over my brain.

I come out of the closet.

The painting of the girl and the demon is still hanging in the gallery on the second floor. I walk forward, holding onto the wall. This house is really too big. I only now feel that such a big house is not suitable for two newlyweds to live in.

I walk in this long hallway for what seems like eternity, and finally stand at the stairs on the second floor again.

“Mingcheng…..”

I seem to be talking to myself, using the softest tone, but I unexpectedly discover that the darkness that can’t be penetrated by the moonlight actually conveys my voice very well.

This small sound echoes faintly through the house.

Until the sound completely dissipates.

No one responds to me.

I press my fingers so hard on the staircase that my fingertips hurt. “Is anyone there…..”

“Mingcheng…..”

“Sure enough.” Someone chuckles in my ear. “You really care about me.”

I turn around in horror, and immediately afterwards, the “person” forcefully turns my face and kisses the side of it. Before I can regret my actions, the person next to me disappears again.

Then I exhaust all of my strength to resist as I am held by my feet and dragged into the darkness…..

. . . . . .

One o’clock at night.

In the guard room of the Nanshan Villa area, a very young guard has just clocked in for the night shift. He puts on his work clothes and secretly pours hot milk tea into the water container hanging on his hip.

After everything is ready, he takes his baton and flashlight and prepares to join his work colleagues. At this moment, somebody knocks on the door of the guard room.

The young guard opens the door to find a middle-aged man.

The man is wearing pajamas and seems to have climbed out of bed, his hair messed up into a chicken coop. He is smoking a cigarette, and looks hesitant: “Um…..before I went to sleep, I seemed to have seen my neighbor asking me for help.”

The guard wears a respectful look: “Please make it clear.”

The man scratches his head and says: “I’m not sure if he was asking for help. He was lying in the attic window and waving to me. I thought he was cleaning at the time, but the more I thought about it, the more strange it seemed. How could anyone be cleaning in the middle of the night? Also, nobody answered when I called him, and there are several locks on his courtyard door…..

This is indeed very off. After the young guard asks him to leave, he tries calling the owner of building 127.

“The other party has no signal.”

No signal?

He confirms that Mr. Wen, the owner of building 127, has paid the property fees for one year at the beginning of the year, and that there is no possibility that service is not being provided to the property, then calls again.

“The other party has no signal.”

This is really not right!

“Hello? Captain, it’s me, Xiao Nan. I won’t be on duty for the moment, one of the owners seems to have encountered some difficulties. Yes, yes, I’ll take a look…..”

At 1:15 in the morning, there are no lights on in Villa 127. The people inside seem to be completely asleep.

The young guard checks the locks on the courtyard door that is locked from the inside, and after much hesitation, climbs over the wall and enteres the courtyard.

“Chirp, chirp, chirp!”

The sudden chirping of a bird startles him.

Looking over, he sees a little white bird. It chirps at him, probably complaining that he has disrupted its sleep.

Everything looks cozy and peaceful.

The guard doesn’t dare to relax his vigilance. He holds his baton tightly and walks to the main door, pressing the doorbell.

Ding-dong.

“Is anyone there? I’m a patrol guard……”

---

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Chapter 12 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 14

Mu Nanqiao calmly placed the receipt into his coat pocket. Then he went downstairs again and bought the things that Xiao Lu had forgotten.

After autumn, the days gradually grew shorter. Walking down the road in the afterglow of the setting sun, the coolness penetrated through his clothing and there was a light fog when he breathed.

When Mu Nanqiao finished shopping, he stood downstairs for a moment, thinking with some confusion: Could it be that the receipt didn’t belong to Lu Qi? After all, even though they were indeed the only household on the top floor, it couldn’t be ruled out that property management personnel would come to service the elevator and perform daily maintenance.

He knew that Lu Qi was still a little “afraid” of him, and he didn’t have to do this with Lu Qi. Their lives were long, and there would be many meaningful things. This matter was important, but not necessary, so in short, he didn’t want Lu Qi to feel forced.

If it wasn’t Lu Qi’s shopping receipt, wouldn’t it be embarrassing to mention it?

En. Mu Nanqiao raised his head and gazed in the direction of home. The lights were on, and there was a cat nest in the shape of a chicken under the floor-to-ceiling window. He could vaguely see a shadow bending down by the cat nest, likely feeding the two pigs.

The corners of his lips rose subconsciously, and he suddenly thought of how to verify if the receipt was left by Lu Qi.

He would take a look at the dishes in the refrigerator. If there were some of the items on the receipt, there was no problem.

After making up his mind, Mu Nanqiao went upstairs.

He opened the door, and the little black pig came up first, meowing and rubbing the legs of Mu Nanqiao’s trousers. Mu Nanqiao indulged him. He glanced around the room, and before seeing anyone, he raised his voice and said: “Baby, I’m back.”

The room was filled with the aroma and warmth of food. He heard Lu Qi respond faintly in the direction of the kitchen. When he changed into slippers and walked over, he saw that Lu Qi’s back was turned to him as he cooked with a spatula and hummed, in a good mood.

A light blue plaid apron was tied with a bow at his waist. Although Lu Qi had gained some weight recently, his waist was still narrow and slender. The position of the bow was like a gift wrapping decoration, just waiting for someone to gently pull it open and reveal the surprise.

The person behind him didn’t move for a long time. Lu Qi looked back, and it could be seen that his hair had grown a bit recently. The hair over his forehead was clipped back with a small strawberry hair clip, and the bruise there was no longer visible. His round, deer-like eyes curved up when he saw Mu Nanqiao, like full moons turning into crescents.

“I made stewed beef brisket with open-backed shrimp in garlic sauce and potatoes, as well as stir-fried yam and soup with baby vegetables…..” Lu Qi waved his arm with sparkling eyes. “This is to celebrate my recovery!”

When he finished speaking, he covered the lid of the pot with a small tower, completely unaware of how the fox’s eyes suddenly darkened after hearing the names of the dishes.

Mu Nanqiao came over and hugged Lu Qi’s waist from behind, lowering his head to kiss his ear. “I wanted to make cheesy potato pancakes for you this morning, but I couldn’t find any potatoes. Did you go to the supermarket today?”

The person in his arms immediately stiffened, and the song he was humming nearly broke. The smile in Mu Nanqiao’s eyes grew brighter, and he suppressed his laughter.

“Yes, ah, I went to the supermarket…..” Lu Qi stuttered a little. He turned around and pushed the big fox, muttering with obvious guilt, “Don’t go into the kitchen with that shirt, go change into house clothes…..”

Mu Nanqiao went along as he was pushed out of the kitchen. He turned to the door and took a small bottle out of his pocket. Walking upstairs, he tossed the bottle into a drawer and then went to the cloakroom to change clothes.

Dinner was sumptuous, and the two pigs also had unsalted shrimp and potatoes. The slate dining table was actually the standard size for eight people, and each time the two people ate, they would sit in one corner together.

Mu Nanqiao placed the small pot on a heat-proof mat, and Lu Qi came back with two glasses and a bottle of wine in his hands.

Golden wine, and a thick glass bottle. Lu Qi’s teeth had begun to itch when he saw this bottle of wine. He couldn’t drink until his wounds healed some time ago, and it would be a waste to pour it out. Today, he finally had a chance to get rid of this bottle of wine.

Moreover, he needed to embolden himself and drink just until he was tipsy.

The two of them sat down with their bellies full of thoughts. Mu Nanqiao glanced at the golden wine in his glass, raised his eyebrows slightly, and asked: “Baby, are you sure you want to drink this one? This wine is very strong.”

So strong, ah, just right for drunken sex!

Lu Qi raised his glass and said firmly: “I’ll just have this one!”

Mu Nanqiao: ……

How should he put it? Lu Qi’s intentions were already obvious, and he had jumped into the trap by himself. He would have to be a fool not to take the initiative.

He peeled the shrimp for Lu Qi, piled them on a plate, and slid it in front of him. Lu Qi was still sipping his drink. Not only did the wine have a beautiful appearance, but it also didn’t taste harsh when he drank it, with a clear fruity taste. Mu Nanqiao had peeled shrimp for him, and he ate them without hesitation. He ate all the dishes that came to him, and two more pieces of beef brisket were piled into his bowl as soon as he lowered his head.

Lu Qi gave Mu Nanqiao a strange look: “You eat too. You don’t have to pick up food for me all the time.”

“En…..” Mu Nanqiao started to peel shrimp again, with some of the soup on his slender fingers. He just smiled and said meaningfully: “You eat until you’re full, so that you have the strength to cry at night.”

For a person like Lu Qi who rarely drank alcohol, he would feel a little confused after drinking less than half a glass of strong spirits. Holding his chin as he bit into a shrimp, he asked vaguely: “Cry…..why would I cry?”

