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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“No,” Huo Fenglie said firmly.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Yes, it was him!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

They all knew that Yuan Jue would certainly deal with it in a drastic way this time. The north was fine because it was close to the Imperial City, so even if the First Princess had a protective umbrella, it could be removed in one day.

But in the south, which was far from the central government, the court’s control over the local area would be very weak. There may be invisible local emperors everywhere, with officials protecting each other and all kinds of transfers of responsibility. It could be imagined how difficult it was to conduct a thorough investigation. Even if the source was the First Princess and Rong Shiming, there were only one or two people responsible for liaising between them, and the big fish knew how to hide.

“Before we set off, the news from below was that the main culprit has been captured,” Qin Yu said. 

“Whether it is the real main culprit or not, we will only know after we investigate.” He Lan was lying on his side with his legs crossed, and could touch Qin Yu’s sleeve with a single hook of his foot. “Hey, why don’t we talk to the public first, so we’re not led around by the nose when we go to the government office.”

Qin Yu glanced to the side and moved his arm away. “In the matter of the Imperial Examination, folk rumors are of little use, and confessions are simply extracted through torture.”

“Ya, Qin-daren is so cold-blooded,” He Lan called delicately, and received another eye roll. “But when tortured to extort a confession, not many are willing to sell out high officials. In the end, what doesn’t have its own weaknesses?”

Qin Yu looked over and He Lan raised his eyebrows, saying with a smile: “Let’s give play to our respective strengths and act separately? You take the inside and I take the outside?”

Qin Yu had no objections.

“Actually, one of the local officials cooperating with the case this time is my brother’s friend, Cheng Xi, Cheng-daren.” Bai Su said, “I’ve never met him. I only heard him mentioned in my brother’s letters before.”

“What do you think? Is he trustworthy?” He Lan immediately became interested. If there were trustworthy officials in the local area, it would definitely be more convenient to get things done.

“My elder brother said that he was a son from a poor family, and had the talent to win the Imperial Examination. Because the Imperial Examination was held in the north at that time and he had a sick mother at home, he could not travel far away and could only regretfully miss it. His only future was to be recommended by an official as a candidate. At that time, his good brother recommended him and he became a local official. Now, it should be that he was promoted to Prefect.” Bai Su explained according to memory: “Although I believe in my brother’s judgment, whether he is trustworthy or not depends on us meeting in person. I will go feel him out first and then discuss it with you in detail.”

The three of them had arranged their own affairs, and after talking, they looked at Liu Zhenqing and Huo Fenglie.

“Eh, the Liu family is involved in the Imperial Examinations, so I plan to go and investigate the Liu family’s property here.” Liu Zhenqing found an excuse.

Huo Fenglie said without hesitation: “I will go with him.”

The three glanced at Huo Fenglie in surprise, their eyes wandering uncontrollably between the two of them. They had thought the atmosphere between them was too strange before. Not only had they become much closer, but they stayed in the same tent at the camp and in the same cabin on the ship. Qin Yu and Bai Su had stayed together, but He Lan thought something was very wrong. Why was he the only one who ended up staying alone?

Ai, this wasn’t right, how could Huo Fenglie get along with others so well, ah? It should be said that none of the three of them had the opportunity to get along with Huo Fenglie like this.

And now they were inseparable.

“You two…..” He Lan’s gossipy expression was about to come out.

Qin Yu was looking at the sky, but his ears were constantly paying close attention. Bai Su drank tea to cover up his awkwardness, his eyes brightening a bit. Even he felt that Huo Fenglie’s treatment of Liu Zhenqing was a little unusual. Could it really be that Huo Fenglie had a change of heart? 

Although Huo Fenglie had expressed that he didn’t care about other people’s misunderstandings, Liu Zhenqing couldn’t let them go astray, ah.

“General Huo has vouched for me in front of the emperor, so he naturally must keep an eye on me. Regardless of whether he trusts me or not, he can rest assured if we act together. And isn’t it enough to have a few people in charge of the government office? Unless troops and horses are needed to suppress it, there is no need for General Huo.”

Huo Fenglie nodded.

He Lan didn’t fall for this trick. He narrowed his eyes and said bluntly: “I think you just want to leave us so you can act alone.”

Although He Lan meant going on a date alone, in a sense, he was right. They intended to investigate the tax money, so how could they not act alone?

Thus, when they arrived at the government office, Huo Fenglie didn’t plan to show his face to the officials. He just went to the courtyard they were assigned under the guidance of a junior government servant, where he dropped them off and saluted. 

“What other instructions do the two gentlemen have?” The junior was pretty good-looking, youthful and energetic. Although he couldn’t figure out their identities, he knew they had come with the investigation team and treated them very warmly, his attitude neither humble nor overbearing.

Liu Zhenqing looked at him and asked directly, “Little brother, can you tell us how the case is progressing?”

“Aiya, the progress is so slow. Every once in a while, someone comes to the government office gate crying and complaining that so-and-so of their family had been wronged, elders, pregnant women and children all kneeling on the ground, making it so noisy that not a single morning is quiet. The prison is overcrowded. Previously, only Prefect Cheng was conducting serious investigations, while others were just messing around. In the end, when the officials from the investigation team arrived a few days ago, they took action quickly, but it is said that the overall progress is still rather slow.” The junior lamented: “There are quite a lot of academies, candidates, and officials involved in this case. But fortunately they were discovered. I saw some candidates who were famous for their talents but failed to succeed, and many of them died in depression.”

“What about the magistrate of Tongmao Prefecture?” Liu Zhenqing asked.

The junior’s face changed slightly. “Magistrate Yao is old, and has been bedridden for a long time. He is ready to retire and return to his hometown. He doesn’t interfere much in these matters now and basically leaves them to the people below.”

Liu Zhenqing blinked, then suddenly said with a smile: “Little brother, you don’t look as if you’ve never read a book. Why did you end up working as a government servant, ah?

The junior likely hadn’t expected that Liu Zhenqing would suddenly turn to this topic. How could he, a little government servant, be noticed? When he reacted, he didn’t feel excited about being favored by a high official, and only said with a smile: “There are elders in the family who need to be taken care of. The work of a government servant is very leisurely most of the time, which is suitable for this humble one to take care of his family.”

“Such a filial person. What are you called?” Liu Zhenqing asked.

There was a flash of defensiveness in the eyes of the junior. “This one’s name is Du Dongfeng.”

Liu Zhenqing smiled and changed the topic: “I wonder where the best fish in the area is?”

Du Dongfeng’s brow furrowed slightly. Concealing his disdain, he still answered respectfully: “Of course it is Wan Zhao Tower, the best restaurant here. It’s just on Dongmen Street.”

Liu Zhenqing nodded and the junior retreated. When he turned around, he saw that Huo Fenglie was looking at him silently. 

Liu Zhenqing tilted his head with a smile: “What do you think?”

“He knows martial arts and has a good mind.”

Regarding his evaluation of Du Dongfeng, Liu Zhenqing nodded in agreement. The reason for sounding him out was not because he suspected something, but because he wondered why this small government servant had hidden such a good mind. 

“Magistrate Yao?” Huo Fenglie looked at Liu Zhenqing with a frown.

Liu Zhenqing shook his head: “I’m not familiar with him. When I was in office, there was indeed a tax money issue here, but he should not have been among the main culprits. Although…..I didn’t have a chance to solve it, but according to Yuan Jue’s nature, he should have solved it later. That the problem has arisen again only proves that it is not an issue that can be entirely eradicated, or that the protective umbrella over some people is too large and Yuan Jue couldn’t solve it for the time being, so he could only wait for the opportunity to take action again. I’m partial toward the latter. But now it is related to the rebels…..Bai Su’s brother, Bai Yu, was also sent by me to investigate the tax money matter.”

As he was thinking, Liu Zhenqing turned and was about to go out, but Huo Fenglie grabbed his arm.

Liu Zhenqing glanced back at him and saw the serious look on Huo Fenglie’s face: “How about I check on this matter and you rest.”

Liu Zhenqing was taken aback for a moment. He understood in his heart and couldn’t help but tease: “What? Do you feel sorry for Gege? Are you afraid I’ll feel unhappy thinking about the past while I investigate?”

Huo Fenglie looked at the smile on Liu Zhenqing’s lips and only felt discomfited.

Liu Zhenqing just wanted to tease Er-gou again. After all, Er-gou didn’t know the truth at that time. It was hearsay at most, all those rumors about his eagerness to rapidly levy harsh taxes. How could the treacherous minister be “unhappy?”

As a result, he heard a low voice: “En, I feel sorry.”

Liu Zhenqing was stunned. He felt as if he could hear a drumbeat vibrating deep in his soul. Somewhat dumbfoundedly, he raised his head and fell into two deep black pools. Every bit of light in those dark pools spoke of distress, and Liu Zhenqing could clearly see it.

Er-gou felt sorry?

This unfamiliar feeling caused Liu Zhenqing to give a dry cough. He had walked the difficult road of officialdom alone, and no one had ever been distressed for him. This feeling was so strange that Liu Zhenqing became inexplicably amused, stretching out his hand to rub Er-gou’s head. “Brat, you’ve really grown up, knowing how to feel sorry for others.”

Huo Fenglie was not bothered about his hair being messed up. He just grabbed Liu Zhenqing’s wrist and raised his eyes to look at him earnestly, only to see that Liu Zhenqing was smiling happily at this moment.

“Your Qing-ge isn’t going to feel bad, little fellow.” Liu Zhenqing smiled easily and took Huo Fenglie’s arm, walking out: “Let’s go shopping…..ah, go to work.”

They wandered around inquiring about news during the day, so it really felt like the two of them were taking a leisurely stroll.

Stopping here, looking there, joining the fun, and browsing the shops.

After some time, Huo Fenglie was holding a bunch of things to play with and eat in his hands. Since his identity was exposed, Liu Zhenqing spent Huo Fenglie’s money without any embarrassment at all.

Seeing Liu Zhenqing holding tanghulu in one hand and a sesame seed cake in the other, Huo Fenglie could only remind him: “We’re going to have lunch.”

As a result, Liu Zhenqing held a tanghulu in his mouth and looked back at him with a pair of innocent eyes. Huo Fenglie’s eyebrows twitched: “We can…..eat later.”

Liu Zhenqing grinned and reached out to hand over the tanghulu: “Here, eat one.”

The tall and mighty General Huo obediently leaned his head over on the crowded street and bit one off. Very sweet.

He Lan, who had also come to the street to search for news, happened to witness this scene.

The accompanying subordinate also saw it and exclaimed in shock: “Isn’t…..i-isn’t that General Huo?”

He Lan quickly reached over to cover his subordinate’s eyes and pushed him away: “No, no, you saw wrong.”

Heavens, he said their relationship was unusual, but they still wouldn’t admit it. This lovey-dovey behavior as if there was no one around, if others saw it, the great general who guards the country would lose his reputation, ah!

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[1] Gou Dan (狗蛋) can either refer to an unreliable person or dog testicles. ⮐

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

In the early morning, Lu Qi got up and fed the kittens. These four little creatures were just able to open their eyes, and huddled together on the electric blanket, meowing whenever they were hungry. Lu Qi had set the alarm clock, and fed each one in a daze, also using wet wipes to help them go to the toilet. After tossing about for most of an hour, they went to sleep and Lu Qi fell back on the bed.

His sleepiness had subsided a lot, and he opened Bilibili to find a video to help him sleep, only to be shocked by the explosion of private messages. 

Some time ago, the private messages were full of malice. Lu Qi was a little worried about these red dots, and hesitantly clicked in to take a quick glance.

Huh?

His eyes widened, dark pupils illuminated by the light of his mobile phone.

[Hahahahahaha, heaven has eyes! Lu Baby, that 90° scumbag overturned!]

[Is wifey there? That bastard who spread rumors has been detained (attack) (attack)]

[ (image) (image) ]

[ (link) ]

Lu Qi clicked on the pictures first.

The police report with white letters on a blue background was issued by the precinct in Ninghai District, Beijing, where 90° Right Angle Bend was located. Its content stated that Liu Jiang was criminally detained by police in accordance with the law on suspicion of rape and gathering a crowd for promiscuity.

Liu Jiang—the real name of 90° Right Angle Bend.

Lu Qi was so frightened by the big melon rolling toward him that he couldn’t sleep anymore. He simply put a pillow behind him and found a more comfortable position to eat the melon.

In the dim morning light, there was the sound of a door opening and closing next door. Lu Qi tilted his head to listen. Mu Nanqiao’s footsteps going down the stairs were very soft. Thinking of the big, tall person cautiously tiptoeing downstairs, Lu Qi couldn’t help the curve of his lips, and raised a hand to rub his painful swollen eyes. The kittens mew mew’d, and Lu Qi put on slippers to go prepare milk powder. During the feeding, he thought about the 90° Right Angle melon.

Initially, it was a little-known personal media outlet that broke the news, claiming that Liu Jiang, a well-known internet celebrity, lured an underage female fan to have sex. There was even surveillance footage of the two people entering and leaving the hotel one after another.

But this was not firm evidence. Fans of Right Angle immediately rushed to that personal media outlet, claiming, Right Angle is gay, so how could he sleep with female fans?

The Weibo of the small personal media outlet that broke the news was quickly reported and deleted. However, forty minutes later, the media outlet came out with new revelations. The ruthless person didn’t say much, and there was only a series of pictures.

Several of the pictures couldn’t pass the censorship review and were blurred out. In them, Liu Jiang embraced a boy and a girl on the left and right, and was kissing the girl among them. Even though the boy’s face was blurred, it could be seen that it was not his current boyfriend, Honey Bear. In the blurry picture, Liu Jiang did not seem to be wearing pants.

Public opinion was currently exploding. Although some fans were quibbling that it wasn’t Liu Jiang in the pictures, more fans began to remain silent. After all, Liu Jiang wasn’t a star, and there were still only a few people who had been truly brainwashed.

Later, the personal video outlet released a video.

Someone had taken a video of the police crackdown on pornography and illegal activities from a distance. Red and blue lights flashed, and only the vague figures of men and women could be seen from so far away. However, the person who took the video was close to the parking lot. A fancy red sports car was parked at the very edge, exactly the same as the one Lui Jiang had posted about some time ago. 

Finally, the hammer fell, and the Ninghai District Precinct issued a police report.

Bilibili blocked the channel “90° Right Angle Bend” overnight.

In short, Liu Jiang was finished.

Lu Qi’s private messages were all asking him to watch the fun.

A little kitten vigorously sucked the milk from the syringe, and Lu Qi yawned tiredly.

He had seen enough of the excitement and was a little sleepy.

Of course he felt happy that the scum received the punishment he deserved, but this excitement didn’t last long. As the temporary father of four cubs, he finished feeding the kittens who were waiting for food and then lay back to catch up on his sleep.

Hugging the pillow, he fell into an extraordinarily deep sleep.

At the same time, Mu Nanqiao had changed into a formal dark brown three-piece suit and was sitting in the car on the way to Mu Group.

He had his own driver, so he could focus on looking through the interesting things he found.

The assistant had stayed up late the night before doing errands, and had dark patches under his eyes. It served that internet celebrity right to get in trouble. That person had no idea he was being targeted, and even gathered a crowd to have a party. Once it was reported, he was caught.

Thinking of the boss’s “cat holding a knife” emoji the night before, he couldn’t help but shiver and send a covert glance toward his boss.

Mu Nanqiao rested his elbow against the car window, leaning the side of his face on his hand. The morning light fell on his impeccably handsome face, and the light and shadow gave his features more three-dimensionality. Even in the back row, the space in this car was worthy of its price, and the boss could still cross his legs in a leisurely and elegant posture. Leisurely looking at…..erotic art?!!

The assistant almost choked to death on his own saliva. He swore he hadn’t peeked on purpose, and only glanced over vaguely, but the more vague it was, the more the overlapping and entangled figures became suspicious, ahhhhh! 

He covered his mouth, not daring to cough loudly, and his face turned red.

Heaven protect him, he had originally wanted to sit in the passenger seat today, but his boss stabbed him with his eyes and took him to the back. Upon closer inspection, there was a round, chubby neck pillow in the shape of a running deer strapped to the backrest of the passenger seat.

As a result, he saw something he shouldn’t have seen while sitting in the back. Would he be fired from Mu Group tomorrow for this blunder? 