He waved his fist and said fiercely: “I didn’t even cry when I was kidnapped by a bad guy. I punched him so hard that even his mother couldn’t recognize him!”

Mu Nanqiao smiled in amusement and grasped his wrist. Taking the remaining wine, he drank it himself and rubbed his head, teasing: “Don’t just drink, eat food, ah.”

Lu Qi couldn’t be allowed to drink anymore. Otherwise, he would fall asleep in a while when they were in bed, and then wouldn’t the 001 Ultra-Thins and the small bottle he just bought be for nothing?

When they finished the meal, Mu Nanqiao put the remaining food into the crisper, and the dishes and chopsticks into the dishwasher. While washing his hands, he was still thinking about how to begin. A gentle kiss would be a good start, and then gradually……

When he looked back, Lu Qi was reclining on the sofa, holding the wine bottle and grabbing Xiao Sanhua to murmur something to her. The long-haired little ancestor looked appalled as she glanced at Mu Nanqiao and meowed with such urgency that she was practically begging Mu Nanqiao to save her.

He went over and pulled Sanhua-piggy out of Lu Qi’s arms. When he picked up the bottle and looked at it, he saw that the little drunkard had taken several more sips.

Before Mu Nanqiao could say anything, Lu Qi suddenly let out a long sigh and raised his fingers toward Mu Nanqiao with misty eyes.

Mu Nanqiao: …..

He really drank too much just now.

Sitting next to Lu Qi, he pulled the swaying little drunkard into his arms. Lu Qi struggled, and Mu Nanqiao thought he didn’t want to hug, but then the little drunkard stood up and raised his leg unsteadily to turn his back to him and sit on his lap.

Mu Nanqiao looked at the back of Lu Qi’s head, feeling a little confused for a moment: “Lu Baby?”

“Huh? No good…..I can’t see you…..” Lu Qi murmured. He turned around and sat back down again. This time, he could finally see Mu Nanqiao’s handsome face. He smiled with squinted eyes and held Mu Nanqiao’s face with both hands, then lowered his head and leaned over, kissing those beautifully shaped thin lips.

A kiss with the light taste of fruit wine.

Mu Nanqiao raised his head. His Adam’s apple bobbed, and he raised his arms to wrap them around the other person’s waist, moving him forward until Lu Qi was kneeling in his lap. The two were so close that they could feel each other’s body temperature.

“Детка…..” He kissed Lu Qi’s lips and said with a deep smile: “Such proactiveness. I’m very flattered…..”

“I want to make you happy…..” Lu Qi smiled a little simple-mindedly and reached out to pinch the space between Mu Nanqiao’s eyebrows. “Do…..do you know that since I was kidnapped, you frown every night when you go to bed? And sometimes…..when you wake up from a nightmare, you hug me very tightly…..”

Mu Nanqiao was dumbfounded.

He indeed had nightmares several times.

He dreamed Lu Qi had not met him, and was just an ordinary university student. He dreamed that the person who jumped from that window was Lu Qi.

Every time he broke free from a nightmare, Mu Nanqiao would repeatedly confirm that Lu Qi was lying beside him obediently, and would unconsciously draw closer and hug him.

“I thought you were asleep, but you were just pretending…..” Mu Nanqiao grasped his waist and gave him an apologetic look. “I’m sorry I made you worry. I do have some…..”

“Shh…..” Lu Qi covered his mouth, blinking his eyes. “No need to apologize to me.”

The tip of a wet tongue brushed across the palm of his hand. Lu Qi felt as though he was stung by flames, and quickly retracted his hand.

“So, you bought this to comfort me?” Mu Nanqiao took the receipt out of the pocket of his house clothes and waved it before Lu Qi’s eyes. “You’re so sincere, Baby.”

The drunken Lu Qi stared at the small slip of paper for a long moment before suddenly reacting. His already pink face now turned red, and he reached out to grab it.

Mu Nanqiao let him take it back and said slowly: “Zero zero one ultra-thins…..mmph…..”

Lu Qi covered his mouth again.

“This…..this…..” The little drunkard’s eyes wandered, and his head was a mess. At last, he said something he would never say while sober: “This was a gift for buying bargain priced potatoes!”

It was so cute that Mu Nanqiao’s heart melted. Pulling the other’s hand down, he leaned over to kiss him and murmured in a low voice: “I think it’s a free gift for buying high-quality venison, right?”

“Venison…..” Lu Qi hugged his neck in a daze. “I didn’t buy venison. Do you want to eat it?”

“I really want to.” Mu Nanqiao gently bit his earlobe and asked in his ear: “Will you give it to me to eat?”

The little drunkard came to his senses and looked at the big fox hesitantly.

But the big fox just kissed him gently again and again.

Mu Nanqiao felt that he was truly a saint. Even at this stage, he was unwilling to take advantage of the other’s situation. He still didn’t want to let Lu Qi comfort him in this way, but he was also an opportunist and was unwilling to give up this chance. So he didn’t dissuade him, but just remained silent, waiting for Lu Qi’s answer.

“Wu…..” Lu Qi lay softly on his shoulder. “Give…..give you something to eat. What a silly fox, why would I buy ultra-thins if I wasn’t going to give you something to eat…..Oh, right…..”

He sat up straight and gave a bright-eyed smile. “That thing has a size, and there’s an interesting reminder next to it that says not to buy it intentionally for the sake of face, or it might fall off…..”

Mu Nanqiao: ……

“Then I thought about it…..” Lu Qi giggled and reached out to gesture toward Mu Nanqiao’s front. “Oh! The biggest size!”

Mu Nanqiao: …..

He gave this little drunkard a chance to have second thoughts, but he didn’t take it.

---

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

Zhao Haicheng assessed the situation and knelt down directly to obey orders. Song Jing panicked, and was about to get angry, but was stopped by a look from Zhao Haicheng. He could only swallow his anger and let Song Xingmu take over the naval forces present and issue orders.

Song Xingmu stepped forward to pat Song Jing’s shoulder with insincere courtesy. Then his eyes turned cold, fully revealing his rare seriousness and prestige. At this time, the people around him saw the bearing of the Sea King, and couldn’t help but become solemn. After he gave the orders, the navy also instinctively took action.

Not only were the three suspects arrested, but Song Jing was also taken into custody for disobeying military orders and provoking his superior. The navy officials who had taken the lead in obeying orders indiscriminately were all tied up and brought to the barracks to be dealt with according to the law.

The situation was still being stabilized by Song Xingmu. “Lieutenant General Zhao, please take the troops back. Yi Chuan, follow along and keep a close eye on those three people. Don’t let anything happen halfway. I will be back soon.”

Yi Chuan nodded coolly, and Zhao Haicheng did not say anything. His performance had made it impossible for him to find any flaws. Before getting off the boat, his eyes glanced almost undetectably at Liu Zhenqing, who was standing next to Song Xingmu.

The glance was so veiled that only Huo Fenglie, who was hiding in the shadows, frowned slightly.

Once everyone left, Song Xingmu returned to his casual style and said to all the guests: “We have disturbed you all. Later, each table will be compensated with a bottle of wine. Take it as my apology for the navy’s misdeeds.”

Although Song Xingmu was a captain and the Sea King, because he loved to play and was willing to accept everyone’s teasing, he was very approachable.

Everyone cupped their hands. Some left with lingering fears, and some went back to continue drinking.

Huo Fenglie also walked out of the crowd and came to Liu Zhenqing’s side.

Song Xingmu looked up at the upper level of the boat and saw Xi Ran, the boss behind the scenes, standing there with an unhappy expression.

Song Xingmu cupped his hands and said: “I have offended you. If anything is damaged, I will pay double the compensation. Madam Xi Ran, please don’t be angry with me. I will leave and not be a bother to you.”

“Captain, I have no reason to take offense.” Xi Ran’s expression improved a little, and she sent Song Xingmu a covert look.

Song Xingmu understood at once and glanced at Liu Zhenqing next to him. Putting his arm around his shoulders, he said: “Brother, why don’t you stay the night?”

Liu Zhenqing was taken aback. “What do you mean?”

“There is a beauty who wants to stay with you for a night, and asked me to bring you a message.”

Song Xingmu smiled with evil intentions, regardless of Huo Fenglie standing nearby.

Sure enough, after he finished speaking, he felt the air cool next to him and finally believed the shocking news that Liu Zhenqing had exposed before.

But Song Xingmu didn’t stop because of this. After all, it was great fun, ah. If Liu Zhenqing was frivolous when he was young, then Song Xingmu was definitely twice as frivolous.

“This is fate, ah. No matter what you become, people will always take a liking to you. If you fail to live up to her kindness, it will be truly unreasonable and hurt her dignity,” Song Xingmu said with a smile.