But the boss was really not very normal lately. Although his boss had always had a gloomy and twisted temperament, in the past two days, he had become like a pervert with a heart full of love.

“If you need to cough, just cough.” Mu Nanqiao said leisurely, “It would be troublesome to deal with if you suffocated to death in my car.”

The assistant felt that “deal with” referred to digging a hole and burying the body.

He finally couldn’t hold it in anymore, and tilted his head to cough several times to his heart’s content.

Mu Nanqiao ignored him and continued to watch Lu Qi’s next video.

Before, he had only known that his neighbor was a painter, but didn’t know the exact type of paintings he did. It was indeed very interesting.

If the owner allowed it, Lu Qi would put watermarks on some of the drawing processes and release them for everyone to enjoy. Not all of them were obscene images, and there were also some fandom commissions. 

Lu Qi had his own style. Most of the drawings highlighted the sense of atmosphere. Under the strong color contrast, the smooth body contours of the characters and the hints of small hidden details were sometimes more impactful than direct nudity.

The sponsors’ aesthetics were diverse, and the little neighbor was also well-informed, with a rich reserve of theoretical knowledge.

Mu Nanqiao clicked the follow button and posted a comment on Lu Qi’s latest video using his newly-registered account.

[Leonid lvl.2: Sticking to Wife~ (kitten head)]

During lunch, he received a like and reply from Wife Xiao Lu.

[LU Deer: Thank you for the like~ (finger heart)]

The assistant, who had not been fired, looked up and saw that bright smile on the boss’s face again. His expression was so tender that water could be squeezed out, which made his already outstanding face dazzling and difficult to look at straight-on.

So the assistant buried his head lower, wishing he could bury it in a plate of food.

In ancient times, the great palace eunuch could not easily detect the emperor’s thoughts. Even if he knew, he would pretend not to know. The assistant felt that he was the great palace eunuch now.

This smile, like the neck pillow on the passenger seat, was an indescribable and sacred holy edict, ah.

. . . . . . .

Mu Nanqiao had a social event in the afternoon and drank some wine. After that, he did not return to the company, but told the driver to take him back to the Garden Community.

He didn’t have the car drive to the gate of the community, but stopped at Hengjin Secondary School. He got out of the car alone, faced the setting sun, and walked slowly along the sidewalk.

The snow-white teaching building opposite was shrouded in the orange light of the sunset, windows reflecting the light. A broadcast sounded, and melodious piano music enveloped the entire campus.

Inside the main entrance of the school were flower beds, fountains, and acres of greenery. There were not many students on the tree-lined road. School had not yet ended, and many of the students were active on the two playgrounds at the back. His gaze passed through the flawless white fountain, directly toward the southeast part of the school. 

There used to be an old warehouse there. Its area wasn’t large. Strictly speaking, it was not part of the Hengin Secondary School campus, but it was filled with old tables, chairs, and sports equipment. For some unknown reason, the ventilation windows located up high were sealed from the outside. The warehouse originally had poor lighting, and once the lights were turned off and the doors shut, it was like a deep sea full of silt, cold, silent, and suffocating.

And at that time, he still didn’t know how to endure silently and outmaneuver others. It hurt when the fists fell on him, and of course he had to fight back. He couldn’t beat the group of people, and focused solely on the leader. That person was his cousin, Mu Rui, the youngest son of his second uncle’s family.

When he was pulled away from Mu Rui, his mouth was full of blood that wasn’t his. He had bitten a piece of flesh from Mu Rui’s arm.

Those following Mu Rui feared that the Mu family would be angry later, so they hurriedly sent Mu Rui to the hospital while others stayed behind to beat Mu Nanqiao up. They suppressed him with a chain they had found out of nowhere, tied his hands behind his back, and locked him in the warehouse.

Mu Nanqiao knew why Mu Rui had done this. His cousin was an out-and-out ass-kisser, and the girl he liked was a candidate for the next day’s competition. As a contestant, if something happened to him, then another candidate would naturally be able to take over.

Every wound on his body hurt. This was the worst he had been injured in the past six months. He curled up on the cold cement floor and began to have a fever during the second half of the night. It seemed there was some kind of evil spirit in the darkness, twisting and tearing at him.

He knew he wouldn’t be able to call out to anyone, or else someone would have come when he was being beaten. And now he didn’t have the strength to call for help. The pain in his chest and abdomen took his breath away. 

Was he going to die?

This question kept turning around and around in his mind, and in the end, he nearly laughed.

In the previous ten years of his life, he had so many wonderful things, such as a clever mind, the love of his parents, and endless praises. But those seemed to have been destroyed with ease, lost in the dark night of the past six months.

Human beings were truly fragile things. It took a lot of sunshine, flowers, and love to build a beautiful soul, but only one long, silent night to destroy a person.

He closed his eyes.

After an unknown amount of time, he heard a slight sound.

“Pst, pst, pst.”

At first, Mu Nanqiao thought he had heard wrong.

But someone continued to make the “Pst pst” sound you would use to call a puppy.

A young man murmured in confusion, “Xu Hengxing, are you sure it’s around here? It’s early in the morning, I have to compete later…..okay, then I’ll look for another five minutes at most, and I’ll search with you after I finish the competition…..”

The other party seemed to be on the phone. After hanging up, footsteps gradually approached.

Mu Nanqiao squeezed out a few senseless groans from his throat.

The sound was too soft, and he almost gave up hope. The high fever had made him a little muddle-headed, and he wasn’t even certain he had made a sound.

The door of the warehouse was pushed twice, but it was locked, and the two iron doors remained motionless. The other party asked a couple of questions, and then the footsteps became distant.

Mu Nanqiao’s heart sank a little bit.

But then a window above his head was pried open, and sunlight fell in.

He worked hard to turn over and lay on his back. Only a slit remained in his swollen eyes, and he could just barely see a clean, slender hand.

The owner of that hand must not have been tall enough, because he only opened the ventilation window a crack and then retracted his hand. After a moment, it seemed his feet were raised higher, and the hand was finally able to fully extend in.

The person outside the window still couldn’t see in. Only a swaying tuft of hair was exposed, and he continued to “Pst pst” uncertainly.

Mu Nanqiao said hoarsely: “…..I’m a human being.”

The person outside the window gave a short, surprised exclamation, and Mu Nanqiao heard clearly that it indeed was a youngster.

This memory was vague. He had a fever, and was in a daze as he listened to the young man call the police. While waiting for rescue, the young man continued to talk to him. 

Whenever he stopped speaking, that hand reaching in would swing anxiously, the bracelet on his wrist trembling like a little butterfly flying around with its eyes closed.

The shaking made him even more dizzy.

But the morning light clearly danced on the butterfly’s wings, saying silently: It is dawn.

---

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Chapter Thirteen << Table of Contents >> Chapter Fifteen

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

---

It wasn’t possible to go home.

The mother cat was very dirty and couldn’t be taken home directly. When Lu Qi took her, he didn’t even dare pick her up directly, and instead removed his coat and wrapped her up completely. Even so, the back of his hand was still greeted for a moment.

He had rescued many cats, and could see that the mother cat had a skin disease. The hair in some places had fallen off and the skin had started to become red, swollen, and ulcerated. The four kittens were in pretty good condition, even chubby, and their meows were strong. They seemed to be saying: As long as they had a mother, they were not stray cats.

Lu Qi had to take them to a pet hospital for a checkup.

He asked Mu Nanqiao to help hold the cat carrier, because he wanted to use the spare time to repair his own umbrella. Unfortunately, the small yellow umbrella he bought for one yuan with the Pinduoduo new user discount was truly broken, its ribs snapped.

With a sigh, Lu Qi gave up on the small yellow umbrella.

Looking at the sky, the rain would only get heavier. Lu Qi glanced at Mu Nanqiao with some embarrassment. “Then, can you lend me your umbrella? I’ll return it to you when I get home in the evening.”

Mu Nanqiao: “No.”

Lu Qi: ……

Mu Nanqiao watched as Lu Qi’s eyes widened little by little, the words written all over his face: Is it really okay for you to be so heartless, my neighbor?!!

It was really such fun to tease Lu Qi. There was a small smile in Mu Nanqiao’s eyes. However, if he teased him too much, he would lose more than he gained, so he stopped while he was ahead and took the lead in carrying the cat carrier.

“Where are you going? I’ll drive you.”

Lu Qi hurriedly followed in response, only to find that Mu Nanqiao’s back was wet from the rain. The soaked white shirt stuck to his back, and the smooth, undulating lines of his back muscles were faintly visible.

He couldn’t help but let out a wow.

Even though this wasn’t the time to think about it, he really was suitable for being a model.

Mu Nanqiao heard his exclamation and turned back in puzzlement.

Lu Qi quickly took two steps to stand beside him and covered it up with a cough. “Your clothes are wet. Is it because the umbrella isn’t big enough?”

As he spoke, he leaned against Mu Nanqiao.

The umbrella was actually big enough, but Mu Nanqiao didn’t say anything. Instead, he gave a hum and quietly watched Lu Qi cling to him like a kitten.

The black umbrella isolated a small space. The rain still lingered outside, but the body temperatures of the two people mingled inside the umbrella. Mu Nanqiao could smell the scent of Lu Qi’s body. It was the light smell of laundry detergent, not some expensive perfume, as clean and refreshing as him.

He wanted to make this section of the road longer, but both of them were tall and had long legs, so they could walk very quickly. Fortunately, after a moment, they would get into the car and it would still be just the two of them. 

Turning out of the alleyway, Liu Qi caught sight of a somewhat familiar Maybach.

Seeing Mu Nanqiao take out the key and unlock the doors, Lu Qi took a small, uneasy step back. “It’s not good to drive your boss’s car…..”

Chauffeur Mu-shifu: ……

He hesitated for a second between revealing and obfuscating, but still put the kitty family in the back seat, then opened the passenger door and motioned for Lu Qi to get in the vehicle.

“My boss is a very good person.” Mu Nanqiao felt that this was not convincing enough, so he added: “I work at Mu Group, and my boss is related to me, so his management is relatively loose…..”

It was his biological father. Of course they were related, so it wasn’t a lie.

It was really difficult to get a taxi on this section of road. Upon hearing what he said, Lu Qi no longer refused, and sat in the passenger seat obediently.

Satisfied, Mu Nanqiao went around to the driver’s seat and became the chauffeur.

Lu Qi lowered his head and fastened his seatbelt as the car left the alley, not forgetting to remind Mu Nanqiao: “It’s rare to have a good boss these days. Even if someone has a lenient attitude, it’s not good to mess around just because you’re a relative. But I really have to thank you this time! If I hadn’t met you, I don’t know how long I would have had to wait to get a taxi.”

Mu Nanqiao hummed absent-mindedly and abruptly changed the topic. “Did you go to secondary school in Shanghai?”

Lu Qi didn’t know why he suddenly asked this, but it wasn’t a difficult question to answer. He shook his head: “No, I went to school in Yuncheng.”

Mu Nanqiao frowned.

“But I came to Shanghai once in my freshman year.” Lu Qi added: “I came to Hengjin Secondary School for a competition and stayed here for two days.”

Thus, his frown relaxed again. Mu Nanqiao stared at the traffic ahead, but couldn’t help focusing on Lu Qi. “Did you enjoy your two days at Hengjin?”

Lu Qi froze, and it was unknown what he remembered. He blinked his eyes, and after a moment, turned his head to look out the car window. “I had a pretty good time. The competition went well. I heard that one of the participants originally scheduled by Hengjin was unable to participate due to illness, and he was replaced by a substitute…..that didn’t work out well, so we ended up winning the championship.”

He recalled that Mu Nanqiao should also have been studying at Hengjin at that time, but Mu Nanqiao didn’t have a good life when he was a schoolboy, so he didn’t want to talk about this topic anymore. He pointed to the intersection ahead and said: “Wait and turn left.”

As expected, Mu Nanqiao said nothing.

Only, Lu Qi didn’t see the flash of regret in his eyes.

It would be great if he and Lu Qi had first met on the playing field under the spotlights. Meeting their match, they would cherish each other.

It was a pity that it was in a place like that, and Lu Qi encountered him in such an embarrassing situation. 

If he didn’t remember, then just forget it. For Lu Qi, it may not be something worth remembering. There was only a pure, clean light in his memory, a young boy who only remembered winning first place in the competition that year.

But Mu Nanqiao always remembered that light leaking through the darkness, and the hand that reached through the ventilation window, with a blue and white deer bracelet loosely tied around the wrist.

. . . . . . .

When they arrived at the pet hospital, the mother cat and four kittens were given comprehensive examinations. There was nothing wrong with the kittens, but there was actually some glue on the mother’s body that took a long time to clean up. Finally, the mother was given an intravenous drip and sent to the observation box.

She was very clever, and seemed to realize that Lu Qi was helping her. When Lu Qi took the kittens away from her, she just stared at him quietly with green eyes and finally gave a soft meow.

The veterinarian sister said that she was less than a year old and not old enough to be a mother. Lu Qi rubbed the cat’s little head with his fingers, and she purred in a well-behaved manner.

“She’s still a baby…..” Lu Qi sighed, and whispered, “Don’t worry about the kittens, leave them to me!”

The veterinarian on the side was already acquainted with Lu Qi. When she saw him talking to the cat, she couldn’t help but smile softly: “Xiao Lu, can you really communicate with cats, ah? No matter how ferocious the stray cats are, they behave so well when they see you. They won’t let anyone touch them except you. Why don’t you come to our clinic and do nothing else, just be responsible for appeasing them.”

“Okay, I’ll pet cats on the public’s money,” Lu Qi replied with a smile. Then he picked up the box with the four kittens and thought about business: “I’ll go pay the medical bills.”

“They’ve already been paid.” The female veterinarian pointed to Mu Nanqiao outside. “Your boyfriend paid them for you.”

Lu Qi subconsciously looked in the direction she pointed. Outside the glass door of the hospital, Mu Nanqiao was holding an umbrella in one hand, the corners of his black coat fluttering in the wind. His face was expressionless, his handsome features cold and indifferent. If he was carrying a metal-ensconced suitcase in his hand, he would look like the classic assassin in an American movie.

But what he was carrying was a large shopping bag with a cute cat’s head printed on it, and a cat-teasing stick with the bell sticking out, jingling to the rhythm of his long legs.

The moment he met Lu Qi’s gaze, his indifferent fox eyes lit up. He smiled and raised his hand to let Lu Qi see the shopping bag he was holding, and silently made an “it’s settled” sign.

The veterinarian: “Look, your boyfriend is back from buying milk powder.”

Lu Qi’s face turned red and he waved his hands repeatedly. “No, this is my friend.”

“Oh~~” The veterinarian nodded meaningfully. “There is definitely room for development. Just now you were playing with the cat, but he was staring at you the whole time. His eyes were very focused, tsk, tsk…..”

While talking, the female veterinarian thought of someone and rolled her eyes. “He’s better than the idiot you brought last time. His impatient expression the whole time and his motions when swiping the card at the end were really greasy.”

Mu Nanqiao was already coming over, and Lu Qi warned the veterinarian in a low voice, “Don’t mention that person in front of him.”

He simply felt that Mu Nanqiao didn’t want to hear anything about Lin Yuan, but the veterinarian gave him an “I understand everything” look.

Lu Qi: ……

What on earth do you understand, ah?!

Mu Nanqiao came over and nodded to the female veterinarian, then opened the bag and showed it to Lu Qi. “I bought everything on the list. Can you see what’s missing?”

There were a number of the smallest syringes, milk powder, changing pads and other cat supplies, all neatly packaged in the bag, along with colorful strips of cloth to distinguish between the several kittens.

“There’s nothing missing.” Lu Qi sighed. “This is called provisions going before the troops move forward, and what follows is a tough battle. I suppose I won’t be able to sleep for a while.”

Mu Nanqiao had heard from the young girl at the front desk that such un-weaned kittens required getting up in the middle of the night to feed them. The milk powder could not be brewed too hot or cold, making them as difficult to take care of as human babies.

He knelt and reached down to play with the meowing kittens in the box. In fact, he was not very interested in such fragile little things, but they had come at the opportune time.

“I can help you take care of them,” Mu Nanqiao said. “Days one, three, and five, they can stay at my place. You take two, four, and six?”