Liu Zhenqing stared at Song Xingmu speechlessly. “I helped you just now, and you’re selling me out?”

Song Xingmu pretended to be aggrieved. “Look at what you’re saying. You have no conscience. And…..aren’t there some things that haven’t been determined yet?”

Liu Zhenqing knew that Song Xingmu was hinting that he might not be able to accept a man yet, and was so embarrassed that he didn’t even dare to look in Xi Ran’s direction.

“This kindness is appreciated. Let’s go, there is important business.”

With a look of pity on his face, Song Xingmu gave Xi Ran an apologetic look.

Xi Ran raised her eyebrows. Although she was a little displeased and regretful, she didn’t react much.

But suddenly, a sharp glance slanted over. Xi Ran took a look and saw that it was her love rival. She was a little confused as to why he was glaring at her, and could only guess that the misunderstanding had not been completely resolved.

After disembarking, Liu Zhenqing and Huo Fenglie became strangely quiet. Song Xingmu was puzzled, and asked if they had been injured just now. Liu Zhenqing inexplicably smiled and said: “Fenglie was standing next to me, how could I be injured? Right, Fenglie?”

Liu Zhenqing rarely addressed him this way, and Huo Fenglie felt as if a tiny electric current flashed through his bones. Thinking of the previous experience on the deck and the touch that still lingered on his lips, Huo Fenglie really didn’t dare to answer.

He could only change the subject and say: “Does Zhao Haicheng know you? He looked at you specifically when he left just now.”

The sudden serious topic made Liu Zhenqing laugh. Who cared about Zhao Haicheng, ah? He wanted to continue embarrassing Er-gou, but Song Xingmu paid attention to this topic and said: “Really?”

Huo Fenglie nodded. “Yes.”

Song Xingmu thought for a moment and said: “He was born on an island, and we might have met him before when we killed pirates to protect it. And he dared to go to the capital to complain about you. It isn’t impossible that he has seen you before.”

Liu Zhenqing touched his chin and said, “This sounds a bit familiar, but he definitely didn’t recognize my face, ah.”

Song Xingmu pondered this and said: “Perhaps he knows Liu Xiaozhu from before?”

“Impossible. The Liu family isn’t here, and they left for the capital very early on. Hasn’t he always been a sailor here?”

“In any case, be a little careful. These days…..the situation has become much more complicated.” Song Xingmu said, “By the way, where are you staying? Do you want to go back with me?”

Liu Zhenqing considered for a moment and then said: “We had better stay at the inn, there are too many people watching you. But we still need to go with you for the interrogation.”

“You can, but Huo Fenglie is too conspicuous. I’m afraid that some of the old sailors will recognize him,” Song Xingmu said.

Therefore, the two of them discussed it and decided to let Huo Fenglie hide in the dark while Liu Zhenqing went with Song Xingmu. However, Huo Fenglie was a little worried.

When Song Xingmu saw Huo Fenglie’s cautious look, he felt inexplicably unhappy, like a father-in-law viewing a son-in-law. He rolled his eyes and said with a smile: “You put a cloak over Liu Zhenqing’s head so that as few people as possible will see him.”

“That’s too dramatic.” Just as Liu Zhenqing refused, Huo Fenglie took off his outer layer and gave it to Liu Zhenqing.

Liu Zhenqing had no choice but to take it. He pulled it over his head with both hands so that it covered most of his face.

The black fabric had hidden silver threads, just like the sky at night. It had a majestic and noble air on Huo Fenglie, but when draped on Liu Zhenqing’s head, it was set off by his snow-white skin and bright eyes, and became extremely mysterious and charming.

Especially when he lowered his head and looked down. Looking across at him, Huo Fenglie’s heart palpitated.

When Liu Zhenqing looked up, he saw Er-gou looking foolish, and the corners of his mouth rose uncontrollably. 

However, neither of them noticed Song Xingmu, who also wore an evil smile.

The navy was stationed in a water fortress on the coast, which was fully equipped with barracks, meeting rooms, ship docking points, and a water prison.

Huo Fenglie sneaked away with extremely high qinggong. Liu Zhenqing could not see his figure at all, but Song Xingmu could still sense his position, guarding Liu Zhenqing at the closest distance and at all kinds of tricky angles.

Not long after they left, several lieutenants came to greet them and pleaded with Song Xingmu about the matter of Song Jing. Because they had been in the navy for a long time and were one generation higher than Song Xingmu, they had the faint intention of suppressing him, but Zhao Haicheng was nowhere to be seen.

Song Xingmu listened without speaking.

At this time, one of Song Xingmu’s people came forward to report: “Captain, someone is preventing Commander Song from being imprisoned. They are arguing with Yi Chuan in front of the water prison.”

The smile on Song Xingmu’s face remained unchanged, but his eyes flashed coldly as he looked at the lieutenants. However, none of them took it seriously, and were swollen with arrogance.

Song Xingmu maintained his smiling face, not wanting to play hard: “I was planning to discuss it with these few lieutenants. After all, there was a violation of military regulations. I learned the Great Zhou Dynasty’s military regulations from my father, and I don’t know if they have changed now. If they have, I will naturally follow your regulations.”

When these words came out, the faces of the several lieutenants practically turned the color of pig liver.

Before anyone could react, Song Xingmu said coldly: “Let’s go and have a look.”

Just as he was about to take his people away, someone couldn’t help but say: “Captain Song doesn’t take the military camp seriously. Does he take just anyone in?”

Liu Zhenqing stopped and glanced at those people. They looked at him and scoffed coldly. It could be seen that they had identified Liu Zhenqing as Song Xingmu’s male favorite. Liu Zhenqing suddenly realized that he was a man wearing another man’s cloak, which was strange no matter how one looked at it. He instantly looked at Song Xingmu, who had proposed this, with dissatisfaction, feeling that he had been tricked.

Song Xingmu took Liu Zhenqing’s waist and said: “But the sweetheart I have awaited for many years is no ordinary person. Didn’t my uncle urge me to get married a long time ago? It is rare for me to have someone, and you want to drive him away?”

The lieutenants were stunned, and stared at Liu Zhenqing in astonishment. After all, Song Xingmu was well-known for his love affairs, but he never mentioned getting married.

Liu Zhenqing couldn’t refute in public, so he could only take advantage of Song Xingmu’s embrace to pinch the other’s waist.

Song Xingmu gave him an affectionate look.

“Cough, cough, cough!” A lieutenant couldn’t bear it and said: “Even if he is a guest, he is not allowed to go to the water prison.”

Song Xingmu smiled and said: “Alright, you all go to the water prison first. I will send him to my place and then rush back.”

The lieutenants were circumvented by Song Xingmu, and went to the water prison with complaints in their mouths.

But they had just walked a few steps to pass the water bridge, and it was unknown who stepped on whom. Screaming, they were knocked down into a heap one by one, and fell into the river one after another.

Liu Zhenqing was dumbfounded, and Song Xingmu couldn’t help but scoff, calling: “Someone come quickly to fish out the lieutenants and bring them back to change clothes.” Afterwards, he leaned toward Liu Zhenqing’s ear and said: “It seems someone is rather jealous.”

Liu Zhenqing instantly understood that this was Huo Fenglie’s doing, and the corners of his mouth rose slightly.

Song Xingmu continued to embrace Liu Zhenqing without fear of death while moving forward, but his tone gradually became colder. “What do you think of the situation? How should we move?”

Liu Zhenqing laughed and said what was half an understatement: “If it were me, the 30,000 people should be completely obedient to my orders as soon as I came back. No matter how many others there are, no matter their seniority, I would punish the crimes that deserved punishment, drive away those who should be driven away, assassinate the true dissenters, and re-establish the navy troops.”

Song Xingmu raised his eyebrows and said: “As expected of the ruthless Prime Minister Liu, ah.”

He naturally felt that this was the most correct way, but it was too difficult to do.

“It is like rotting flesh. No matter how painful it is, it must be dug out at once.” Liu Zhenqing said calmly, “If you don’t, it will eventually backfire.”

“Then I don’t know how many people in Ming’an County will hate me.” Song Xingmu gradually lost his smile. “Just like you back then.”

Liu Zhenqing silently pulled up the cloak, half-concealing his face, and said: “Then it depends on what situation you want.”

Song Xingmu sent him to his small bamboo house courtyard and went to the water prison. Liu Zhenqing had just stood still when a gust of wind blew behind him.

Liu Zhenqing looked around and said: “Go to Song Xingmu’s side and check out the situation. You don’t need to accompany me. It’s very safe here.”

“Okay.”

But not long after, Huo Fenglie returned.