“That won’t work.” Lu Qi crouched beside him and looked at the four squirming cat bugs, one black, one white, and two calicos. ”Frequent changes in environment are not good for cats. Besides, it’s not good to bother you, ah. Fortunately, I decide my own working hours, so it’s no trouble to take care of them.”

Mu Nanqiao: “If it’s really not good to change the environment, then I…..”

He realized something and stopped what he was going to say, turning his head with a cough.

Lu Qi tilted his head and looked at him. “What is it?”

Mu Nanqiao: “It’s nothing.”

He almost blurted out that he could go to Lu Qi’s place to take care of the kittens, but suddenly realized that their relationship didn’t seem to go that far. 

Lu Qi: “But…..why are your ears so red?”

“Maybe I’m too hot.” Mu Nanqiao stood up. “I’ll go outside and get some fresh air.”

After walking around the corner, Mu Nanqiao took out his mobile phone and sent a WeChat message to his assistant.

[Look up an internet celebrity named 90° Right Angle Bend]

Assistant: [Okay, Boss. What am I looking into them for?]

Mu Nanqiao sent an emoji: [kitten holding a knife.jpg]

The caption: All must die!

The assistant: [Understood]

---

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Chapter Twelve << Table of Contents >> Chapter Fourteen

As a general rule, those who cooked did not wash the dishes.

Mu Nanqiao pushed Lu Qi out of the kitchen, cleaned the bowls himself, and tidied the sink. When he finished arranging the sink and came out, Lu Qi was standing on the balcony video chatting with someone. The other party’s voice was full of excitement, and the person’s delight and happiness could be felt through the phone screen.

“Ge! I heard from my friend’s boyfriend’s cousin that that dog Lin Yuan is in the hospital!”

“The news source is quite reliable. He said that he missed a step and broke his leg while going down the stairs. I originally wanted to stay with you after this busy period, but now it seems he is in no place to harass you.”

“But it’s rather strange. I thought someone like him would take an elevator upstairs or downstairs, but he walked by himself? It’s true that heaven has eyes! How come it wasn’t his third leg that broke…..fuck!”

Lu Qi jumped in shock, then found that Mu Nanqiao had entered the camera’s range, slowly wiping the water on his fingers with a paper towel. He turned the phone slightly and moved this person out of Li Yimiao’s sight.

But Li Yimiao had already seen, and approached the screen excitedly: “Ge, Ge, Ge, Ge…..”

With the way he was winking, Lu Qi knew that nothing good was about to come out when he opened his mouth, so he explained first: “This is my friend who lives next door to me. He came to help me today, and I kept him for a simple meal.”

“Aiyo~” Li Yimiao hehe’d. “So handsome, ah. Ge, he’s so handsome! Let me take another look, let me…..”

Lu Qi had no doubt that if Li Yimiao could crawl out like Miss Sadako in The Ring, he would have squeezed through the frame of his mobile phone.

Thus, regardless of Li Yimiao’s wailing, he decisively hung up the phone.

When he turned around, he found that Mu Nanqiao was already sitting on the sofa, typing on his phone. He was in a good mood, the corners of his lips raised. There was not a single flaw in his profile. His brow was deep and his nose was straight. He was indeed a rare handsome man.

It turned out that he was indeed of mixed race, but his appearance should be inherited more from his father, with black hair and black eyes. Only a few details revealed European characteristics.

As if aware of his gaze, Mu Nanqiao raised his eyes and asked with a chuckle: “What do you think? Aren’t my words very effective?”

His eyebrows stretched when he smiled, and the small red mole at the tip of his eye was dazzling.

Suddenly feeling that his throat was a little dry, Lu Qi coughed and looked away uncomfortably. But the news that Lin Yuan had broken his leg was truly good news. He soon forgot his inexplicable feeling at that moment and nodded with his eyes in crescents. “He really broke his leg! It seems he won’t come to me again in this period of time, but you still need to be careful. I think he is very abnormal.”

After speaking, he gave Mu Nanqiao a hesitant look.

Mu Nanqiao raised his eyebrows: “What?”

“How could there be such a coincidence?” Lu Qi leaned over. There were only the two of them in this room, but as if he feared being overheard, he carefully approached Mu Nanqiao and whispered: “You said he would break his leg, and he broke his leg. That…..you didn’t put him in a sack and beat him, right?”

Soft breath fell on Mu Nanqiao’s ear. Lu Qi was obviously not very close, but Mu Nanqiao’s ear still moved sensitively.

Hearing Lu Qi’s words clearly, he didn’t say yes or no, and only asked with a half-smile: “If I put him in a sack and beat him, will you report it?”

Lu Qi took a small breath of cold air and looked at him with his hands raised to cover his ears. “Don’t admit it, ah! Never mind, just pretend I didn’t hear anything.”

He looked like a little ostrich with its head buried. Amused, Mu Nanqiao took off the strawberry hairpin and clamped it on Lu Qi’s head.

“I’m a law-abiding citizen.” He casually reclined on the sofa and looked sideways at Lu Qi. “Don’t worry, I really didn’t do it.”

It was only an understated interpretation, but the little neighbor believed it at once. He nodded obediently and apologized for his doubts.

Mu Nanjiao deserved this apology. He did not put Lin Yuan in a sack and beat him. He simply made an appointment with Lin Yuan in the old city, and then revealed his whereabouts to another second generation ancestor.

This genuine dandy had a conflict with Lin Yuan. They had both wanted a little star some time ago, and the conflict was very ugly. In the end, the little star followed Lin Yuan, and enmity was formed just like this.

Lin Yuan was tricked. He felt embarrassed, and couldn’t express his bitter suffering, so he said that he had missed a step.

Judging from the timeline of the investigation, Lin Yuan was still with the little star when he was “pursuing” Lu Qi. After getting together with Lu Qi, he occasionally went to stay with the little star.

But he didn’t intend to let Lu Qi know about these messy and dirty things, so he simply denied it outright. Turning around, he saw his little neighbor angrily hold a pillow and hit it twice, with the words “it’s a pity” written on his face.

“I’m still not satisfied, I want to beat him with my own hands!” Lu Qi harrumphed. “Why did you think I was going to report you just now? If you go to beat him up without me to help pass you the sack, I’ll be very disappointed, okay?”

Him saying this was unexpected. Mu Nanqiao was stunned at first, but seeing him so serious about handing over the sack, he couldn’t help but laugh. There was a quota for his good moods, and Lu Qi had already completed this month’s genuine smile KPI.

He finally couldn’t hold back, and acted too intimately.

Raising his hand, he rubbed Lu Qi’s soft hair and nodded in agreement. “If I put him in a sack and beat him, I’ll definitely call you.”

The temperature of Mu Nanqiao’s fingertips always seemed to be on the low side. The slight coolness brushed through his hair and touched his ear.

“Don’t touch my head, ah.” Lu Qi’s ears reddened, and he pressed Mu Nanqiao’s hand down. “I’m not a child anymore. Besides, I won’t grow taller if my head is touched.”

Mu Nanqiao laughed in spite of himself.

He still believed in this kind of rhetoric. It seemed that although he was no longer a child, he also wasn’t much older.

. . . . . .

The impact of the cyberbullying gradually subsided, and life slowly got back on track. Lu Qi, however, was not in a hurry to accept commissions, and seriously thought about whether he should move again.

Before, he thought Lin Yuan wouldn’t pester him. After all, what kind of person hadn’t Mr. Lin seen? There was no reason to pester him, an ordinary person. Now it seemed that wasn’t necessarily the case. This person’s brain circuits were obviously different from normal peoples’.

Lin Yuan’s leg was currently broken, but it wouldn’t be broken forever. He might come back again after being discharged from the hospital, and Lu Qi couldn’t actually pry off the top of his head with a crowbar.

Only…..

Lu Qi looked around the small living room. The newly added green plants had bloomed with little white flowers. The soft rug bought on Pinduoduo felt warm and soft when stepped on, and the small table on the balcony was also equipped with his painting equipment.

The late summer breeze squeezed in through the window, making the beige curtains float. The small apartment had just begun to look like a home. Did he want to move again?

After much deliberation, he decided to forget it.

He wanted to get his Master’s degree in Shanghai. If he left Shanghai this year and had to come back later, there was not much point in moving. As long as he stayed in Shanghai, Lin Yuan would always have ways and means to find him.

Holding a pillow and sighing, Lu Qi stood up and took out a financial magazine. He tore off Lin Yuan’s page, pasted it on the dart target, and threw the darts, leaving holes in his dog face.

This was what he had wanted to do when he passed by the magazine stand while running the previous night.

It was only that he didn’t turn the next two pages, or he would have seen the photo of Mu Chuanbai, the president of Mu Group. It was a very familiar face.

Just as he was getting enthusiastic, the phone suddenly vibrated. The caller ID was Hengxing.

After expressing a few words of concern, he asked straight to the point: “Xiao Qi, do you live in the Garden Community? We just received a call for help, saying that there is a pregnant calico stray cat near building 5 of that community, but it hasn’t appeared for several days. Can you take a look if you have time today?”

Lu Qi considered the approximate location of Building 5. It should be on the side near the alley. With no effort at all, he found canned cat food, put on the rescue center’s bracelet identification, and went out holding an umbrella.

. . . . . . .

It was raining today, and there was a lot of water on the ground. Although the rain was much lighter now, it was still coming down. The sky was cloudy, and a downpour was brewing at any moment.

Mu Nanqiao parked the car at the entrance of the alley and pulled the tie from around his neck.

He had just attended a meeting. Afterward, his dad clearly had something to say, so he excused himself a step ahead and drove away without changing his clothes.

He could probably guess what his dad was going to say.

He would ask him to live like a normal person. It wasn’t like he was required to go home every day and live there, he just wanted him to leave this community. He had been trapped in that apartment for too long.

Mu Nanqiao pinched his brow.

Thinking about it calmly, maybe his dad was right and it was time to get everything back on track, but there was always some hidden reluctance in his heart.

Before he had time to think about what he was reluctant to part with, a flash of bright yellow suddenly broke into his sight. Mu Nanqiao sat up a little straighter, and upon looking closer, it was his cute little neighbor.

Lu Qi also had a pet carrier in his hand. It should be something he had bought new, as the tag on it was still swaying in the wind. He was holding a bright yellow umbrella. His pace was initially rather leisurely, but then a gust of wind blew and the bright yellow umbrella was blown over and turned into a “trumpet flower.”

In a moment, the rain became even heavier. Lu Qi was in a big hurry, and was about to take the umbrella back when the rain above his head suddenly stopped.

A black umbrella with a luxury car logo covered his head.

“Thank you, thank you…..” Lu Qi gave his thanks and raised his head to see which kind-hearted person was holding the umbrella for him. As a result, he came face to face with his tall and handsome neighbor.

Probably because he had a dress code as a driver, he was wearing a white shirt today with the hem neatly tucked into his trousers. His waist was narrow, slender and straight, and his hair was pulled up to expose his forehead. His boneless indolence had finally gained a bit of proficiency.

Hmm, the work clothes actually looked expensive.

Lu Qi switched the heavy cat carrier to the other hand and raised his head to greet Mu Nanqiao with a smile: “Did you just get off work? I haven’t seen you much in the past two days. Is work keeping you very busy?”

He was indeed very busy. He had been staying at the property in the city center for the past two days, which made it convenient for him to commute to and from work. It seemed he would need to tell his little neighbor in advance next time, otherwise Lu Qi might be worried.

“Were you worried I might be kidnapped by Lin Yuan?” He joked, reaching out to take the heavy carrier in Lu Qi’s hand.

No wonder the carrier was heavy. A ferocious female cat and four kittens were inside, and several pairs of wary eyes stared out at the twolegs beside the carrier.

“Be careful while carrying it, she’s very fierce!” Lu Qi raised his hand to show Mu Nanqiao the back of it. “She clawed me just now, but luckily the skin wasn’t broken.”

Mu Nanqiao looked down at his hand, and was about to say something when he suddenly saw the bracelet tied around Lu Qi’s wrist from the corner of his eye.

It was a bracelet from the “Meow Woof Rescue Center,” white and blue in color, with the rescue center’s logo on it. There was also a small pattern to represent the identity of the holder. Lu Qi’s pattern was the silhouette of a deer.

Mu Nanqiao’s right hand that had taken the carrier froze, holding it halfway up as his eyes remained on the bracelet.

He stared at it for a long time, so long that Lu Qi frowned at the strangeness and also looked at his hand.

“Mu Nanqiao? What’s wrong? Is there something wrong with my hand?” 

Mu Nanqiao’s Adam’s apple bobbed, and he pulled himself away from that vague memory with difficulty, looked at Lu Qi with his beautiful fox eyes.

Lu Qi felt a little embarrassed under his gaze.

Why was he looking at him like this? It was like he was just meeting him for the first time!

He raised his hand and waved it in front of Mu Nanqiao’s eyes. “You’re a little strange today…..”

Mu Nanqiao’s voice was a little hoarse. “It’s nothing, I just remembered something. Let’s go home first.”

---

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Chapter Eleven << Table of Contents >> Chapter Thirteen

“……”

Can’t give birth?

Did Er-ge like men?

Countless thoughts instantly surged in Pei Yi’s mind, but he didn’t dare to think deeply about it. He stepped back in a panic. “Oh, oh, I understand.”

“You understand?”

Bo Yueming still hadn’t let go of his hand.

Pei Yi avoided his gaze, the strange feeling in his heart becoming even stronger. “Er-ge, you must have drank a lot tonight. Go to bed early. I need to rest too.”

Bo Yueming saw through the evasion of the person in front of him, and was also not in a hurry to express his feelings at this moment.

He had known Pei Yi’s temperament since childhood. He seemed to be outgoing, and his daily curiosity was greater than anything else, but there was also a high wall in his heart.

Once he encountered something he couldn’t figure out, or encountered “danger,” he would instinctively protect himself and evade.

Bo Yueming could tell that the kitten was gradually becoming enlightened. At this time, pushing the other party too hard would be counterproductive.

Bo Yueming returned to his senses briefly and pretended to be drunk again. “En, I got a little drunk and I’m dizzy.”

A trace of nervousness flashed across Pei Yi’s face, and he quickly lowered his head to hide it.

Bo Yueming’s hand rested on the wine cabinet. “You should go to bed early. I’ll take a shower first.”

Having said this, he turned around and went to his room.

Pei Yi stared at Bo Yueming’s somewhat shaky steps, and the suppressed anxiety surged onto his face again. He couldn’t help but mutter inwardly—

How much wine did he drink?

Wasn’t he usually pretty good at drinking?

Although he had said he was sleepy, Pei Yi still ran downstairs anxiously.

Uncle Kai, who resided on the first floor, heard the sounds outside and couldn’t help but go out to find that it was Pei Yi tossing around.

He quickly approached and asked, “Little Sir, what are you looking for? Are you hungry?”

“Uncle Kai, where is the hangover medicine? And the honey.” Pei Yi successfully found the medical kit and murmured, “Er-ge seems to be very drunk. I want to make him some honey water.”

Uncle Kai was stunned. “Second Young Master is drunk?”

Pei Yi nodded vigorously, and said as if complaining to his parents, “Didn’t you see? He was staggering when he walked.”

“……”

No, he didn’t see it, ah?

When the Second Young Master came home just now, even though he smelled of alcohol, his overall condition was very normal, and he specifically said he didn’t need to be taken care of. So how could he be drunk?

Pei Yi’s voice came again, “Uncle Kai, is the honey in the refrigerator?”

Uncle Kai quickly answered, “Eh, I’ll check for Little Sir.”

. . . . . . .

Bo Yueming took a quick shower, but before he could lie down on the bed, there was another knock on the door.

Pei Yi lowered his voice. “Er-ge, are you asleep?”

“……”

Bo Yueming’s eyes brightened slightly. After walking a few steps, he pretended to be uncomfortably drunk and opened the door. “Why aren’t you asleep yet.”

Pei Yi handed over the warm honey water in his hand. “Drink before talking, and here’s some medicine.”

Bo Yueming looked at the pills in Pei Yi’s hand and deliberately took only the water glass. Then he feigned unsteadiness and walked to the big bed in the master bedroom and leaned against it.

“……Ai!”

Pei Yi noticed his ‘uncomfortable’ appearance and quickly followed him. “Er-ge, take your medicine quickly and go to bed afterward.”