Liu Zhenqing was sitting in the small courtyard, drinking tea. When he saw him coming back, he said in surprise: “So soon?”

“There was an accident. Song Jing hit the wall and inflicted an injury upon himself to gain the enemy’s confidence, and relatives of the Song family came to make trouble. It is likely that it will take a long time to interrogate the three prisoners, but those three are already under the custody of Song Xingmu’s people, so there will be no trouble for the time being.” Huo Fenglie sat down with a bad expression on his face. As the general who protects the country, although he had never led navy troops, he was still a soldier. Looking at the commotion the lieutenants made, if they were under Huo Fenglie’s command, they would have been punished by military law. But currently, Song Xingmu could not offend the public, and could only endure it.

“It is indeed…..a heap of rotting flesh.” Liu Zhenqing said helplessly: “You must make plans early. If they are really involved with the rebels, these troops will be useless.”

“I know.” Huo Fenglie nodded.

Speaking of this, Huo Fenglie suddenly asked: “In the end, who is Yi Chuan…..”

Liu Zhenqing understood. “When Yi Chuan came forward, wasn’t he attacked by those people as a pirate?”

Huo Fenglie had watched from the shadows many times, and almost every time, this point was used to attack Song Xingmu.

“You were still young at the time and weren’t involved much. You didn’t meet him, did you?”

“I only know that you teamed up to catch the most powerful pirate group at that time,” Huo Fenglie said.

Liu Zhenqing nodded and said: “We heard that pirates were rampant when we came here, and the most powerful ones were the Black Shells. We were young and energetic, and wanted to capture the Black Shells, so we pretended to be a marriage boat and waited to be hijacked. As a result, during the hijacking process, we discovered that these Black Shells were not as vicious as we had thought. Later, when the pirates were arrested, they would naturally be punished. I don’t know if Song Xingmu really took a fancy to Yi Chuan’s talent or…..anyway, we really wanted to make a deal with those people, but they were completely uncooperative. It seemed that they were very resentful toward Great Zhou.”

“Hadn’t we just gotten rid of a bad official at that time? The newly transferred official was actually a good one. The people of the Black Shells were all originally from the Great Zhou Dynasty, and according to the investigation, although they robbed, they never killed anyone and did not rob the boats of ordinary fishermen, so we carefully investigated the reason they became pirates.”

“Their families were law-abiding fishermen, but someone coveted Yi Chuan’s brother and took him away by force. They pleaded with the government to save his life, but found that the captors were colluding with the government and wouldn’t give them a chance to save him at all. Soon, the corpse of Yi Chuan’s brother floated ashore. He had been tortured to death, and when they found his body, he had no clothes on and no dignity. It was said that he was a very talented scholar. The family fully expected him to go study at school and bring honor to his family, so even though the conditions were difficult, they all fully supported his studies. He himself strived toward a bright future. He was already close to taking the Imperial Examination, but it ended in such a way. On the spot, their mother couldn’t live on and threw herself into the sea.”

“So then they were forced to become pirates?” Huo Fenglie frowned.

Liu Zhenqing shook his head, saying: “People would not go to extremes if they were not forced into a desperate situation. In order to redress their grievances, they went all the way to report to higher authorities, but those officials were protected, and they themselves were beaten from time to time. That was how the family’s old man died. They were completely desperate, and made the sea their home. You should have an impression of when the former crown prince beheaded several officials within a month, which aroused the dissatisfaction of the former emperor. This incident was the cause.”

“It became clear after our investigation, but they were not considered innocent, and were sentenced to exile. In fact, this was to send them somewhere else to work a few years and live anonymously again. Song Xingmu took the opportunity to keep Yi Chuan. It was likely that his family also wanted Yi Chuan to stay and repay his kindness, so Yi Chuan stayed with Song Xingmu and was initially sent to the mountains to learn martial arts. If Song Xingmu had been in power, he would have trained him into a navy officer.”

Speaking of this, Liu Zhenqing couldn’t help but think, right, ah, why did Yuan Jue deprive Song Xingmu of power? He would have to ask Song Xingmu later.

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

I lock all the rooms on the first and second floors, and turn off the electric switch for the indoor elevator.

The purpose of these actions is to prevent him from knowing which room I’m hiding in. Of course, these efforts may be meaningless, but they still give me comfort when I’m scared out of my mind.

Maybe he’s not that powerful yet, and needs to observe with his eyes like a human.

There is the faint sound of a door being opened downstairs. It seems as if it takes him only seconds to open one door after another, my locks useless to him.

I don’t know if he will notice that I’m hiding in the attic on the third floor, lying tremblingly on the wooden door and listening to what is going on beneath.

Door after door opens, like a countdown of my life. I know this won’t last long, so I desperately press and hold the power button on my phone, turning it off and then on again.

My phone lights up in the dark, then goes out again, and there is still no signal, even for emergency calls.

I feel like a lamb trapped in the deep mountains. In the dark night, with crises rising and falling around me, there is a beast staring at me and salivating.

“Wen Mingcheng…..”

When we were teeneagers, he told me that he would stay with me forever. When we got married, he told me that he would stay with me for the rest of his life. He told me that death could not separate us, but then he tricked me into going on a honeymoon vacation and now left me alone in this situation.

Good for you.

I misjudged you.

But what should I do? I still love you and I hope that you will come back to save me.

I’m so cheap.

The fear, helplessness, and grief of being deceived by my lover overwhelms me. It is like a nightmare, and it would be nice if I could wake up.

I hope to wake up to a quiet night, with my lover lying next to me. He will go to work the next day as usual as I paint at home. This is just a bizarre nightmare I’m having until midnight.

But the sound of footsteps climbing up the stairs tell me that it is all real. The sound of men’s leather shoes on the marble floor is particularly clear in the night.

I had personally selected these leather shoes for their sound, which had previously been called a symbol of masculine elegance and charm.

And now, it seems like a death knell.

His voice comes up from downstairs without any weakening, and is clearly transmitted to my ears on the third floor: “I’m on the second floor, A-Zhen.”

I cover my mouth, not daring to make a sound.

The sound of doors being opened on the second floor is clearer, and I can almost hear him twisting the doorknobs into pieces.

Listening to his footsteps, I know that he just stands at the door for a moment before walking to the next room. The search is very fast.

The footsteps are getting closer.

“You haven’t eaten for a day. Aren’t you hungry?”

“Come out, and I will prepare whatever you want to eat.”

While he is talking, he breaks a few more doors while still trying to persuade me in a gentle voice.

“After eating, I will help you take a bath, and then I will hold you as you sleep peacefully. The sun will still rise the next day, and everything will still be as usual, won’t it?”

“I’m very sad that you are hiding like this and refusing to see me. I’m going to be very angry.”

He walks to the bottom of the third floor.

Just under the wooden door where I’m lying.

My heart is in my throat.

 I get up covertly and move back bit by bit, staring straight at the door. My heart is pounding so hard that it almost makes it difficult for me to breathe.

And at this moment, a bit of moonlight suddenly falls gently on my arm from behind.

I am stunned for a moment, and look back.

Only then do I realize that there is a small window behind me. There are dark clouds outside just now, and it is just as dark indoors, but I didn’t even notice. 

This small discovery instantly makes me ecstatic. 

Having a window means I can escape.

Although this is the third floor, I can go to the roof to ask for help. There are 24/7 security guards patrolling outside at all times.

There is a glimmer of hope!

I struggle to get up, not knowing when the being behind me might suddenly push open the attic door.

I even hear him walking up the spiral staircase to the third floor.

However, although the window doesn’t have a lock, it is rusty since it hasn’t been used in a long time. While I’m trying to open this rusty window that hasn’t been opened all year round, I turn back and stare at the attic door.

I almost bite my lip in anxiety. 

But at this moment, it seems that god intends to save me.

There is suddenly a bang on the second floor, as if something has fallen to the ground.

After I hear this, the sound of footsteps climbing up the stairs abruptly stops.

Then, I hear a sound like a strong wind heading toward the second floor.

Listening carefully, I find that the speed is very fast, and suddenly realize that it should be footsteps that are so fast that they almost overlap.

This realization instantly makes my hair stand on end.

This is definitely not human speed.

I almost desperately try to open the window.

Finally, I don’t know which rusty screw I turned, but I finally push the window open.

Outside the window, my neighbor’s family is having dinner on the balcony. A little boy is holding a toy airplane in his hands, while the man holds him and looks at the scenery outside, occasionally pointing at the sky. From this angle, I should be completely visible to them.

I try my best to wave to them while struggling to get through the small window.

The “person” seems to have been drawn away by the sound coming from the second floor, and I don’t hear footsteps coming up again.

This fills my heart with hope again. I try hard to get half of my body out the window. The man opposite seems to see me and puts his son down, turning in my direction…..