Bo Yueming took two sips of honey water and said weakly, “Help me open the outer packaging.”

Pei Yi removed the plastic outer packaging, held the pills on his fingertips, and handed them over. “En, take them quickly.”

“Okay.”

Bo Yueming lowered his eyes and responded lightly, but didn’t reach to pick them up.

Instead, he leaned down and took the pills and fingertips into his mouth, grinding his teeth lightly against them.

“……Wu.”

Pei Yi whimpered softly and withdrew his hand as if it had been burned. For a moment, he didn’t know where to direct his eyes.

As the “chief culprit,” Bo Yueming didn’t seem to notice this at all, and swallowed the hangover medicine with honey water. “Okay, it’s getting late. Do you want to sleep?”

“Ah? I’ll sleep, ba.”

Pei Yi unconsciously twirled his fingertips and stood up slowly. “Then I’ll go back.”

Having said that, he didn’t give Bo Yueming a chance to speak again, and rushed out of the master bedroom.

“……”

Bo Yueming looked at the ajar door and the sound of a door closing from the opposite side. He leaned helplessly on the bed and let out an inaudible laugh.

The two of them hadn’t slept together in a long while. He had originally wanted to use the excuse of being “drunk” to catch a kitten, but unfortunately, he slipped away with the bait. Bo Yueming didn’t want to waste Pei Yi’s thoughtfulness, so he simply drank the honey water that was at the perfect temperature.

What he wanted would come soon enough.

. . . . . . 

Another week.

In the simply-decorated three-storey villa, the door of the study was gently pushed open, and the rich scent of paint that had accumulated over the years wafted out.

Pei Yi had returned home for the weekend, and looked at the gentle figure in the studio while calling cautiously, “Father Rong, can I come in?”

Xu Rong, who was concentrating on his creation, raised his head and smiled upon seeing his child. “Xiao Yi, why are you back today? Come in.”

As he spoke, the smoothly tossed the utility knife in his hand into a paint bucket and left it at a distance.

Pei Yi was unaware of the deep meaning behind this simple action, and just walked closer to sit on the simple camp chair beside him. “Father Rong.”

The simple address brought with it a hint of coquettishness.

Xu Rong took out the wet wipes on the side and wiped his hands, then patted his child’s cheek lovingly. “What’s wrong? Did you come to me with something weighing on your heart?”

One could look at him and come to an accurate conclusion.

“……”

Pei Yi thought of the real reason he had come to Xu Rong, but it was a little difficult to express.

He thought for a few seconds and then changed his question. “Father Rong, how did you and Father Yan meet? Who pursued whom?”

Xu Rong was a little surprised at Pei Yi’s question, and there was a hint of inquiry in his eyes.

It should be known that Pei Yi had been well-behaved and sensible since he was a child, and had never been curious enough to inquire after his two parents. Why was he suddenly curious about the matter now?

Pei Yi noticed the look in Xu Rong’s eyes change slightly and dropped the topic. “I was just asking casually.”

Xu Rong patted his hand and comforted, “It’s okay, if you want to know, I’ll tell you.”

Pei Yi was already an adult. Since such a question had arisen, there was a high probability that he was emotionally involved.

As a father, he must not only learn to listen, but also to share and give correct guidance.

“You know that Father Yan is six years younger than me, right?”

“En.”

“Back then, I had just become a traditional Chinese painting assistant at the university, and your aunt Ke Yan took my class as an elective. For a while, your father pretended to be a student when he picked your aunt up from school, but I called him to answer questions.”

Zong Baiyan knew nothing about traditional Chinese painting, and along with his youthful arrogance and brashness, Xu Rong was very angry with his few answers that didn’t add up to anything.

“I was young at that time, and my age as a teacher was not convincing to him, much less my personality. In the course of events, my eyes almost turned red with anger.”

Pei Yi was just asking casually at first, but now he was really interested and complained in a low voice, “Ah? Was Father Yan really that ‘bad’ when he was young?”

“En.”

Xu Rong smiled. “Since his family was rich, he was also a young master who could make trouble.”

His only advantage was that he had a sense of proportion when making trouble, and never played with other people’s feelings.

“When the argument was at its peak, the bell rang at the end of class. I couldn’t hold myself together at that moment. It’s embarrassing to say, but my eyes were indeed red, and I picked up my things and left the classroom quickly.”

Now, it was Zong Baiyan’s turn to be nervous.

“Your father probably knew he had made trouble, and likely also sensed that something was wrong with my mood, so he followed me out and said he wanted to treat me to a meal to make amends.”

And he stuck to him as time went on.

Pei Yi listened to Xu Rong’s recollections, compared them imperceptibly, and shook his head.

Er-ge and Father Yan were different.

Although he was also a young master from a wealthy family, he was much more reliable than his father when he was young, and never made anyone cry.

Pei Yi noticed that Xu Rong was in a sharing mood, and his curiosity continued. “Father Rong, when did you realize you liked Father Yan? Which of you two broke the window paper first?”

Xu Rong had guessed that the kitten would ask this question, so he said as a person with some experience, “Xiao Yi, when you find that no matter what you do or hear, you easily think of that person.”

“When you see that person get close to others and your thoughts start to go wild.”

“When just thinking about the two of you becoming strangers in the end makes you feel sad.”

“Every such moment is enough to verify that — you have feelings for that person.”

Xu Rong deliberately changed the narrative perspective, and then used himself as an example. “Just like Father Yan. He was like a clingy puppy at first. No matter how much I refused or chased him away, I couldn’t get rid of him. Later, when I thought about the possibility of him not being around anymore, my heart felt empty.”

“……”

His heart felt empty?

Pei Yi lowered his eyes and suddenly remembered when he misunderstood Bo Yueming and Yang Kelin the week before, and the sour, lost feeling of not knowing what to do when he heard that he had someone he liked.

Xu Rong noticed Pei Yi’s absent mindedness and asked in a low voice, “Xiao Yi, what’s going on with you and Yueming?”

Pei Yi instantly panicked. “Father Rong, it’s nothing! It has nothing to do with Er-ge!”

Xu Rong smiled. “You still want to hide it from me, ah? You’ve fallen in love with Yueming, right?”

“……”

When Pei Yi heard this plain and clear question, the heartstrings that had been pulled since last week snapped.

He met Xu Rong’s seemingly all-seeing eyes and nodded resignedly. “Father Rong, I’ve always regarded him as an older brother, but that changed at some point.”

Maybe it was that unspeakable dream during summer vacation and the comfort Bo Yueming provided after waking up, or maybe it was earlier—

By the time Pei Yi reacted, his feelings for Bo Yueming had already exceeded the limit.

He had struggled for a week, but still didn’t dare to step over that line easily.

“If it changed, then it changed.”

Trying to dispel his concerns, Xu Rong gave him full affirmation. “Xiao Yi, you are an adult, and you have the ability to make choices for your life and relationships.”

“Perhaps you haven’t been able to fully adapt, but Father Rong and Father Yan will be your backers in everything, understand?”

Pei Yi still had concerns in his heart. “Father Rong, is it okay that I like Er-ge?”

Xu Rong frowned slightly, and heard his child’s hesitant confession, “You didn’t adopt me because you wanted me to…..”

Before he could finish speaking, Xu Rong understood his meaning and interrupted firmly, “Xiao Yi, listen well—”

“En?”

“Father Yan and I adopted you and treat you as our own son not for the sake of superficial inheritance, but because we love and adore you.”

“Whether you like a boy or a girl, the same sex or the opposite sex, we just want you to be happy.”

“Yueming is a child who is excellent in all aspects, and you have grown up together. If you really get together, I will not object.”

Pei Yi’s eyes grew warm. “Father Rong.”

In order to give Pei Yi courage, Xu Rong simply continued to use himself as an example. “Didn’t you ask who confessed first between your father and I?”

Pei Yi nodded curiously. “En?”

Xu Rong revealed in a whisper, “I confirmed my feelings first, and then deliberately confessed to your father first.”

After all, Xu Rong was six years older than Zong Baiyan, and was more mature mentally and emotionally.

Hearing this, there was admiration in Pei Yi’s eyes. “Really, Father Rong?”

Recalling the past, Xu Rong smiled brightly. “En, really.”

“Happiness must be achieved by yourself, and the future must be controlled by yourself.”

Xu Rong lightly tapped the ends of Pei Yi’s moist eyes. “Once you confirm your intentions, you should boldly give it a try. Do you understand?”

Pei Yi nodded, and the fog in his heart began to dissipate.

Xu Rong breathed a silent sigh of relief, and gave him space. “Are you hungry? Shall I bake you something tasty?”

“En!”

“Wait, and come downstairs in half an hour.”

“Okay.”

Xu Rong stood up and left, not forgetting to leave the door ajar.

Pei Yi was the only one left in the studio full of artistic atmosphere, but now he was no longer confused and hesitant.

—Happiness must be achieved by yourself? The future should be controlled by yourself? Once you confirmed your intentions, you should boldly give it a try?

—En!

Pei Yi silently recited Father Rong’s words in his mind, then took out his phone and clicked on the memo pad.

Thinking seriously, he typed out something cute:

How should I confess my love to Er-ge?

Time? Location? Plan?

---

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Extra 11/15 <<Table of Contents >> Extra 13/15

The cafeteria of the School of Economics and Business.

Pei Yi entered the second floor, and the kitten’s nose picked up the smell of delicious food. He immediately became energetic.

He looked sideways to see Bo Yueming, who was following him, and couldn’t help but grab his arm and urge, “Er-ge! Hurry up! I’m practically starving!”

Upon hearing this, Bo Yueming had no choice but to follow his instructions and speed up his pace.

The small window where fried pork chops were sold was in the corner of the second floor. The owners were a couple in their thirties, and the lady boss was always in charge of the sales window.

The other party recognized him as soon as Bo Yueming approached. “Yo, the handsome guy is here again!”

Pei Yi couldn’t wait. “Sister, please give me two fried pork chops, one with salt and pepper and the other slightly spicy. Thank you!”

The boss lady was so ecstatic to be called “sister” by Pei Yi that it took her two or three seconds to react, and she couldn’t help but glance at Bo Yueming beside him. “Is this your family’s little friend? He has the same tastes as you.”

“Little friend?”

Pei Yi muttered this phrase in a low voice and turned to look at Bo Yueming.

Bo Yueming’s eyes flashed slightly, and he coughed with a rare guilty conscience.

Pei Yi didn’t know what was going on, and replied naturally, “En, that’s me!”

He and Bo Yueming had grown up together. In the eyes of others, the other person was his biological older brother.

“…….”

Bo Yueming heard Pei Yi continue to praise him at the window, “Sister, your fried pork chops are so delicious, I’ve been thinking about them. I’ll come here often in the future.”

“Great!”

The boss lady happily accepted this. “I’ll pick out two big ones!”

With that said, she called to her husband inside to make preparations.

Bo Yueming’s gaze was still on the back of Pei Yi’s head, and he said in a low voice, “Pei Yi, the beverage shop is on the first floor. What do you want to drink? On the way, help buy me an iced Americano and a diet meal from next door for me to eat at home.”

“Ah?”

Pei Yi met Bo Yueming’s gaze again and immediately agreed. “Okay.”

Bo Yueming was a bit of a germaphobe, and didn’t like to frequent crowded places. It was almost the peak meal period, so it was natural for him to avoid the flow of people.

The boss lady came back after finishing up and found that Pei Yi was no longer there. “Where is your family’s little friend?”

Bo Yueming replied casually, “He went downstairs to buy something else.”

The boss lady smiled meaningfully. “I initially thought your lover was a girl. I didn’t expect that it would be such a good-looking young boy. No wonder you get two pork chops to eat every time.”

Bo Yueming pursed his lips and said very softly, “…..En.”

The boss lady recognized his face because he came to buy fried pork chops every now and then. She had asked him before, and Bo Yueming had replied casually—

“It’s for the little friend at home.”

Such a sentence caused the boss lady to misunderstand that this was Bo Yueming’s nickname for a little lover.

Once Bo Yueming was aware of her misunderstanding, he didn’t explain due to his selfish motives, which resulted in the mistake today.

The boss lady had said this in front of Pei Yi just now. Seeing that the secret would be easily revealed if she continued talking, Bo Yueming suppressed his guilt and tried to find a way to get rid of Pei Yi.

Very soon, Bo Yueming returned to the first floor with the packaged pork chops.

“Er-ge, over here!”

Pei Yi held a drink in one hand and the bag of food hooked on his finger.

The closer Bo Yueming got, the more he could smell the aroma of the fried pork chops in his hands. “Er-ge, come on, come on, open it first and let me take a bite.”

Bo Yueming smiled helplessly. “Greedy cat, can’t you wait until we go back? It’s only a few steps away.”

Pei Yi glanced at his own full left and right hands and urged, “Hurry up, I’m really hungry.”

When Bo Yueming heard this, he could only stop and ignore the people coming and going in the canteen as he took a small piece of pork chop out of the bag. “Don’t bite it right away, it’s a bit hot.”

Pei Yi blew on it softly twice before biting down in satisfaction.

Seeing his look of contentment, Bo Yueming asked, “Is this enough?”

Pei Yi nodded. “En.”

. . . . . . .

One month later.

Pei Yi’s roommate rushed into the dorm room and teased, “Pei Yi, there are girls downstairs looking for you.”

As soon as he said this, it drew the attention and jeers from the other two people in the dorm.

Baffled, Pei Yi warded off the words of the two and got up to go downstairs. There were indeed two girls standing downstairs in the dormitory. They were good looking and had outstanding temperaments, but they were unfamiliar. 

Before Pei Yi could confirm their identities, they took the lead in walking over.

The girl with short hair nudged the girl with long hair. Seeing that her sister was too shy to say a word, she could only greet, “Hello, are you Pei Yi?”

Pei Yi nodded. “Yes.”

The short-haired girl introduced herself gracefully, “My name is Song Guo. I’m from the School of Economics next door, and I’m a year older than you.”

Pei Yi said politely, “Hello, senior sister.”

Song Guo continued to say in a friendly manner, “It’s like this, I saw you and Bo Yueming show up in the cafeteria before, so I asked around a bit. You’re his little brother, right?”

Pei Yi didn’t dislike this direct greeting. “En.”

When the long-haired girl heard this, her eyes finally lit up. She took a deep breath and handed over the ticket she was carrying. “Hello, my name is Yang Kelin. Could you please give this ticket to your brother?”

“……”

Pei Yi’s eyes dropped and he clearly read the words on the ticket—

Gelan Wine Concert, Saturday, 7:30 pm.

Seeing that Pei Yi didn’t respond, Yang Kelin explained warmly, “It’s like this. I heard that Senior likes red wine and has the habit of collecting famous wines.”

“So, I want to invite him to attend. Can you please pass it on?”

The implication was very clear.

Pei Yi’s heartstrings tensed slightly and he felt an indescribable melancholy, but he hid it well on the surface.

Song Gao opened her mouth to give her a hand. “Junior, can you help us?”

Pei Yi took a deep breath and decisively refused. “I’m sorry, seniors. I may not be able to help with this.”

“……”

Song Guo and Yang Kelin looked at each other, not having expected Pei Yi to refuse so simply. The latter’s eyelashes trembled slightly, and she said gently and rationally, “May I ask why?”

Yang Kelin had asked around and found out that Bo Yueming didn’t have a girlfriend. Only the other party’s personality was too cold, so they thought of sending this invitation through Pei Yi to convey the young girl’s intentions.

“Senior, it’s like this. My Er-ge doesn’t like others to make decisions for him.” 

“You may be happy if I accept your request here, and look forward to it. But if it fails, your happiness will be in vain.”

“Instead of doing it this way, you should give it to him yourselves.”

Pei Yi paused, seeming to understand the concerns of the two girls in front of him. “Actually, Er-ge is very good, it’s just that he seems difficult to get to know on the surface. You, you can give it a try yourselves.”

“No matter what, the answer you receive yourself is always the best, right?”

Yang Kelin was moved by Pei Yi and didn’t want to force him to do anything. She put down her hand with the ticket and said, “Thank you, then we won’t trouble you.”

When Song Guo saw that her friend had given up on this method of invitation, she didn’t insist on it anymore.

She looked at the direct and candid Pei Yi in front of her and felt that he seemed like her own little brother. “Thank you, la. If there is a chance, senior sister will treat you to dinner.”