I feel surprised for a moment and raise my hand, trying to wave to him desperately.

But in the next moment, I suddenly feel that something isn’t right.

My…..

My ankle…..I try to pull back my leg.

My ankle is being grasped by a hand!!!

In the next second, I look back in horror.

In the darkness, a long, cold white hand holds my exposed ankle. Looking back along the arm, the man is half kneeling, half lying on the floor in the narrow space, his eyes deep but very bright and sharp.

He gives me a toothy grin. “How pitiful. You got caught.”

In the next moment, he exerts great force and drags me back into the attic.

Without my support, the window slams shut.

“Ahhhh! Don’t—-”

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Chapter 11 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 13

Two years ago, in a high-end Shanghai apartment complex, a young man jumped from an open window. He was a freshman at Shanghai Music Institute, majoring in violin. When he was working part-time at a restaurant, he was spotted by Wang Liang, and his nightmare began that day. He was harassed, entangled, and had his personal freedom restricted.

In the end, he escaped from his cage and flew up, then down, like a bird with broken wings.

Two years later, with dark glass scattered all over the ground, Wang Liang fell from the sixth floor of a shopping mall onto the green belt in the back. Fortunately, this was landscape shrubbery, and the only thing that was hit was a clump of tiger thorn plum.

. . . . . . .

Although Lu Qi’s cut was long, it was fortunately not deep. The doctor said that there would barely be a scar after the stitches, but when Mu Nanqiao arrived later, he transferred this person to a private hospital owned by Mu Group and went through the hospitalization procedures.

The anesthetic wore off, and the wound started to hurt. Mu Nanqiao was sitting beside the bed. Lu Qi hooked his little finger with his uninjured hand and shook it, asking in a low voice: “Where is Wang Liang? Was he taken away by the police?”

His hand was slightly cold, and Mu Nanqiao immediately held it and kneaded it gently.

“He should also be in a hospital being rescued.” Mu Nanqiao leaned over and touched his forehead, where there was still a small bruise. He frowned in distress and answered his question softly: “After you left, I kept an eye on him there. He seemed to have taken some drugs and was extremely agitated. When I blocked the door, he jumped out the window.”

Truly a predictable and reasonable result, ah.

Lu Qi nodded and breathed a sigh of relief, then yawned tiredly.

He brushed Mu Nanqiao’s palm with his fingertips and whispered: “Wu…..it’s good he jumped down by himself…..I was still a little afraid…..”

Mu Nanqiao thought he was talking about fear of getting hurt, and it was only when he drew closer that he clearly heard his sleepy murmur.

“Afraid that you…..mm…..would kill him…..dirty your hands……I regret…..leaving first.”

He finished speaking in a daze. His delicate, pretty brow was still furrowed and he didn’t appear to be sleeping well. Mu Nanqiao stood up and placed a gentle kiss on his forehead.

“I wouldn’t do that sort of thing. If the price is to be separated from you, it isn’t worth it.” He whispered in Lu Qi’s ear: “Lu Baby, take a nap, and everything will be over when you wake up.”

He kissed Lu Qi’s ear again: “Ялюблютебя.”^[1]

It was unknown if Lu Qi had heard it or just made a nasally sound after falling asleep, but he made a hum as soft as that of a small animal.

There were two gentle knocks on the door. Mu Nanqiao straightened up and raised the temperature on the air conditioner two degrees before turning around and going out.

Standing outside were Assistant Zhang and several policemen.

One of the older men stepped forward and shook Mu Nanqiao’s hand. He showed his ID and asked straight to the point: “Mr. Mu, we still need the victim to make a statement regarding this kidnapping case. Is it convenient for him now?”

“He was frightened, and just fell asleep.” Mu Nanqiao smiled politely. That handsome face was filled with the culturedness of a young talent, and he said cooperatively: “If you have any questions, you can ask me first. I will contact you when he wakes up.”

“That’s fine. You are the one who reported the crime. What is your relationship with the victim?” The old policeman asked in a business-like manner.

“He is my lover,” Mu Nanqiao said. “With the blessings and approval of the elders, he is the lover I will spend the rest of my life with.”

He spoke frankly, and the old policeman had met many different types of people, so he was not very surprised.

Mu Nanqiao took these people next door to make a statement. Lu Qi happened to wake up at the end of the day, so two policemen went directly to his room.

Lu Qi sat up, and Mu Nanqiao placed two soft pillows behind him as if he was suffering from something serious. He whispered in embarrassment that he was fine, so Mu Nanqiao stopped and went to peel a peach.

The recording process went smoothly. Lu Qi explained in detail the process of his kidnapping. When he mentioned punching Wang Liang in the head, he was still a little proud, but then realized that he was in front of the police and straightened his expression again with a cough. This little thought made the young policeman next to him laugh.

Lu Qi let out a small sigh of relief when they left, then sank softly into the pile of pillows. Opening his mouth to eat the peach fed to him by Mu Nanqiao, he secretly looked at him.

Mu Nanqiao was amused by this cat-like sneakiness and wiped his mouth with a wet wipe.

“You’re my boyfriend, do you still need to peek?” He nuzzled the tip of Lu Qi’s nose in a silly way. “What are you looking at?”

Lu Qi took the wet wipe with his uninjured hand and wiped his mouth carelessly. Seeing Mu Nanqiao smile, he breathed a sigh of relief. The wound still hurt, but it was nothing at this moment. He lifted his arm and said: “I’m looking at my boyfriend’s smile, ah. Come here, I want a hug.”

Naturally, Mu Nanqiao responded to such a request.

The small bowl of peaches was set aside. He simply sat on the bed and reclined against the pile of pillows, holding the person in his arms sideways.

The bed in the VIP ward of the private hospital was appropriately wider. Lu Qi moved around and found a comfortable position. His shaggy head arched into Mu Nanqiao’s chin twice.

He yawned again, like a small animal that had finally found its nest. “I actually wasn’t asleep just now. When I opened my eyes and you weren’t there, I couldn’t fall asleep.”

Mu Nanqiao lowered his head to kiss his hair. “Then sleep a little longer. I won’t leave this time.”

Lu Qi rested his head on Mu Nanqiao’s arm, and with his ear against his chest, he could hear the steady, powerful heartbeat of his lover. He rubbed against him like a cat, very satisfied, and closed his eyes contentedly.

Mu Nanqiao inclined his head and looked silently at Lu Qi’s thick, drooping eyelashes.

This was actually a stress reaction. Lu Qi himself didn’t realize that he had briefly lost all sense of the world. Maybe this state of affairs wouldn’t last long, but Mu Nanqiao still felt distressed.

He had never been a magnanimous person, and cherished very few things. However, some people stretched out their claws to test him without knowing his depths.

If Wang Liang thought this would be the end of it, it was too early for him to celebrate.

. . . . . . .

Lu Qi remained in the ward for a week before he finally couldn’t stay there anymore. Under his strong protests, Mu Nanqiao agreed in the end to let him go home. However, Xiao Sanhua and the little black pig were not there when they returned. Mu Nanqiao was worried that these two little guys, who were neither light nor heavy, would touch Lu Qi’s unhealed arm, so he had temporarily sent them to Mu Chuanbai.

The afternoon after he returned, Mu Chuanbai and Talia came to visit Lu Qi at home. While Lu Qi proudly told Talia how he escaped from danger, Mu Chuanbai glanced at Mu Nanqiao, and the father and son went upstairs to the study in tacit agreement.

Mu Chuanbai’s legs had healed well. He still had a slight limp when he walked, but it was not obvious. As soon as he entered the office, the image of an amiable elder that he portrayed for Lu Qi vanished. Before speaking, he gave a cold scoff of contempt.

“Wang Duan came to the office to see you two days ago. You were away, so he wanted to meet with me, but I refused. Do you think he intends to intercede for Wang Liang?”

Mu Nanqiao leaned against the table and wiped the picture frame there with a paper towel. He replied to his father, “You ask what you already know.”

Wang Duan should not be interceding for Wang Liang.

Because when Wang Liang fell, he became a paraplegic from the neck down.

In a twist of fate, he received the appropriate retribution. Wang Liang’s situation was even worse. He had fallen face-first into the tiger thorn plums, and one eye was blinded by the plant’s sharp thorns. His other eye was also affected, and his vision became worse and worse every day.

Speaking of which, Wang Liang had asked someone to plant this sort of plant full of spikes. Its purpose was to keep people away from his lounge window, lest they hear something they shouldn’t hear, even though he was clearly on the sixth floor.

Wang Duan no longer intended to plead for such trash that even prison wouldn’t accept. He had come to clear things up between them.

And Wang Duan finally met with Mu Nanqiao when he returned to work half a month later.