Pei Yi had a very good impression of these two people, and curled his lips.

It wasn’t until the two of them left that the smile on his lips suddenly fell and was once more replaced by inexplicable melancholy.

. . . . . . . .

As soon as Pei Yi returned to the dorm, he was surrounded by his three gossipy roommates.

“Tell us, did you fall in love with Senior Sister? Yang Kelin is the beauty of the school next door! She is beautiful and gentle, has good grades, and is very talented, and I heard that her family is really well off.”

“You kid, it’s only been a semester since school started. How did you catch her eye without saying a word?”

“……”

When Pei Yi heard the people around him complimenting Yang Kelin, a sense of sourness welled up in his heart. “They didn’t come for me, but to get to my brother through me.”

“Your brother? B-Bo Yueming?”

“En, I refused.” Feeling weak, Pei Yi climbed onto the bed. “…..I can’t help with this.”

Helping someone else in love!

Someone caught a clue from Pei Yi’s mood and teased, “I say, Pei Yi, you’re not jealous of your brother, are you?”

Pei Yi said firmly and simply, “No.”

“No?”

The roommate changed his mind again. “That’s right, you seem to be quite a brother-con. You talk about your big brother all day long.”

“……”

A brother-con?

Pei Yi’s eyes narrowed, and he didn’t answer.

Another roommate joked, “I’m telling you, Pei Yi, this Bo Yueming will have a girlfriend sooner or later. Don’t blubber about it, ah.”

—Shua!

Pei Yi suddenly pulled the blackout bed curtain. “I’m sleepy.”

Once he was isolated from the teasing of his roommates, the restless Pei Yi took out his cell phone and opened Baidu with an indescribable subtlety: Brother-con behavior.

The moment he entered the question, the answer came.

Pei Yi casually clicked on a web page and saw a line of words clearly written on it—

“Brother-con refers to liking a brother older than oneself who is not necessarily related by blood. Generally, the dependence is formed during childhood, and you want to stick to the other person all the time. You simply hope that your brother will always be with you and either take care of or protect you.”

“……”

Pei Yi saw this line of words and buried his head in the quilt in irritation. In addition to the sourness, there was also an inexplicable loss in his heart.

Buzz.

The phone vibrated.

Pei Yi picked up the phone again and looked at it, only to find that it was a message from Bo Yueming. “Do you want to eat that Thai grilled fish you mentioned this Saturday?”

Pei Yi recalled what he had just looked up, and said the opposite of what he wanted. “No, I have something to do.”

He paused, then deleted the “period” at the end and said, “No, I have something to do!”

. . . . . . .

In the blink of an eye, it was Saturday evening.

As soon as Uncle Kai opened the door of the villa, he saw Pei Yi wandering in front of the courtyard. “Little Sir, why haven’t you come in?”

“I, I…..”

Pei Yi got stuck, and was a little embarrassed and speechless.

He originally hadn’t intended to come, but he was at loose ends and ran over on impulse.

Pei Yi had come to visit the Bo residence more than once or twice over the years, and the security guards at the door who were familiar with him no longer stopped him.

But when he finally arrived at his destination, Pei Yi hesitated to go inside. He had already figured something out—

He and Bo Yueming were both adults, and the latter was a few years older than him. Sooner or later, he would have his own lover, get married, and have a family. He couldn’t cling to the other party like he did when he was a child.

Uncle Kai was unaware of what was going on in Pei Yi’s heart, and took Pei Yi into the villa as if he was his own child.

Pei Yi asked slowly, “Uncle Kai, is Er-ge upstairs?”

Uncle Kai paused. “Aiyo, the Second Young Master really isn’t home tonight. He went out in a suit before five o’clock. It seemed as if he had something serious to do, and he probably won’t be back before nine.”

“……”

He went out in a suit? He had something serious to do? And it happened to be Saturday?

Pei Yi thought of Yang Kelin’s ticket from before and his eyes dimmed. “Oh.”

Uncle Kai asked, “Little Sir, have you eaten? You can stay here tonight. Let me call the Second Young Master and have him come back early.”

“Don’t!”

Pei Yi blurted this out to stop him, then said with a stingy streak he wasn’t even aware he had, “Let him take care of his serious business. I’m not hungry. I’ll go back to the small room and take a rest first.”

Uncle Kai noticed that something was off about Pei Yi’s mood, but didn’t dare to ask further. “That’s good, you rest first. You’ll be hungry later, let Uncle Kai have something tasty prepared for you.”

“En. Thank you, Uncle Kai.”

. . . . . . .

Bo Yueming returned later than expected.

Pei Yi heard sounds in the small living room and slowly opened the door.

Their eyes met.

Bo Yueming was wearing a crisp suit, and it seemed that even his hair had been specially taken care of, which not only highlighted his handsome appearance, but also gave him a somewhat mature and steady aura.

“Pei Yi?”

“……”

Pei Yi heard his voice and moved closer, then saw a rare trace of drunkenness floating across Bo Yueming’s face.

Somehow, his mood that he had been suppressing all night dropped to the freezing point, and he couldn’t help but ask, “Was the red wine concert fun?”

Bo Yueming was taken aback. “What?”

Pei Yi’s nose felt sore upon hearing his retort. “Did you like it so much, ah? Did you drink until you were unconscious?”

Ever since he was a child, he had no memory of Bo Yueming going out alone with girls of a similar age.

But now the other party had accepted Yang Kelin’s invitation, which made it clear that something was going on!

Bo Yueming suppressed the drunkenness in his eyes, but didn’t rush to answer. “You know everything?”

Pei Yi was a little angry and lost, but insisted on saying harshly, “What don’t I know, I’m very clear!”

Bo Yueming tugged on his tie, and there was some implication in his words. “Then you aren’t happy for me?”

“……”

Pei Yi’s breathing stalled. He wanted to continue putting up a brave front, but couldn’t. 

Whenever he thought of Bo Yueming showing love, care, protection, and companionship to some girl, he felt a sense of loss and uneasiness, but wasn’t in the position to show it.

He clenched his back molars unnoticeably. “I’m happy, ah, you two look like a perfect match. I’m going to bed. Er-ge, you should also go to bed early.”

The more he said, the faster and more uncontrollably he spoke, as if he was doing his utmost to endure something.

Pei Yi felt that he was on the verge of losing control of his emotions. He turned around and was about to rush back to his room, but his arm was suddenly pulled. “Kitten, wait.”

 “I didn’t go on a date with Yang Kelin tonight. It was a business reception.”

Pei Yi’s mind was a mess, and he couldn’t react for a second. “I know you went on a date with her. You…..”

He stopped in embarrassment mid-sentence, and breathed a few times in confusion. “You didn’t go on a date?”

When Bo Yueming saw his reaction, he knew that his suspicion was correct.

“Did Yang Kelin seek you out before?” Bo Yueming pulled the still-dazed Pei Yi a little closer. “She came to me later and I refused outright.”

When faced with so-called liking and pursuit, he always made prompt decisions.

“Tonight was a business banquet. I just got my invitation from Grandma yesterday.”

Bo Yueming continued to explain, “I just asked if you were happy because I independently negotiated a cooperation agreement for a commercial order worth nearly one hundred million tonight.”

Pei Yi pursed his lips and praised subconsciously, “S-so awesome.”

Bo Yueming chuckled, looking at his slightly red eyes. “Are you unhappy?”

“…..No.”

Pei Yi’s heartstrings relaxed slightly, but then he remembered the facts that he must face in the future.

He raised his head and met Bo Yueming’s eyes. At this moment, all of his hesitation turned into the courage to break the pot and ask the question. “Er-ge, do you have someone you like?”

Bo Yueming’s grip on his wrist tightened. “Yes.”

“……”

Pei Yi didn’t expect the other party to give such a positive answer, and his sour mood suddenly came back.

He continued to endure it, but couldn’t help feeling lost. Lowering his head, he asked dully, “W-who, ah? How much do you like them? Do you want to confess, fall in love, propose, get married, and have children in the future?”

A faint laugh emerged from Bo Yueming’s throat. “En, those are pretty much the steps. Except, they don’t have to give birth to a child.”

“……”

Pei Yi could no longer control his emotions, so he simply threw the jar and smashed it. “Why? Because you don’t like children or…..are you afraid that she’ll be in pain when she gives birth to a baby?”

“Let me see.”

Bo Yueming seemed to be thinking about the issue very seriously, with even a bit of caution. 

Pei Yi saw Bo Yueming’s attitude and smacked his hand away. “Forget it, pretend I didn’t ask. Just love her as much as you want!”

Before the lingering sound vanished, Bo Yueming quickly grabbed Pei Yi’s hand and leaned over.

So close, so close that even a kiss would be easy.

Pei Yi’s heart tensed, but his feet stayed in place, unable and unwilling to leave.

The surroundings were quiet, as if something tangled was taking root between them.

Bo Yueming saw that the person in front of him looked like he was about to cry, and spoke with deep meaning.

“The problem is, he really can’t give birth.”

---

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Extra 10/15 <<Table of Contents >> Extra 12/15

[I’m Xingxing, the acting account manager of @Meowmeow Woofwoof. I’m also the person in charge of Meow Woof Rescue Center. At the same time, I’m also the real-life friend of @LU Deer. In the past two years, he has made several donations to the rescue center using the account @LU Deer, with a total donation amount of 103,000 yuan]

[And the time he participated in the rescue is far longer than the past two years. It can also be said that he is a member of the rescue center. In high school, when he had no financial strength, he had already begun to participate in the rescue of stray cats and dogs]

[I have always believed that a person who can put himself in danger for small animals, a person who is willing to give warmth to wandering souls, cannot be a pervert who harrasses others]

[Some may ask why this matter is being clarified. I only now spoke up for this friend because @LU Deer told me not to get involved when this incident happened, so as not to affect the rescue work of the fur children. He didn’t want this incident to affect more people]

[And I am speaking out now because I want some naive and immature people to know what an innocent soul you are hurting. If you feel ashamed of this mistake, then congratulations, you can still be saved. Don’t be coerced by the trends. Keep your eyes open next time. To those who have no shame, I can only say:]

[The difference between people is greater than the distance between people and dogs. To compare you to a dog would be an insult to the dog. (Smile)]

Below this long text update were also several pictures, including records of donation receipts and location details, as well as comparisons of stray cats and dogs before and after they were rescued. There were also many photos of a boy with cats and dogs. Even though the photos were censored, it was still easy to see this boy gradually become taller and taller, growing from a thin boy to a slender young man.

In the comment area, the most favorable comments were listed at the top.

[Is he an angel sent from Woof Star and Meow Star?]

[Oh my god, I’ve seen this little brother in rescue videos, but the frontal shots were cut out. It turns out he’s been going through this recently. I feel so bad]

[@LU Deer, jiayou! The kitties are still waiting for you to come back~]

However, the style of the subsequent comments gradually changed.

[Fuck! My only concern is: his legs are so long! The one where he is fishing for a cat in the river! The legs are long and straight, ah!]

[LOL, who would have thought that I’d see what my wife looks like! Wife! I’m your dog!]

[Although I didn’t see my wife’s face, woof wooooooooooof! (sprinting) (flying) (doing splits on the spot to show determination) (dog head holding a rose) (wagging tail) (wagging tail) (beating up other puppies) (wagging tail with bruised nose and face)]

Lu Qi: ……

This was puppy-crazy language. He understood.

But he was still shocked every time he saw it.

“What are you looking at?” Mu Nanqiao’s faint voice came from behind. “Neighbor, ah, you said we would paint the wall together, but I’m painting while you’re sitting here being lazy? This isn’t very sincere, right?”

Lu Qi quickly got up from the steps and ran to Mu Nanqiao like a puppy. “Are you thirsty, Mu-shifu? Let me help rub your shoulders, Mu-shifu!”

It wasn’t that he wanted to be lazy, so he took a roller brush and painted a small area of the wall. As a result, the brushing was very uneven, deep and shallow, but Mu Nanqiao’s brushing was perfect and his movements were fast.

He really didn’t want to have Mu Nanqiao follow behind him to do it over, so he had no choice but to retreat to the corner in silence. Of course, he didn’t intend to make Mu-shifu work in vain. He planned to reward his neighbor with a meal at noon.

Thinking of this, he rubbed his nose guiltily, smearing the tip with a blotch of white dust. He raised his head and asked Mu Nanqiao: “Um…..you just paint the wall, and I’ll cook something delicious for you, okay? Do you have anything you don’t like?”

Mu Nanqiao glanced down at him.

He wore a small hat folded from a newspaper, his hair hidden neatly by it to expose his smooth forehead. Without the obstruction of the hair on his forehead, his straight nose and delicate features became more handsome and good-looking. The light in the corridor fell on his face as he smiled brightly.

Then that smile spread into Mu Nanqiao’s eyes little by little. He gave a soft hum to indicate his agreement to Lu Qi’s proposal, and said: “It’s fine no matter what it is.”

“That’s great!” Lu Qi patted the dust off his hands and turned around, walking into the apartment. “Then I’ll go get the ingredients ready. After you finish painting the wall, we can have lunch!”

He thought of something, turned around, and ran back. Standing on tiptoe, he raised his hands and took the paper hat off Mu Nanqiao’s head and replaced it with his own.

“Yours is going to break, take mine.”

His curly hair was pressed down by the brim of the hat, and Lu Qi worked hard to straighten it out on tiptoe. Mu Nanqiao couldn’t help but laugh out out, and lowered his head to make it easier for him.

There was a strand of curly hair that was particularly stubborn. It had been stuffed in several times and still stuck out from the brim of the hat. Lu Qi poked at it with a finger, and finally took a small strawberry hairpin from his pocket, clamping it onto the lock of hair.

Mu Nanqiao: ……

Where did he pull this strange and adorable gadget from?

As if he had seen his doubts, Lu Qi coughed: “It’s a small gift exchanged for supermarket points. I think it’s rather cute. Um, isn’t a boy taking this a little bit……”

“No.” Mu Nanqiao chuckled. “Cuteness has no gender distinction.”

Lu Qi’s eyes bent as he smiled, and the small pear dimple appeared on his cheek again. “Yes, it’s very cute. I use it to clip my hair in front when I wash my face. It works great.”

Mu Nanqiao thought for a moment about him holding the small strawberry, his cheeks dripping wet, and his Adam’s apple rolled. 

He kind of wanted to see it.

This thought came out of nowhere. When he returned to his senses, Lu Qi had already turned around and entered 501. His crisp voice still echoed in the corridor.

“I’m going to cook, jiayou!”

The wall was actually very easy to paint. Once the skill was mastered, you could brush quickly. Mu Nanqiao happened to be a veteran, having done this as a part-time job during summer vacation in high school.

Thus, when he had painted the entire wall, the meal was ready.

He sat in Lu Qi’s den once again. The apartment was so small that a dining room was naturally omitted. The small table was in the kitchen. The range hood was on, but there was no particularly strong smell of oil fumes. Lu Qi had wiped the white wall cabinets very clean, and they were spotless and shining under the sun.

Mu Nanqiao had gone home and took a shower to wash the dust and smell from his body, and waited at the dining table with wet hair.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to help, but the space was too small. If two young men with long arms and legs stood up and moved around, there would only be chaos.

He held his chin and looked at Lu Qi’s back. The blue apron was tied with a bow behind him and his waist was very slender.

Mu Nanqiao had realized his sexual orientation when he was a boy. However, he was too busy trying to survive at that time to bother with the matter in detail. Later, he was picked up by his parents and attended university abroad. There were also male classmates who showed interest in him, but he was busy with his studies and receiving psychological intervention at the same time, so he just found those overtures dull and boring.

It was only now, in this kitchen, that he truly felt that attraction. It was indeed heart-pounding.

He withdrew his gaze, and his slender fingers curled up and tightened.

“Are you hungry?” Lu Qi came over and put the plate on a cat head mat, tilting his head to look at Mu Nanqiao. “The way you were looking at the pot just now, you seemed really hungry.”

Mu Nanqiao wondered, did this little friend have eyes on the back of his head?

But what he was looking at just now wasn’t the pot.

He was calm and unruffled when facing Mu Group’s cunning old men, but now he was stunned by a pair of clear eyes, and could only conceal a smile and hum.

Cold potato slices, boiled cabbage heart, sweet and sour short ribs, fish head with tofu.