There was pretty much nothing wrong with Lu Qi’s arm. This seemingly fragile little friend actually had a good self-healing ability. 

This morning, his expression was a little strange. His eyes twinkled, and he insisted on driving Mu Nanqiao to work.

Mu Nanqiao was kicked out of the house for no apparent reason, and when he saw Wang Duan, his expression became even gloomier. He only glanced at his watch and said coldly: “Five minutes.”

Wang Duan smiled bitterly.

He was having a difficult time these days. His eyes were all black and blue, and this eldest young master who was boundlessly successful in the eyes of outsiders had not had a good night’s sleep for several nights in a row.

In Wang Duan’s short 30-year life, half of the time was spent cleaning up his younger brother’s messes. This time he was exhausted, and finally couldn’t clean up after him anymore.

Five minutes was not enough time for him to mention the recent losses caused by Mu Group’s vicious competition, no matter the cost. Unable to use benefits to persuade Mu Nanqiao to end his retaliation, he could only say straight to the point: “Wang Liang is already like this. Does Mu Group want us to pull out his oxygen tube?”

Mu Nanqiao gave him a deep look, his narrow fox eyes containing a mocking smile.

“Like this? How is he?” Mu Nanqiao leaned back in the chair with a relaxed posture, tapping the armrest of the swivel chair with his fingers. “He is lying in the best hospital bed in Shanghai and receiving the best treatment. Although he can’t move his limbs, that hasn’t stopped the young master from losing his temper. And even though he is blind in one eye, he hasn’t forgotten to curse my and my lover’s whole family…..”

Mu Nanqiao finally concluded with a smile: “I think his life is too comfortable.”

Wang Duan didn’t know what to say for a moment. He opened his mouth and had no choice but to continue: “Then what else do you want?”

“I want your family to sever ties with him and have a lawyer come forward to write up a statement. I want to see this statement trending on every platform…..”

Mu Nanqiao said slowly: “But out of humanitarian concern, I will allow you to find a nursing home for him before severing ties. I think ‘He Ai’ Sanatorium is very good, don’t you?”

After leaving the gates of Mu Group, Wang Duan, with a headache, told his assistant to find out where ‘He Ai’ was located.

The assistant quickly responded: “Mr. Wang, there is only one nursing home in Shanghai called ‘He Ai,” but it is located in a peripheral rural community. Um…..it’s not so much a sanatorium, and should more accurately be called a mental hospital. The conditions are rather bad, and last year there were reports that patients received shock therapy…..”

Wang Duan frowned upon hearing this, and before the assistant could finish speaking, Wang Duan was slapped hard in the face.

His mother roared hysterically, almost like a madwoman, with no trace of her former dignity and elegance. Right at the entrance of the company where people were coming and going, she screamed and scolded Wang Duan for not taking good care of his little brother.

She still didn’t understand that it was her bottomless indulgence and pampering that made her youngest son what he was today, and when she went crazy this time, she directly added another chip to Wang Duan’s already tilted balance. The pointer stopped on the side of completely giving up on Wang Liang.

. . . . . . .

When Mu Nanqiao drove out, a crowd had already encircled the third floor inside and outside. He saw the farce going on upstairs and passed by disinterestedly, driving straight home.

When he arrived at the door of the house, his uneasiness and fretfulness from not seeing Lu Qi calmed down a bit. He was about to open the door when he saw a small note on it.

It was a shopping receipt.

They were the only family on this floor, and other people’s elevator cards couldn’t reach it. 

Mu Nanqiao picked it up casually. He took a cursory glance and reached out to open the door, but the words he just saw suddenly flashed through his mind. In disbelief, he paused in the middle of opening the door and looked down again.

[Hongfu Chain Supermarket Shopping Receipt]

[Seasoning Soy Sauce]

[50/60 Chilled Shrimp]

[Iron Stick Yam]

[Baby Cabbage]

[Fresh fish roe wontons]

[001 Ultra-Thin condoms pack of 8 ]

[Blueberry Grapes]

[Premium Beef Brisket]

[Premium Pork Short Ribs]

[Bargain price potatoes]

Mu Nanqiao felt that what made his heart beat faster and his ears feel hot was probably not the bargain price potatoes or pork ribs.

---

[1] “Ялюблютебя.” = “I love you.” ⮐

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Chapter Forty-Nine << Table of Contents >> Chapter Fifty-One

There seemed to be noise in his ears, but Liu Zhenqing had no time to pay attention to it. He just suddenly felt that this abrupt accident was very pleasant.

It seemed that the stuffy feeling from just now had vanished because of this.

Huo Fenglie’s pupils shrank, and he suddenly tried to raise his head.

Liu Zhenqing naturally noticed, and his eyes flashed. His feet immediately slipped as if he had lost his footing, and he was forced to put his arms around Huo Fenglie’s neck.

At that moment, Huo Fenglie was brought down again, and their lips that were so close naturally parted.

Of course Liu Zhenqing knew that this would not hinder him for long, so he deliberately played dirty and lightly swiped with the tip of his tongue.

He felt the strong body holding him shake, as if his soul was being pulled out.

When they separated, Huo Fenglie could no longer control his expression. His face turned red, and in a flash, he looked at him with a pure and innocent expression that was a little cute.

“Aiya, my first kiss,” Liu Zhenqing teased deliberately.

As expected, Huo Fenglie was even more at a loss for what to do, and even forgot to ask what Liu Zhenqing meant with that little move just now.

But Liu Zhenqing chose to ignore the situation and turned to look beneath the boat.

A group of sailors were rushing onto the boat. It was they who had purposely pulled the boat with hook ropes just now, causing it to shake so violently.

Clearly, Song Xingmu was on the boat. What were they doing?

The enchanting mood just now quickly retracted when faced with proper business. Many frightened guests had already poured out onto the deck.

Song Xingmu also walked out with Yi Chuan. Seeing that they were both fine, he gave them a look, and the two of them hid behind the crowd to watch what was happening.

But at present, it was clear that Liu Zhenqing was the only one in a good state.

Very soon, a mighty military officer nearly fifty years old came up with the team. Liu Zhenqing recognized him at a glance. “Song Jing?”

Upon seeing this visitor, Song Xingmu raised his eyebrows and said: “Uncle, what is the meaning of this?”

“I should be the one asking you this. Don’t think that just because the emperor let you take over military power, you can do whatever you want. I know you want to eradicate my people, but who taught you to arrest people at will without any evidence? If it goes as you wish this time, will there still be Imperial law in Ming’an County in the future?”

As soon as these words came out, the surrounding guests couldn’t help but discuss it.

Song Xingmu raised his eyebrows in surprise and looked under the boat to see that the small team escorting the prisoners had been caught by his uncle. Those prisoners were also brought up to Song Xingmu and untied.

Wang Qi was the first to wail accusingly. “Commander, we really are serious merchants.”

“Commander, a person cannot be accused unjustly just because he is a foreign merchant, and the navy cannot bully us merchants at will. I know that the captain wants to establish his prestige through meritorious deeds, but he cannot act so recklessly!” As the military officer spoke, he knelt down to Song Jing and revealed a firm and unyielding look. “This subordinate swears by the sea god. If I lie, I will be shipwrecked when I go out to sea.”

Saying this, he directly guided public opinion. Coupled with the pirate to the side who deliberately showed anger and grievance, the people around them began to favor this group and point fingers at Song Xingmu.

Song Xingmu’s reputation as the Sea King was very great, but after all, this was the city that Song Jing had guarded for eight years. Moreover, he was Song Xingmu’s elder, so everyone could only doubt Song Xingmu.

But Song Xingmu still looked nonchalant as he said with a smile: “Then I’ll have to remind others not to go to sea with you in the future, otherwise, won’t they be buried with you?”

The military officer choked and turned red in the face.

“Nonsense. Someone escort him away.” Song Jing actually issued an arrest warrant for Song Xingmu, who was one level more powerful than him.

The navy men following hesitated for a moment, but seeing their commander take the lead, they naturally followed suit.

This scene was simply preposterous.

Liu Zhenqing frowned slightly as he watched. It seemed that Song Xingmu’s situation was worse than the rumors said. This uncle was completely against him and had no intention of delegating power at all.

Song Xingmu’s expression suddenly turned cold, and Yi Chuan jumped out with his blades, glaring fiercely at the people surrounding them like a vicious dog protecting its master.

The long and short blades flashed, immediately intimidating.

Song Jing said furiously: “Yi Chuan, if you dare to take action, you will be violating military orders.”

“Laozi is not a navy man!” Yi Chuan sneered coldly.

The furious Song Jing shouted: “Troops, come!”

In an instant, ten people surrounded him.

“Interesting.” Liu Zhenqing scoffed. “Er-gou, what do you think?”

Huo Fenglie stared blankly for a moment, then returned to his senses and glanced at him. “He treats military power like child’s play, acting willfully and making a scene.”

“Yes, ah, he is indeed making a scene. These 30,000 navy troops are basically useless.” Liu Zhenqing shook his head pityingly. With them being trained only to follow but not to recognize power, this situation was extremely destabilizing for a country. Even though the Huo Family Army was named the “Huo Family Army,” they still listened to the orders of the person holding the tiger talisman. This was a manifestation of the Huo family’s loyalty to Imperial power. They completely handed over the power in their hands for the emperor to control.

But now that the emperor had given Song Xingmu power, nobody recognized it. It was likely that even though Huo Fenglie now held the token of supreme military power granted by the emperor and could bypass Song Xingmu to control the troops, these naval forces may not obey.

In eight years, Song Jing had practically made thousands of soldiers into his own private army.

Thus, for the entire Great Zhou Dynasty, these 30,000 units of combat power were basically useless.

It seemed that Song Xingmu being slow to act before was out of necessity. He had no other choice but to slowly regain the discipline and fighting spirit of the troops.

Seeing that blood was about to be spilled, the people around could only retreat. At this moment, a voice pretending to be guileless shouted out from the crowd.

“It’s strange, didn’t the storyteller say that the one with the most power is the Sea King? Why won’t the navy listen to the Sea King and still try to arrest him, ah!”

As soon as these words came out, the people around became strangely quiet, and then couldn’t help but whisper.

“Right, ah, could Song Jing give such an order to Song Xingmu?”

This direct slap out of thin air caused Song Jing to freeze, as if something had been poked through. It also made the navy men even more hesitant, and they couldn’t help but look back at Song Jing.

This was also the first time Song Jing had directly confronted Song Xingmu, and it seemed like he couldn’t grasp the situation.

Song Xingmu gave a slight smile and said directly: “The emperor’s decree is probably nothing in my uncle’s eyes.”

“What nonsense are you speaking!” Song Xingmu retorted at once. He was still somewhat lacking in confidence because of this accusation and skewed his eyes, immediately thinking of a new excuse.

“You are utterly stubborn and obstinate, come back with me and kneel in the ancestral hall!” Song Jing was not stupid. He did not give the order as a military commander, but as an elder. If his arrangements reached the emperor’s ears, it would be unspeakable. “Troops!”

The navy men had no choice but to step forward again.

As a result, another “female voice” sounded and said in a pretentious manner: “Ya, it turns out that the navy can help the commander with his family affairs. They are private soldiers, ah.”

Song Jing’s expression changed drastically again. The phrase “private soldiers” was serious.

Song Xingmu immediately played along and said: “That’s right, my uncle likes to use the navy soldiers who eat Imperial food and receive military pay to discipline his nephew. Do you know where the military pay comes from? It comes from the hard work of the common people in order to support the navy and protect everyone’s safety at sea. But now it is used to teach his nephew a lesson. It is my fault.”

These words were extremely sarcastic and aroused public indignation. Although no one dared to show it clearly, their looks toward Song Xingmu also changed.

Song Jing also didn’t expect that his clever statement would actually be a rock he dropped on his own foot. He could only rush forward in anger.

Doing it himself wouldn’t count.

But before he even got close, Yi Chuan kicked him away.

“You!” Song Jing fell to the ground and gasped for air, in a towering rage. At this moment, a young military official flew up to Song Jing. 

The man had good facial features and he seemed upright. Wearing armor and a sword, he looked extremely majestic. The ferocious aura belonging to a general forcefully suppressed Song Jing, who looked powerful just now, another level down.

As soon as he arrived, all the navy troops immediately stood up straight and waited for orders, appearing very well-trained.

Huo Fenglie said to Liu Zhenqing, who had a hand pressed to his throat: “The one those naval forces obey is not Song Jing, but him.”

“You guessed it, Lieutenant General Zhao Haicheng is really not simple.” Liu Zhenqing raised his eyebrows and looked at that person, somehow feeling that he looked familiar.

“Captain Song, he is your uncle after all. How can you let your…..male favorite treat him like this?” Zhao Haicheng’s face was gloomy, and his previously serious expression was now filled with a sinister chill.

Yi Chuan, who should have been furious at this moment, was not. When it came to Song Xingmu’s home ground, he knew not to bypass him. Instead, Song Xingmu retorted: “He is so fierce, how can he be my male favorite? Are you blind? And it was my uncle who made the first move. He was only fighting back.”

Song Xingmu pushed Yi Chuan and smiled with raised eyebrows: “Uncle actually released the prisoners I arrested without permission, and even brought a navy ship to disrupt order and threatened to arrest me. Uncle has violated more than one military discipline. Doesn’t Lieutenant General Zhao know the rules best? Right now, I am ordering that Song Jing be arrested. Do you hear me?”

Song Xingmu was usually unwilling to fight directly due to the uncertainty of winning. This was the method of an intelligent person, but now he openly made himself clear. This somewhat surprised Zhao Haicheng. Could it be that he thought he had a handle on Song Jing by arresting those three people, and that was why he was confident?

Zhao Haicheng chose to help Song Jing up directly. When Song Xingmu’s eyes turned cold, he gave a polite bow and said: “Captain Song, this subordinate will naturally obey your orders, but I will not follow blindly. This subordinate has gone to the capital and received an Imperial edict, so I naturally know that when a problem arises with the top military commander, we can act above our statuses and file a petition to the emperor.”

Zhao Haicheng’s words were really unexpected.

Huo Fenglie remembered why this fellow had gone to the capital, and immediately lost control of his expression.

Liu Zhenqing couldn’t help but scoff coldly.

Song Xingmu laughed out loud. The more murderous intent he had in his heart, the more sincere his laughter became.

Zhao Haicheng continued to say respectfully: “Instead of fighting, let us solve the fundamental problem first. Isn’t the conflict here that Captain Song thinks these three people are criminals? Let these three prove their innocence. If Captain Song is wrong, he should accept punishment.”

“If you are wrong, you should accept punishment. Brat, do you dare?”

Song Jing seemed to grow a backbone because of Zhao Haicheng, and directly cooperated.

However, this game was extremely unfavorable to Song Xingmu.

The decision to arrest those people came from his own speculation, Xi Ran’s news, and Yi Chuan’s personal eavesdropping.

Perhaps there were still the two witnesses, Liu Zhenqing and Huo Fenglie.

But they were difficult to use as evidence for various reasons.

He should have arrested them and gone straight back to torture them and extract confessions, then investigate the evidence hidden in their homes. But now that the situation had been publicly disrupted, Song Xingmu instantly became very passive.

But through this, Song Xingmu also understood one thing. He had originally thought that if they were just petty thieves, even if his uncle was the person behind them, he would abandon them to save himself. Unexpectedly, his uncle directly confronted him for the sake of those three, which showed their importance to his uncle. And the things hidden behind this were probably related to Huo Fenglie and Liu Zhenqing’s investigation.

Huo Fenglie and Liu Zhenqing also thought of this at the same time. They didn’t know whether or not to be happy, but they could at least legitimately suspect that Song Jing and Zhao Haicheng were connected to the rebels, and their investigation could start from there. It was much faster than their original investigation method. It seemed the enemy really didn’t know they were here for the time being, otherwise they wouldn’t have left such an opening.

There was only the current dilemma.

Several people were thinking about how to solve it.

Song Jing was beside himself with glee. Seeing that Song Xingmu had been silent for a long time, he shouted: “There is indeed a pirate here.”

Song Xingmu and Liu Zhenqing were astonished when these words came out. Yi Chuan’s hands tightened on his blades, and he looked at Song Jing.

Sure enough, Song Jing pointed at Yi Chuan and said: “Weren’t you, this male favorite, the young captain of the Black Shell Pirates more than ten years ago? He has the pirate symbol on his arm! If you don’t believe me, take a look! It is truly absurd. His own male favorite is a pirate, and he also captures pirates. Song Xingmu, I don’t think you are qualified to be the Sea King and take over military power here.”

Yi Chuan immediately lost control and started to rush over, but was caught by Song Xingmu. He wanted to resist, but when he saw that the hand holding him was the one with a black glove, he froze on the spot and glared angrily at Song Xingmu.

Song Xingmu’s eyes did not shy away, and there was no panic in them at all. Liu Zhenqing understood instantly that he had known this was a problem that would explode sooner or later. Why Yi Chuan didn’t join the navy, and why Song Xingmu didn’t fight against Song Jing, was actually due to his protection of Yi Chuan.