“I didn’t make soup because I didn’t have time.” Lu Qi removed his apron and sat opposite him. “You’re so skillful, and you paint so fast. Have you ever renovated a house yourself before?”

His eyes were bright, as if he really thought this was something great.

Mu Nanqiao served him food and found that Lu Qi was still holding the pair of azure porcelain bowls. He seemed to really like them.

He answered nonchalantly: “I did odd jobs during summer vacation. I couldn’t do it well in the beginning, and my pay was deducted a few times. After that, I made rapid progress.”

Lu Qi blinked. His excited tone of voice dropped at once, and he asked cautiously: “I heard that you were living with the Mu family at that time…..”

The Mu family was so rich, and could be considered a wealthy and distinguished family. How much could it cost to raise a child?

Mu Nanqiao understood what he didn’t say.

He rarely talked about his past with others. No one could empathize with another person’s experiences. When Mu Group’s young and promising general manager went out, countless people rushed to please him, and whenever he mentioned the dark past of his youth, it seemed like he was complaining for no reason.

It seemed that only the sentence “It’s all in the past” could reflect the indifference and calmness that someone with his identity should have.

Only Mu Nanqiao himself knew that his anger would be repaid, and he would make life difficult for them.

When he was silent, Lu Qi across from him fidgeted anxiously. His fingers were tangled under the table for a moment, and he practically tied himself into a knot.

“Let’s eat.” He changed the subject abruptly and gave Mu Nanqiao an anxious look, his eyes full of an apology for saying the wrong thing.

Like a little kitten that accidentally pushed a water glass off the table while playing. The white dust on his nose had not yet been wiped clean. He was still a tabby kitten.

Mu Nanqiao laughed and pulled out a wet wipe, handing it over. His beautiful fox eyes curved up. “Wipe your nose first.”

“Oh, oh.” Lu Qi took it with both hands and wiped randomly like a kitten washing his face.

Mu Nanqiao said lightly: “My mom is Russian. My grandfather didn’t agree to my dad being with her. He thought that mixed-race children were bastards, so I, a little bastard living at home, always got in his way. Of course, although I wasn’t given a lot of living expenses, I didn’t go hungry. After all, if I went out to meet people with a sallow complexion, I would still be a member of the Mu family…..”

Before he could finish his words, the little neighbor opposite had already served him a lot of vegetables. There was a hill piled up in his bowl, and the last piece of rib was teetering on top.

Mu Nanqiao: ……

He deftly picked up the rib.

Lu Qi had packed the rice in the bowl, and whispered: “Eat more. Eat more to make up for it.”

After thinking for a moment, he added: “I will never ask you to paint walls again.”

Mu Nanqiao: ……

He propped his elbows on the table and couldn’t help but laugh.

Lu Qi was even more at a loss. His face turned red, and he said softly: “I don’t know how to comfort people…..”

“I think the result is pretty good.” Mu Nanqiao stopped laughing, but his fox eyes were still curved. He lifted the wet hair from his forehead with his slender fingers and clamped it with Lu Qi’s strawberry hairpin. Then he picked up the sweet and sour pork rib and brought it to his mouth.

“I’ll eat. You’re right, I didn’t eat too many sweets before. I need to make up for it in the future.”

Lu Qi nodded like a chicken pecking rice: “En, en, en…..”

He served some food to Mu Nanqiao again, and the hill in the bowl finally collapsed under the load.

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Chapter Ten << Table of Contents >> Chapter Twelve

Second Young Master Liu wrapped in a gray robe and Second Young Master Liu wearing exquisite clothes were two completely different young masters. At least, that was what the people of the Valley of Ten Faces thought. His Royal Highness Xiao Wang’s careful dressing ability was obviously effective, because after the news spread, the people who came to join in nearly tripled, all of them coming to see this immortal brother and sister.

Naturally, there were also many followers of the Baifu Sect among them, some of whom had even seen the Holy Maiden in person. In the teachings of the cult, the saintess was the incarnation of all beautiful things in the world, and she should naturally have unparalleled beauty that was difficult for ordinary people to achieve—and she was indeed beautiful. Almost all the believers who had seen her were enthralled by the cold girl wrapped in layers of holy white veils.

Therefore, when they heard that a girl who was said to be more beautiful than the saintess had appeared in the Valley of Ten Faces and was also able to exorcize demons and eliminate disasters, they rushed over from all directions. These people each harbored different evil intentions. Some simply wanted to take a look, and some wanted to take the opportunity to cause trouble in order to express their loyalty to the Baifu Buddha Mother. There were even fanatical believers who had sharpened their daggers and hidden them in their sleeves, intending to find an opportunity to kill the imitator who dared to compare herself to the Holy Maiden.

So this group of miserable and irrational villains, holding daggers and feeling the tragic emotion of sacrificing themselves for the sacred religion, embarked on the mountain road to the Valley of Ten Faces.

All they heard along the way was singing.

On the one hand, the local people were genuinely joyful, and on the other, there was Liang Shu’s intentional guidance. In short, the Valley of Ten Faces during this period was indescribable with its colorful displays in red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple. Boys and girls wore beautiful clothes, and the mountain paths were lined with fruit wine. Anyone could open their mouths and sing a folk song. Even the aunt who was lying on a stretcher after unfortunately falling lame sang aiyo all the way.

It was amongst this jubilant atmosphere that the followers of the cult met Liu Nanyuan. She was sitting among the flowers and chatting openly with everyone. Her face was indeed astonishingly beautiful, but what was more impactful than her beauty was her smile under the sunlight. It was like a flower with tenacious vitality blooming with vigor, with no need to hide or be aloof.

It was in sharp contrast to the dark room and oppressive atmosphere that the believers remembered.

“Where are you uncomfortable?” she asked.

“My…..my head hurts,” the man answered in a panic.

“A headache, ah.” Liu Nanyuan stood up. “Lie here, let me examine you first.”

Liu Xian’an also reached out to assist him in a moment of diligence, but the patient didn’t appreciate it. The man quickly pulled his sleeves down to hide and lay sideways on the bed.

The guard on the side had long noticed something unusual about this man, and put his hand on the grip of his sword, ready to unsheathe it at any time. But as Liu Nanyuan finished the consultation for him, the man didn’t do anything out of the ordinary. He only took the prescription and asked in a whisper: “How much money?”

“There are no valuable medicinal materials in the prescription. If you don’t have enough money, then never mind, but if you have plenty, then send a few bags of rice and a few pounds of bacon to the porridge shops in nearby towns.” Liu Nanyuan sat back at the table and said, “Remember to take the medicine on time when you go back. Avoid the cold, as well as spicy food. It will take effect in three days.”

A medicine boy took the man out to get the prescription, and Liu Xian’an said: “There was something wrong with him.”

Liu Nanyuan said: “Have there not been many people acting strange in the past two days? It isn’t surprising.”

Liu Xian’an replied, en, there are indeed a lot, and it isn’t surprising.

And the garrison secretly kept an eye on all these people. This man was no exception. He did not return to his hometown immediately, but remained in the Valley of Ten Faces, taking the medicine for three days until his stubborn headache was cured. He was also invited to sing several songs by the young men in the village. No one would refuse sunshine and beauty. The man danced around the campfire and ate meat, feeling as if he had returned to his youth again. During that time, he did not need to sacrifice or contribute money to anyone. There was no fear in his life, only the infinite yearning for tomorrow.

The Holy Envoy once explained that his sharp and lingering headaches were sins sent down from heaven, saying that there was a giant termite gnawing around in his brain, and that one day his body would be empty. Only the compassionate Baifu Buddha Mother could calm it. But now, the headaches seemed to have been uprooted by those few free decoctions, and long-lost happiness had appeared in his life.

He dithered for several days, then gritted his teeth and went to the garrison camp.

And was told to queue up.

“It’s okay, don’t worry, just sit here for now.” A soldier led him to a tent good-naturedly and brought him a few cups of sweet plum tea. “Take a number first, and when it’s your turn, someone will call you. Don’t run around, in order to avoid missing your turn.”

The man looked at the number plate in his hand that had reached to over a hundred, then at the men, women, and children sitting around him who were also holding number plates in their hands, and fell into deep silence and contemplation. He thought that after confessing his relationship with the Baifu Sect, there would be a stir in the army…..if not a violent storm, it would at least cause a round of commotion, because the Imperial court had always regarded the Baifu Sect as a scourge. But now, it seemed that reality was much more dull.

There were too many “comrades” who came to confess their crimes. Without exception, they all came with hostility, but were knocked sober by the wine and singing that filled the mountains and plains. People who ate inferior food would inevitably suffer from various headaches and fevers. The Holy Maiden attributed all their pain to sin, but another equally beautiful girl explained in detail in a gentle and amiable manner, you are suffering from lung stasis, you are suffering from dampness and heat. Goodness, it’s just because you’ve eaten too much. I’ll just prescribe something to strengthen the stomach and help digestion, ba, it’s free.

This made them all feel that they may not have so many “sins,” and didn’t need to spend all their money and sacrifice themselves blindly.

The aunt to the side advised the man, you are already number 300, so you should find a place to sleep. I am number 150. I just asked, and I’ll be seen after dinner.

In this way, with the full cooperation of the common people, a number of hidden clues about the Baifu Sect were uncovered.

Gao Lin both celebrated and lamented, mainly because it was a pity that Ku You was not here, which made it difficult for everyone to enjoy the festivities, still remembering him all the time.

Far away in the mountains, Ku You didn’t know if it was a complex thought of concern or complaint that triggered a series of sneezes. La Yue heard this where he was wandering outside the building, and was happy at heart. Look, I said that I would definitely be able to bring Commander Ku back.

As for the fake Ku You, he also awoke when he was meticulously stabbed awake by Liu Xianche.

Chang Xiaoqiu muttered, there are countless people who want to seek medical treatment outside, and this grandson was given preference.

A-Ning nudged him with his elbow. Keep your voice down, be careful that he doesn’t hear you and cause the prince’s plan to be ruined.

Chang Xiaoqiu cough coughed twice: “Let’s go in too.”

There were already a lot of people guarding the room, including Liu Xianche, Gao Lin, Cheng Suyue, and Liu Xian’an. After all, “Commander Ku” had been brought back after a narrow escape, which was a big event, so everyone needed to be there.

Gao Lin rushed forward first. He raised his hand and slapped him, and couldn’t help but say: “You kid, you’re finally willing to wake up!”

Yuan Yu’s wrists were still tied up, and his ribs hadn’t healed properly. His face paled after being slapped so hard by him. Cheng Suyue stepped forward and drove her brother away, complaining: “Xiao Ku has just woken up. If you touch him randomly, be careful you don’t break him. The prince will come to settle accounts with you.”

“He’s not tofu that can be broken off. It’s nothing he hasn’t suffered in the Northwest.” Gao Lin sat down on the edge of the bed. “Hey, how are you?”

Yuan Yu looked at the room full of people, his mind gradually remembering things, but his heart was filled with surprise and doubt. He had thought that Liang Shu had seen through all the disguises that day at the dense forest lakeside and knocked him out in a short moment, but now…..he was more vigilant, and calmly continued to be blind while thinking about what to do next.

“Hey, hey!” Cheng Suyue said. “Ku You, Ku You!” Seeing that the other party didn’t respond after she called a few times, she couldn’t help but grimace and turn around to ask, “Second Young Master Liu, this…..didn’t you say he was fine?”

“It is true that no injuries have been found, nor Gu insects.” Liu Xian’an stepped forward. “Besides, the prince only broke a few of his bones that day, and didn’t damage his brain.”

“His Highness was too cruel to attack him.” Gao Lin shook his head in disapproval. “The man was tortured in the devil’s cave. He was covered in blood and half-dead and hung on the lake like a swing, then a few more bones were broken. It should have been me who rescued him.”

“At that time, the prince could not guarantee that the other party would definitely hand over Xiao Ku. What if it was another disguise? If we didn’t knock him out first, what if he attacked midway?” Cheng Suyue said, “I just didn’t expect that Mu Zhe would keep his word this time. All right, no matter what, it’s good that he’s back.”

The two of them sang back and forth and finished the planned performance. Yuan Yu lying in bed also heard it clearly. Perhaps it was because he was overconfident in his own disguise skills, or perhaps it was because Liang Shu had a reputation for cruelty, but the idea of “attacking your comrade first and then rescuing him” seemed inexplicably reasonable. He actually believed it, and began to inwardly rejoice.

“Commander Ku, can you still hear my voice?” Liu Xian’an asked worriedly, standing beside the bed. Seeing that the other party didn’t respond, he asked his elder brother, “Could it be that the Baifu Sect injured his brain when they tortured him?”

These words were simply cast into Yuan Yu’s thoughts, because he indeed had such a plan. After all, even if one could perfectly imitate Ku You’s voice and appearance, a person’s temperament could never be completely copied. Thus, he was planning to feign foolishness and amnesia from the beginning, but it didn’t go well, because he made a stupid statement by the lake and was beaten half to death on the spot.

Liu Xianche sighed coldly: “It’s hard to say. Let’s observe him for a few days first.”

“Don’t observe, ah. He can’t really be a fool.” Gao Lin said anxiously, “Hey, Xiao Ku, Xiao Ku!”

Yuan Yu gave a dull, “Ah.”

Gao Lin earnestly encouraged: “Don’t scare gege, just say a few words or whatever you want, but don’t be beaten foolish, ah!”

He was still thinking about what his family’s prince had said: “There was a strange tone that I picked up as soon as he opened his mouth.” He was very anxious to hear it, and the others also wanted to hear it, so they all stood still.

Everyone watched Yuan Yu holding up his upper body, and waited with bated breath for a long time until one sentence came out: “This….where, you, cough, who are you?”

Chang Xiaoqiu almost couldn’t hold back his laughter, but was stepped on by Cheng Suyue. His expression was instantly tangled and painful, his eyes wide.

A-Ning sucked in a breath of cold air, and raised his voice to call out: “It’s unbelievable, Commander Ku has lost his memory!”

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Chapter One Hundred Fourteen << Table of Contents >> Chapter One Hundred Sixteen

When Liu Zhenqing awoke, he felt that the thing he was holding was a bit uncomfortable, square and hard.

Then he opened his eyes and met a handsome face. The violent and murderous spirit was gone, along with the majesty and coldness, so that only clean, pure defenselessness remained.

It took him a moment to realize what he had forgotten the night before.

His bad sleeping habits, ah!

He saw that he was using both hands and feet to wrap around Huo Fenglie’s body like an octopus.

But seeing Huo Fenglie sleeping peacefully, he probably hadn’t been affected by him. After all, he was taller than him now, so his small bit of strength should be like a tickle.

Liu Zhenqing wanted to take away his hands and feet, but the sensation under his hands was a bit interesting. What a good figure, ah.

Eventually, this person woke up.

He had been taking medicine continuously to stabilize his old illness, but still had to deal with this case without rest. No matter how strong his body was, he couldn’t sustain it. Therefore, Huo Fenglie slept very peacefully that night, especially when he felt a familiar strength while sleeping.

When he woke up, his head was as sober as usual, but he was a little confused after opening his eyes.

Beside the pillow, he saw Liu Zhenqing resting his head on one hand while lying on his side and looking at him with a smile. “Did I wake you up?”

Stunned, Huo Fenglie looked straight at Liu Zhenqing with his dark eyes, as if he felt that the person in front of him wasn’t real. 

Suddenly, he reached out and touched Liu Zhenqing’s face.

Liu Zhenqing was mystified as Huo Fenglie’s index finger brushed his cheek. It felt cool.

“What are you doing? Did I drool in my sleep?” Liu Zhenqing also touched it. Nothing there, ah.

Huo Fenglie returned to his senses and said in a clearly embarrassed voice, “I thought I was dreaming.”

Liu Zhenqing was taken aback for a moment, then laughed and said, “Dreaming? What kind of dream? A spring dream?”

Huo Fenglie didn’t expect Liu Zhenqing to say such a thing, and his Adam’s apple twitched in surprise. “What?”

Liu Zhenqing’s eyes were bent in a smile as he looked suggestively at the area covered by the quilt. There was an obvious bulge there, which he had accidentally encountered when he was withdrawing his legs just now. He was truly full of energy.

Huo Fenglie was slow to respond.

“A young man in the early morning is full of energy, I understand.” Seeing Huo Fenglie’s gradually embarrassed look, Liu Zhenqing couldn’t help but laugh.

And Huo Fenglie, known as the terribly cold god of war by others, gradually turned red. He stood up awkwardly and sat on the edge of the bed with his back to Liu Zhenqing, trying to lie to himself and cover up the problem. “I’m not…..”

“There is nothing to deny. This proves that you’re in good health. When I checked your pulse before, it felt very disordered, and I worried that there was something wrong with your body.” In terms of physical health, Liu Zhenqing was not as good as Huo Fenglie. It may have been that his body was damaged by long-term poisoning, so he was rather mediocre in this aspect.

Seeing Huo Fenglie’s discomfort, Liu Zhenqing could only smile and take care of the child’s emotions, saying: “How about I go out first and give you some time?”

“I’m fine.” Huo Fenglie’s tone was a little anxious. Perhaps he was using his internal strength to force his body to recover, because he just sat there motionlessly.

Since everything was fine, Liu Zhenqing lay down lazily.

The child had grown up, but knew to be shy. Was it because of this that he was embarrassed to let him see when they went to the hot spring together? How did Er-gou develop such an awkward temperament, ah?

Thinking of this, Liu Zhenqing couldn’t help but ask: “By the way, when we bathed in the hot spring together before, was there a tattoo on your body?”

Huo Fenglie’s body was already frozen, so there was no reaction to be seen when Liu Zhenqing asked him this question. He only paused for a moment before saying: “It’s nothing. Having a tattoo is just more convenient when fighting.”

Liu Zhenqing indicated his agreement. If one’s clothes were damaged on the battlefield and their face stained with blood, it would be difficult to recognize them without any marks on their body. He remembered that Huo Feihan once had a team who tattooed wolf heads on their chests.

He opened his mouth to ask how he had been these past few years, but once he spoke, it would inevitably involve the past, so after some thought, it was better not to ruin the moment.

Just as he was about to get up, there was sudden movement outside and someone opened the curtain and walked in.

“Zhanyuan, do you want to go…..yi!”

Liu Zhenqing leaned forward to look at the door past the tall Huo Fenglie and saw He Lan, who was leaning on crutches as he held the door curtain open with one hand. The expression on his face was very colorful.

There was no need to wonder what this guy was thinking at the moment. After all, he was still Liu Xiaozhu in the eyes of others, and Liu Xiaozhu had a criminal history against Huo Fenglie.

So it could be imagined how horrifying the scene of them sleeping together was for him.

Bai Su seemed to have asked about it the day before, but because the two of them were so busy chatting about other things, they both forgot about it in the end.

On the contrary, the most gossipy fellow saw it.

Huo Fenglie looked at He Lan and asked in a calm tone, “What’s wrong?”

He Lan’s eyes were already darting between the two of them so fast that they were almost on fire. “It’s just that Prefect Wu is in good condition now, and Lao Qin wants to go and question him again. Yuzhou was interested and went to help, so I came to ask…..do you want to go?”

Huo Fenglie said directly: “I have asked everything that needs to be asked. We have other things to do.”

He Lan: “You? The two of you?”

Liu Zhenqing looked at Huo Fenglie in puzzlement.

Huo Fenglie nodded.

He Lan gossiped: “What’s going on? Can you take me with you?”

“I can’t,” Huo Fenglie refused straightforwardly.

He Lan’s expression grew even more curious, and he wanted to keep his eyes on them. However, he had no excuse to stay, so he could only turn around and leave by himself.

Liu Zhenqing watched He Lan turn his head back three times while walking and said with amusement: “It seems your brother has misunderstood us.”

“It doesn’t matter.” Huo Fenglie had already stood up and was arranging his clothes.

“You don’t pay much attention to your reputation, ba. If you’re misunderstood, how will you find a wife in the future?” Liu Zhenqing removed the quilt and stood up speechlessly. He felt that Huo Fenglie was the kind of person who focused on major things and didn’t care about children or love at all. Speaking of which, it was their fault. When this child was growing up, there was no chance for romance or love. He was dragged down by them and the overall situation, and could only move forward desperately.

Huo Fenglie froze and turned to look at Liu Zhenqing. The look in his eyes was a little abnormal, and he said in a stiff tone, “It’s no bother.”

Liu Zhenqing felt that Huo Fenglie seemed a little unhappy, and it was also not good to delve too deeply into other people’s thoughts. It had been so many years, after all. He could only change the subject and say: “Right, you said we have other things to do?”

Huo Fenglie quickly returned to normal and said: “Yes, do you still remember the person related to the Liu family that you saw in the Heaven’s Blessing Sect?”

“The vice president of the southern branch of the Liu Family Chamber of Commerce!” Liu Zhenqing recalled that he was involved in river transportation.

At this time, He Lan had already arrived outside Prefect Wu’s tent, and was full of thoughts when he heard an argument coming from inside.

Bai Su and Qin Yu paused for a moment when they saw him enter the door.

Qin Yu asked directly: “Where are they?”

“They’re not coming, they have something to do.” He Lan really wanted to gossip, but noticed that there was something wrong with the atmosphere. He asked, “What’s wrong?”

“It’s fine if they don’t come.” Qin Yu hinted for He Lan to look at Bai Su, who seemed unhappy.

He Lan was clever, and asked straightaway: “Did that person come up again?”

He saw Prefect Wu standing to the side with his head in his hands, books piled in front of him. He murmured as if in shock: “How is it possible? This is impossible, ah.”

He Lan sat down with curiosity on his face and sent the two people opposite an inquiring look.

“This is a collection of the number of people who died due to disasters in Yanqiu Prefecture last year and the farmland abandoned,” Qin Yu said concisely, and regarding it with narrowed eyes. “It is the highest in history.”

He Lan said in surprise: “What? The highest? How is that possible? I remember that the worst disaster year was obviously……”

“Nine years ago. That year, not only were there severe disasters in Yanqiu Prefecture, but also all over the Great Zhou dynasty.” Qin Yu slowly lowered his head to look at the account book in his hand. “But the number of people who died in Yanqiu Prefecture that year was less than half of this year.”

“Impossible!” Prefect Wu said suddenly: “There must be some miscalculation. When we reported the evidence back then, Prime Minister Liu clearly received it, but he turned a blind eye and didn’t deal with those corrupt officials, allowing them to continue embezzling from the victims. At that time, the food provided for disaster relief was mixed with various animal fodder and given to the people. How could it be that under his management…..fewer people died?”

He Lan raised his eyebrows and flipped through it casually, saying with some surprise: “Not only were there fewer deaths, but the number of riots and people who fell into trouble were the least when the treacherous minister was around. It’s strange, wasn’t that the time when the disaster was the most serious? And wasn’t he cursed miserably for what he did at that time? Why did the results turn out to be the other way around? What do you think is going on, ah?”

Qin Yu didn’t respond, and just glanced at Bai Su. Bai Su had the qualifications of the top scholar, and had a clearer understanding of policy matters than they did. It was just that Bai Su’s expression hadn’t looked good from the beginning.

He suddenly lowered his eyes to hide his expression, loosened the fists that he had clenched just now, and said with difficulty: “Perhaps it was because the disasters in various places had reached the most serious point, and a slight change would affect everything else. If he wanted to save more people, he could only appease those officials first. Those officials were greedy, but it is undeniable that they had been around for a long time and knew best how to deal with disaster relief. If they were eradicated at the critical moment, who would take over when there was a shortage of manpower everywhere? By then, not only would the death toll have risen, but there would definitely be chaos. After all, reality is not a story, and there are not so many satisfying and happy endings.”

This made it sound like they had been short-sighted. Prefect Wu retorted at once: “Then he just let those people steal and replace the relief food? Do you know how many people this would kill?”

But as soon as these words came out, he felt as if he had slapped himself in the face. After all, the facts and data were right in front of him. 

“By mixing things together, one mouthful of food becomes two mouthfuls, and one person’s life becomes two people’s lives. Corrupt officials who are good at this know better what the bottom line is for people to survive,” Bai Su said with a wry smile.

“Back then, the country was suffering from internal and external troubles and the national treasury was at its bottom. This would indeed save more people.” Qin Yu nodded.

“Then after that, could it be considered killing the donkey once it is done grinding the grain?” He Lan chuckled.

“More like fattening it up before killing it.” Qin Yu thought for a moment and frowned: “Corrupt officials stole the country’s money, joined profiteers to cleverly accumulate wealth, and turned silver into gold. After killing those corrupt officials, the national treasury would have funds.”

Qin Yu paused at this point, looking a little puzzled as he said: “The treasury was rich, and corrupt officials were punished on the spot. All the infamy was on Liu Zhenqing, and everyone began to praise the emperor who was about to take charge…..”

These few words caused the hearts of everyone present to jump. He Lan touched his head and said: “Why does it seem more and more wrong the more we talk about it? It seems like Liu Zhenqing did it on purpose.”

After speaking, He Lan looked at the others. Qin Yu and Bai Su seemed to be deep in thought, while Prefect Wu was greatly agitated. “No, if the emperor hadn’t insisted on investigating, those vermin might still be…..”

“Liu Zhenqing was in power back then. Without his agreement, the emperor’s orders would be useless. And…..” Qin Yu said with an indifferent expression, “I remember that when he first ordered the investigation, it was just after the disaster. That is, when those corrupt officials were no longer needed.”

Prefect Wu seemed to have grasped some breakthrough point and said agitatedly: “Since they weren’t needed, why not catch those of us who were also involved?”

Qin Yu couldn’t figure this out, and could only glance at Bai Su.

Bai Su’s expression gradually became trance-like, as if he had grasped something but couldn’t understand it yet. His expression became increasingly ugly, but it had to be analyzed in the most likely direction. 

“Probably because he knew that if he included people like Prefect Wu who were forced to participate in the embezzlement incident and uprooted them, what would happen with the subsequent disaster reconstruction? It is recorded in the disaster policies of the Great Zhou Dynasty that many people were killed or injured due to improper post-disaster reconstruction, but the common people couldn’t wait even a day. If they were all replaced with new officials who didn’t understand the local situation, wouldn’t there be another group of people plundering peoples’ wealth? How could the common people live? By killing half and leaving the other half to work cautiously, they would make amends for past mistakes, be grateful for the grace of heaven, and not dare to be greedy again. This is the most reliable way to stabilize the situation. As far as the common people were concerned, the biggest corrupt officials were gone, and the smaller ones remained because of Liu Zhenqing’s protection. The emperor had done his utmost, the officials were now willing to do things well, and the people’s hearts were stable.”

Bai Su’s face became increasingly pale as he spoke, and his pupils couldn’t help but quiver in the end. He couldn’t seem to believe what he had just said.

Putting himself into Liu Zhenqing’s predicament at that time, with internal and external troubles, he could not think of a better solution than this. Only in this way could more people survive, and he could also win a good reputation for the emperor. But wouldn’t that mean he would be misunderstood? Who could bear the infamy?

At that time, the whole country said that he was acting arbitrarily, expropriating funds and extorting others, and complaints rose from the common people all around. To this day, the local people still hated the treacherous minister because Liu Zhenqing did not control the minor corrupt officials who made money during the disaster relief. In the end, they experienced the most miserable year and felt that the lack of development in the area so far was due to the residual influence of the treacherous minister.

But the data in front of them was clear. Because of his policies and methods, more people survived. Those who cursed him at the dinner table in the cities were probably people who would have died in the disaster.

What was the bigger picture? At this moment, Bai Su slowly understood why when everyone was scolding Liu Zhenqing, his noble and benevolent brother followed him without hesitation. But why did his brother report Liu Zhenqing’s crimes in the end? Bai Su couldn’t figure it out.

Not only could Bai Su not figure it out, but the other three people present couldn’t do so either.

Prefect Wu was the most stimulated, because he had experienced it twice while in office and still failed to see through the key points.

So the treacherous official didn’t want the common people to lose confidence in Great Zhou and the emperor, and would rather be the villain as the country went through its most difficult year. How was this possible?

“I-Impossible. He was a treacherous minister who committed countless crimes. Perhaps it is only a coincidence. It was just that the corrupt officials back then didn’t dare to embezzle too seriously, and that’s why so many people survived,” Prefect Wu said in a daze.

Who could know the truth unless the dead resurrected and told them personally?

At this time, Liu Zhenqing and Huo Fenglie had gone to see the branch president alone. The man recognized Liu Zhenqing immediately upon seeing him. “First Young Master, ah, I’m Shopkeeper Wang. Please help me. I was really arrested by mistake, and I have nothing to do with these things. I’m just an innocent businessman doing my duty.”

“Shopkeeper Wang, helping corrupt people transport dissolved official silver is not an innocent thing. You also helped transport the food that was supposed to be used for local disaster relief. How much commision did you make from this? You are truly bold to have done so many things using our Liu family’s river transportation.”

Shopkeeper Wang was too old to withstand such threats, and lay trembling on the ground with tears streaming down his face. “First Young Master, save me, save me!”

“Save you. We are all in danger, but now we still have the opportunity to atone for our sins. Tell us everything you know about the river transport that wasn’t recorded in the account books. Otherwise, not only will your life not be guaranteed, but you may also be implicated!”

With such a frightening Liu Zhenqing, Shopkeeper Wang was completely disheartened. He didn’t dare to play tricks or pretend to be miserable, so he quickly explained it all.

Excluding other petty thefts, Shopkeeper Wang only knew about the section of the river he was in charge of. That is, he only helped transport the grain and dissolved official silver, and had no idea about the rebel assassins.

The only useful information was where the stuff was sent to.

The money collected day and night by officers and soldiers didn’t add up at all, and the only one who knew where the previously dissolved official silver went was Magistrate Wang. But Magistrate Wang had been killed, so where did the money go that was unaccounted for? Only Shopkeeper Wang had some clues.

“I only helped transport it to Tongmao Prefecture, and they transported it away by horse-drawn carriage. I just don’t know.”

Tongmao Prefecture was where the Southern Imperial Examination was held. “Right, on the way to Tongmao Prefecture, I accidentally heard Magistrate Wang mention tax money to the old man next to him. That’s all I know. Begging the general to please forgive me…..at least spare the lives of my family members for the sake of the help I’ve provided.”

Tax money? Sure enough, as Yuan Jue had said, there was also a problem with the tax money.

When the tax money was mentioned, Liu Zhenqing’s expression was a little uneasy. 

Huo Fenglie noticed this and wanted to inquire, but didn’t in the end.

When they went back, they met three wilted people.

“What’s wrong?” Liu Zhenqing asked in concern.

He was part of the Liu family, after all, so they couldn’t say it in front of Liu Zhenqing. They only said that talking about the disaster with Prefect Wu was a headache. However, He Lan and Qin Yu still found an opportunity to tell Huo Fenglie about the matter in private, and couldn’t help being surprised upon seeing Huo Fenglie’s expressionless face.

“Don’t you care?” He Lan scratched his head curiously. “Yuzhou didn’t feel good after hearing this, and he’s still thinking all the time in a daze. They are enemies, after all, and now he found out that his enemy might have been a good person. This is really hard to accept.”

“What is the point of thinking about the past now?” Huo Fenglie asked back.

He Lan choked, and suddenly felt that talking to Huo Fenglie was in vain. After all, he was Huo Fenglie’s enemy. Would an enemy wish the other party well? If there were grievances, he wouldn’t want the other party’s name to be cleared, and even if it was cleared, the common people would not believe it. After all, there was no evidence. It was all their analysis. Even Prefect Wu didn’t believe it, let alone others.

In the evening, everyone sat outside the camp and drank. Of course, it was a small drink. Liu Zhenqing didn’t dare to drink more this time, but when he saw Bai Su on the side pouring himself wine, he asked him about it with some worry. Bai Su looked at Liu Zhenqing as if he was trying to look at someone else through him. But in the end, he only said dryly: “I’m thinking of ways to let the people of Yanqiu Prefecture have an easier time.”

Liu Zhenqing thought for a while. He seemed to have considered this kind of problem back then, but didn’t have time to implement it. So after some thought, he drank with Bai Su and guided him to think, citing scriptures and references. Bai Su’s eyes gradually lit up, and he looked at Liu Zhenqing in astonishment.

However, Liu Zhenqing looked as if he didn’t understand what he had said, the topics all over the place, as if his words had unintentionally given him inspiration. 