“The case was already tried back then, and the elders of Ming’an County all know that he was acquitted. My uncle is using the accusation of being a pirate to suppress him, and feels that the official trial at that time was in error.” Naturally, Song Xingmu would not be easily manipulated, and retorted directly.

Song Jing gave a light scoff. He really couldn’t attack Yi Chuan, but since this matter had come out, the people around would naturally have opinions about Song Xingmu and Yi Chuan. His side had still won.

Song Jing was swollen with arrogance, and almost laughed out loud.

But in the next second, another voice was heard as a certain person grasped his neck again to sound like a ghost or demon.

“It turns out that pirates all have symbols, ah. Then….why don’t you find out by checking that person?”

Such innocent words, even if they were said in a very poor change of voice, suddenly lifted the fog and exposed the blind spot in everyone’s eyes.

However, the named pirate did not panic, but instead showed his arms generously.

Song Jing was about to laugh out loud when he heard the voice following him like a shadow: “Look how foolish I am, will a pirate who dares go ashore still have such a clue? Is there no other way to distinguish between pirates and foreign merchants?”

The words were enlightening. Right, ah, there must be more than just a symbol. Everyone’s thoughts were stimulated.

“Who is it!” Song Jing was furious, and rushed toward the sound of the voice with his sword. In the next second, he saw a person rush out and hide directly behind Song Xingmu.

Song Xingmu was taken aback. He quickly understood that others would not recognize Liu Zhenqing’s appearance, but that did not mean that no one would recognize Huo Fenglie.

So Huo Fenglie had to hide, but Liu Zhenqing could be exposed.

Song Xingmu immediately stretched out his hand to block the path to Liu Zhenqing, saying: “Uncle, my friend speaks fairly. Why do you still want to beat him?”

Liu Zhenqing poked his head around and asked: “Could it be because he has a guilty conscience?”

“How dare you slander me!” Song Jing was furious.

“I’m just asking a reasonable question.” Liu Zhenqing called out directly: “Hey, does anyone know how to tell the difference, ah?”

At this time, someone among the people watching the excitement finally came forward.

“I have encountered pirates before. The way they hold their weapons is different from that of our Zhou Dynasty’s navy, so the calluses on their hands are also different. Since this person says he is a foreign merchant, he should not…..”

“Yes, yes, yes. I have seen the corpses of pirates, and this is the case. They have obvious callouses.”

“That’s right, this can be used as evidence. Just look at that person’s hands. If he is a merchant, he will definitely not have them.”

“What if he is a merchant who practices martial arts?”

“There is a law in their country that merchants do not practice martial arts.”

As soon as this was said, the pirate finally couldn’t bear it anymore and suddenly jumped into the water to escape, but Yi Chuan jumped up and kicked him away.

Song Jing’s face paled, and he could only look at Zhao Haicheng beseechingly.

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Chapter Eighty << Table of Contents >> Chapter Eighty-Two

“You’re really back…..”

Or perhaps he never left.

I can’t say how I feel when I hear the answer outside the door, but I find that I’m not surprised at all.

It turns out I had guessed it early on.

People’s hearts are difficult to know. Although I can’t understand Mingcheng’s heart, he is the person I know best. Perhaps one day, at a certain time, I would have realized that he was not Mingcheng.

That my bed partner, my husband, was replaced before I knew it.

But today, I have to face the truth at last.

I bury my face in my hands and take a few deep breaths. The sky is beginning to darken at this time, and the space I’m in also begins to become dim, as if a nightmare drama is about to begin.

In the coming time, it will be performed with great fanfare in this house. There is no telling when it will end, and there is a high probability that it will never end.

I raise my face. My tone is actually calm: “Now that you’re back, why aren’t you coming in?”

The man outside speaks in an equally calm voice, and I actually hear him chuckle: “It’s so sad, I forgot to bring my key.”

This is a lie, and we both know it. But I still want to tear apart this superficial peace: “I know you brought it. You keep your keys in your handbag every day.”

The “person” outside the door doesn’t respond to me immediately. In the silence, I hear the sound of men’s leather shoes falling on the ground again. The sound is neither fast nor slow, like a leisurely stroll in the garden, or the light and relaxed steps when pulling me to the garden after a meal.

But when I hear this sound, I take two steps back and stare at the door warily.

Because just now, I heard the steps coming toward me. He had taken a step forward, closer to me.

There is the sound of knuckles rapping against the door twice in front of me. “Then will A-Zhen let me in?”

The two short knocks echo in the room.

He clearly knows that I’m aware of everything, but he still asks me this, which is a blatant provocation. Like a cat playing with a mouse before eating it.

I stare at the door. “Maybe you can prove to me that you can open the door and enter the house with a key.”

“That’s a pity. I can’t get in. You…..put a little something inside, didn’t you?” His speaking voice is light and airy, but this light voice can clearly pass through the thick red date wood door. It’s as if he is standing behind me and speaking into my ear.

I even suspect that he is leaning over me, but I can’t see him. This kind of suspicion makes my hair stand on end.

He no longer intends to pretend.

“What are you?!”

“Why are you pretending to be my family member?!”

I shout out the questions I’ve been holding back for a long time. The tail end sounds a bit shaky due to my agitated emotions, but in fact, this is not the most important thing.

What I care about most is: “Where is Mingcheng? Tell me, where is the person you are impersonating?”

…….Is he still alive?

Is he already……dead?

There is silence outside for a long time. Perhaps several minutes.

And within these few minutes, the sun sets.

Night falls.

Darkness drives out the light, pouring into the room like un-meltable ink, rushing to engulf me.

I am particularly afraid of the dark now, so I quickly flip the switch for the main light in the room.

The light is back, exclusively indoors.

“I am Mingcheng.” The ‘person’ outside the door finally answers my question.

“I know you’re not!” I don’t want to entangle any further with this unknown thing. I just want to know if Mingcheng is alive or dead.

Perhaps my rebuttal makes him angry, because his tone of voice loses its smile.

“I am Mingcheng. I am the master of this house. I am your new husband. Open the door for me, A-Zhen. Don’t you love me very much? Be good…..let me in. I will have dinner with you. After dinner, I will accompany you to paint and watch TV. No matter what you want to do, I will accompany you. Open the door for me.”

“No.” I notice that he is fed up with waiting, so I back away cautiously. Fortunately, the glass bowl on the floor is intact and should last for a while. “Don’t come in, I don’t love you…..”

My words are interrupted by a loud bang on the door.

I am horrified to find that the glass bowl on the floor is making a buzzing sound. The water in the bowl begins to form a vortex, and the voice of the “person” outside the door sounds monstrous.

“Have you forgotten? You told me several times that you love me. If I come home late, you are worried. You bring me food and clean my clothes. At night, our bodies press together and when you are in my arms…..”

“Shut up!” I just can’t help but fall apart. His words are sweet between me and my lover, but now I just feel horrible.

I shared a bed with something that isn’t human, and had intimate contact with it. I feel goosebumps appear on every inch of skin it had touched.

After this sharp scolding, the atmosphere is quiet for a long time.

“……I want to kill the person who instigated this dissension.”

“I want to kill the person who gave you bad advice.”

“You can’t stop me from entering the room.”

My eyes widen at once. When he says this, his tone is dark and severe, with anger and strong murderous intent.

“The same method won’t work on me twice. You have at most an hour.”

I slowly take two steps back, then quickly turn around and run.

And he says with a smile behind me: “Follow what that old man said and find the doll. I hope you succeed…..”

The Golden God Attendant told me that this was the early form of his existence in this world, and at this time, he would be subject to various constraints and be forced to abide by some rules of the human world. If I can discover one or two of them, there might be a chance of survival. The most important one is—the Black Nanjia.

As long as it is still in my home, he will enter the house sooner or later. The only possible way to stop him is to find the Black Nanjia and send him away again.

I have to find it within this hour.

This house has three floors, with a total of twelve rooms on the first and second floors, and a huge attic on the top floor.

I work hard to search through all the rooms on the first floor. The living room, study, cloakroom, two bedrooms, and two bathrooms.

It takes more than forty minutes and I achieve nothing.

Like a patient having an anxiety attack, I throw everything in sight to the floor. I empty every drawer and scatter the clothes in the closets, but find nothing.

In the last ten minutes, there is still no sound at the door. I know he is holding himself back on purpose, or maybe he’s making fun of me.

The prey’s struggle before death, so pitiful and powerless.

I give up.

In the last few minutes, I take refuge in the attic on the top floor. 

This house covers an area of 500 square meters, and the attic is 400 square meters. Because there is no electricity, I look into the depths and everything in my vision is darkness. There seems to be no end to the dark night.

There is the sound of shattering glass downstairs, followed by the sound of the door opening.

“Are you hiding?”

“I’m coming to find you.”

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Chapter 10 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 12