Build extensive canals and terraced waterwheels, plant rice, divert water to create fields, and induce merchants to invest money and manpower with the bait of reduced taxes. Each one was a good method for a beneficial cycle, and each one could only be carried out with a stable Great Zhou.

In other words, these methods could not be implemented at all during Liu Zhenqing’s reign.

The emperor soon received a proposal for post-disaster reconstruction. Yuan Jue’s eyes flickered when he saw methods that were almost eighty percent familiar.

“The Bai family is truly talented, and can match the talent of that person back then. It’s a pity that he doesn’t want to be an official.” Yuan Jue said with a smile: “But a person like him would only be an upright and honest official. It is unfortunate that such an official cannot tolerate sand in his eyes.”

Yuan Jue suddenly heard a sentence in his ears: There are no mountains and rivers without sand.

Yuan Jue’s expression changed. Yes, ah, after eight years, he had long understood this truth. Sometimes people in high positions had to tolerate the dirt. Who didn’t want to be a gentleman or a saint, with no blood on his hands and a down-to-earth attitude? But there were some times when it couldn’t be helped.

At this time, the eunuch confidant who was helping the emperor sort out Imperial edicts couldn’t help but suck in a breath of cold air.

Yuan Jue touched his jade ring and said, “What is it?”

The eunuch confidant knew the emperor’s temperament, and replied directly: “Your Majesty, will all the officials implicated this time be killed?”

“Naturally. We are not currently facing enemies from both sides, so there is no need to tie our hands.” The corners of Yuan Jue’s mouth slowly rose. “They were left alive back then, and I didn’t expect that their boldness would grow more and more. But this is also good. I can pull out all the cancerous tumors at once. I have been waiting for this day for a long time.”

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

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Ai!” Leaning under a tree, Liu Zhenqing sighed endlessly.

He could have left. From now on, the world would be vast, and he could ride on horseback with a raised whip and lie drunk in Jiangnan, never to meet again. He had already turned the horse’s head, but felt uneasy after walking halfway and was truly not prepared to face Huo Fenglie at the moment, so he could only go back and hide first.

In fact, Liu Zhenqing had realized one thing from the moment he knew Huo Fenglie was aware of his true identity. Huo Fenglie did not intend to retaliate against him, and didn’t even intend to reveal his disguise. Although he didn’t know what the child was thinking, he should at least mean him no harm.

Since he wouldn’t be harmed and was already exposed, he didn’t need to flee in such a hurry. Perhaps it would be more beneficial to his future to figure out Huo Fenglie’s intentions.

Just as he was pondering, he heard footsteps nearby.

Liu Zhenqing looked up and saw that Huo Fenglie had returned. His head drooped slightly, but his eyes were looking straight ahead as he took three steps and then paused, as if approaching cautiously.

At last, Huo Fenglie stood in front of him and said softly: “Young Master Liu.”

Liu Zhenqing was taken aback, and looked up at Huo Fenglie speechlessly with a complicated expression.

Huo Fenglie also looked straight at him, eyes flickering. Finally, he called out the name lingering on his lips that he wanted to call most of all.

“Qing-ge.”

Liu Zhenqing trembled when he heard it. He hadn’t heard this address in nine years. It seemed to span a long river of time, as if it was from a lifetime ago.

Sure enough, Er-gou was willing to call him Qing-ge.

Liu Zhenqing put it all out in the open and asked: “When did you know?”

Huo Fenglie replied honestly: “I confirmed it on the day I brought you back to the General’s Manor.”

Liu Zhenqing became even more curious: “I exposed so many flaws? And how could ordinary people believe this sort of supernatural talk?”

Huo Fenglie’s eyes were gentle. “Actually, there weren’t many flaws. It’s just that you told me a story before and I remembered it, so…..”

Listening to the words he had said to coax Huo Fenglie when he was sick with a fever, Liu Zhenqing didn’t expect that he had said such a thing. He said in disbelief: “You actually took those words seriously, and remembered them to this day…..”

Liu Zhenqing had said some trivial and meaningless things. He felt incredulous. Would anyone believe such words? Huo Fenglie nodded firmly. If he hadn’t taken it seriously, how could he persist?

After eight years of hopeless waiting, he never felt that he might be crazy, or have remembered it wrong, or that this person had only said it to coax him. He had extravagant hopes and fantasies, and felt that this person would come back, but reason said it was impossible. What person from another world, what rebirth, what time travel? With ridiculous expectations, he waited for the completion of his mission without seeking life or death. Unexpectedly…..it came true.

Suddenly, Huo Fenglie reached out and lightly took one of Liu Zhenqing’s hands, holding it gently just like he did when he was a child.

Liu Zhenqing was melancholy. When he was pulled by Er-gou like this, he couldn’t react immediately.

“You are…..my Qing-ge, right?”

Liu Zhenqing was a little amused by this question. “Aren’t you convinced? Why are you asking?”

“I want to hear it from your own mouth,” Huo Fenglie said seriously.

This small bit of willfulness really felt a little like when Er-gou was a child.

Liu Zhenqing entertained him. “I am.”

An indescribable smile slowly appeared on Huo Fenglie’s face.

But Liu Zhenqing’s expression paused when he said this and he opened his hand, saying earnestly, “But I’m also not. General Huo, I am Liu Xiaozhu now, a person who has lost his memory. You know what I mean.”

Huo Fenglie’s expression froze. “I understand.”

Liu Zhenqing breathed a sigh of relief. He had thought Huo Fenglie would understand since he hadn’t exposed him.

“So, do you still want to leave?” Huo Fenglie said in a low voice.

“I want a new life,” Liu Zhenqing said.

“You don’t want to see anyone else?” Huo Fenglie said in an anxious tone, even gritting his teeth as he said, “What about the emperor? The Empress Dowager?”

Liu Zhenqing’s expression shifted, and every change was caught by Huo Fenglie’s eyes. He knew that certain people were still very important to Liu Zhenqing, at least more important than him. He was very sure of this.

“If you want to see him, I can help you. He has regretted all these years that he was unable to protect you,” Huo Fenglie whispered.

Liu Zhenqing raised his eyebrows in surprise and chuckled carelessly.

“You blame him?” Huo Fenglie asked.

“No. I’ve already died once, and all my strong feelings have been blown away by the wind. If I wanted to see him, I wouldn’t have left the capital, so there is no need to say goodbye,” Liu Zhenqing mentioned casually.

Huo Fenglie looked at Liu Zhenqing’s calm and distant expression. It was as if a gust of wind would soon blow him away, and he couldn’t catch him no matter what. He understood that Liu Zhenqing wanted to leave all of them behind.

“Then why didn’t you leave just now?” Huo Fenglie asked with lowered eyes.

Liu Zhenqing didn’t answer, but suddenly gave Huo Fenglie a serious look and said, “Then why don’t you want to take revenge?”

Startled, Huo Fenglie instantly looked up at Liu Zhenqing. “What did you say?”

Liu Zhenqing touched his chin a little uneasily. “After I came back, I heard a lot. I thought you wanted to seek revenge against me.”

Huo Fenglie’s expression turned very ugly in an instant, which made Liu Zhenqing even more awkward. “Does your lack of revenge mean that you don’t hate me?”

“I have never hated you,” Huo Fenglie said urgently.

Liu Zhenqing gaped, not knowing what to feel. In fact, he still had some concerns about Er-gou digging up his grave, but after some thought, he was only eighteen or nineteen years old at the time. When he came back and heard everything, and there was evidence, no matter how he understood or thought about it later, whatever he did out of anger at the time was reasonable. And now Er-gou didn’t seem to want to give an explanation for this matter. After all, he should know that Liu Zhenqing had heard about it. Since he didn’t want to talk about it, wouldn’t he be asking for trouble if he got to the bottom of it now? He was not actually a person from ancient times, and didn’t really care that much about his own bones. It was good as long as he knew Er-gou didn’t hate him now.

Liu Zhenqing said: “Since you won’t hurt me, and you’ll keep my identity secret, there’s no need for me to work hard to escape. Moreover, the matters here are related to the Liu family, so it would be too shameful to leave it all to you. After the Liu family’s affairs are settled, we can catch up on old times before I leave, and see how much you’ve grown.”

In fact, the biggest reason Liu Zhenqing had stayed was because he was worried about Er-gou.

This matter was clearly not simple, and also involved the remnants of the Three Kings. These were all problems left over from his lifetime. Er-gou was suitable for fighting on the battlefield, but still lacked ability in this kind of thing. He couldn’t understand why Yuan Jue had sent Huo Fenglie to deal with it. Was it really because this would put too much power in other people’s hands, so he could only give it to Huo Fenglie?

Huo Feihan was gone. As the elder brother, Liu Zhenqing would be uneasy leaving his younger brother to deal with this matter alone. To do so would be his failure. He would just accept his fate, make up for his mistakes, and wait until the matter was settled before leaving.

Seeing Liu Zhenqing’s attitude, Huo Fenglie straightened the corners of his mouth and finally nodded, saying in a deep voice: “I understand. Can you inform me before you leave?”

Liu Zhenqing looked at Huo Fenglie, whose voice became even deeper as he said, “Don’t disappear suddenly.”

Now that they had spoken, this wasn’t an issue.

It wasn’t until Liu Zhenqing nodded that Huo Fenglie’s expression recovered somewhat. “Then you rest here. I’ll go…..”

“Wait, don’t you have anything else to say to me?” Liu Zhenqing was a little surprised. Even though he didn’t hate him or want revenge, how could he not ask about the truth of what happened back then?

As a result, Huo Fenglie thought about it and then spoke an unrelated sentence, “I…..kept my promise and guarded the western battlefield.”

Liu Zhenqing was taken aback. He remembered in a daze the last time they exchanged personal letters nine years ago.

At that time, Huo Fenglie was guarding the western battlefield for Huo Feihan, who had died fighting. In his last letter, Huo Fenglie seemed to have expressed his desire for peace talks.

When Liu Zhenqing learned of this, he was so angry that he immediately wrote a reply and scolded him.

He didn’t quite remember what he wrote, and only recalled asking him fiercely how he could have such an idea. Was he worthy of the Imperial family, Liu Zhenqing, and Huo Feihan? He warned him to put an end to such thoughts and guard the west, otherwise there was no need for him to come back.

At that time, he had been poisoned. He was very busy and his mind was restless, so his mood fluctuated greatly. Perhaps he had scolded him too much. After that, he never received any private messages from Huo Fenglie, only military reports from the army. That was also the last time they ever communicated, and it was not a good memory. After that, he died, and Er-gou was still fighting desperately on the western battlefield.

Now that he thought about it, he was also in the wrong. Maybe he took a gamble, and maybe his mental state wasn’t good and he became stubborn and paranoid. What if Er-gou had been allowed to persist at that time and something happened? How would he face Huo Feihan? Therefore, when he was first reborn, he wasn’t sure if Er-gou was still alive.

“You did a good job, and…..I’m sorry,” Liu Zhenqing said. Although there was really nothing that could be done at the time, and the battlefield in the west could absolutely not be lost, he still wanted to apologize to Er-gou. He should have been more patient, and comforted and supported the young man.

As soon as he opened his mouth, he looked up and saw that Huo Fenglie had suddenly frozen, his eyes turning red. It was not the red of his previous madness, but a flash of moisture, which alarmed Liu Zhenqing to the point of being at a loss. “Er-gou? You…..”

Had what happened back then made him so aggrieved? Had he really been too excessive? Damn it. Fuck!

“Don’t say those words to me. Don’t apologize, it was my fault.” Huo Fenglie finished speaking in a daze. He took a deep look at Liu Zhenqing, then turned around and left.

Liu Zhenqing was left alone, unable to react.

What the hell was going on, ah? Er-gou didn’t seem to have asked any of the key points that should be asked, and ended up getting emotional for no apparent reason, leaving Liu Zhenqing confused.

Let it pass, the past was like smoke, and if it made you sad when it was mentioned, it was better to let it leave with the wind.

The people who had gone out to search soon returned, but only brought back Magistrate Wang’s body.

It was not an accident. When they found him, there was only a corpse.

Huo Fenglie examined the wound while Liu Zhenqing touched his chin and pondered.

“What happened?” He Lan asked, limping over. “Why is he dead?”

“Was he killed to silence him?” Qin Yu frowned.

Not only was he killed and silenced, but the person who did it was the old man who was protecting him in the first place.

Huo Fenglie had fought against the old man, so it was not difficult to identify the wound, and Liu Zhenqing could also recognize it.

Killing one’s employer was unacceptable in the world of assassins, unless the person who hired the old man was not Magistrate Wang, but someone who wanted him protected but silenced if necessary.

That was tantamount to saying that it was the people behind the embezzlement of the disaster relief funds and food.

Sure enough, just as Liu Zhenqing suspected, things were not simple. Magistrate Wang was just a minion who was kept in the dark.

After the Heaven’s Blessing Sect was cleared out, the big army returned to the city in a majestic manner. Before dawn, the lifeless city suddenly began to boil. 

Some laughable people even tried to organize themselves and block the troops’ progress, demanding the release of the Heaven’s Blessing Sect. The ignorant were truly fearless.

Liu Zhenqing moved into camp with the troops, while Huo Fenglie began to work on the case and compile excerpts to report to the Imperial court.

Half a day later, an unexpected person came to visit.

“Huh? Brother Liu and Zhanyuan are sharing a tent?” The visitor spoke with a faint smile, then opened the curtain gracefully and walked inside.

Liu Zhenqing, who was reading a book out of boredom, was surprised upon seeing the visitor. “Brother Bai?”

Bai Su smiled and stepped forward to take a seat. After a few words of greeting, he learned that Bai Su was originally with Qin Yu and He Lan, but they didn’t have time to inform him in the Heaven’s Blessing Sect back then.

“I want to go south to pick up something from my brother’s old friend, so I went with them on the way. They couldn’t take me along when they were taking care of business that night, so I stayed in the city. I never expected to meet you. I’m truly lucky.” Bai Su said with a smile: “But so is Zhanyuan. How could he take you with him for such a dangerous thing? What if you were injured?”

Liu Zhenqing thought about how Huo Fenglie had to take him along wherever he went before. It was obviously because he was afraid that he would quietly disappear.

Now that they had spoken, it was all okay.

The two chatted about the case for a while, and Liu Zhenqing discovered that Bai Su had a keen sense of officialdom. He was not inferior to his brother, but it was a pity that he was the number one scholar yet was unwilling to serve as an official in the court. Liu Zhenqing wasn’t sure whether it was because of the shadow left by the incident with his brother, or whether it was just his nature.

And Bai Su also looked at Liu Zhenqing with admiration. When he was in the capital, he always felt that Liu Zhenqing was smarter than him. Sometimes he couldn’t keep up with his thinking and needed guidance from the other party.

“Who do you think is behind this matter?” Bai Su asked.

Liu Zhenqing said with a smile: “I can’t make a guess out of thin air, but…..there must be internal agents in the capital. Without the help of informants, Magistrate Wang wouldn’t have dared to put on such a big show.

Bai Su shook his head and sighed: “I didn’t expect that going south to investigate the Imperial Examination fraud would unearth corruption. It is heaven’s will.”

Liu Zhenqing smiled. If it was heaven’s will, then it must be the emperor’s will.

Yuan Jue had long known that there was a problem here and could have sent officials to investigate directly, but he didn’t dare to trust people casually. What if the people he sent were bribed? Therefore, Huo Fenglie was his best choice, and by discovering and solving the problem here in such a coincidence, it would not easily alert the people behind the scenes.

But this could only be used in the early stages. If problems arose one after another, the people behind the scenes were not stupid, and would definitely make arrangements.

Then, the person in the most danger would probably be Huo Fenglie, who was in charge of investigating secretly.

. . . . . . .

At the same time, in an exquisite garden in the capital, a slender hand slowly picked a flower and trimmed it carefully with a pair of golden scissors. “Was he killed?”

“The news came. He is dead,” replied the subordinate who was kneeling nearby.

“Actually, killing Magistrate Wang was useless. He will still be a suspect. What a bother, why not arrange for someone to kill Huo Fenglie as well?”

The kneeling man trembled all over. “General Huo still has Qin Yu and He Lan with him. I’m afraid…..”

“En?” The woman asked softly. The subordinate was frightened and immediately acquiesced.

Suddenly, a young male voice came from a pavilion not far away. “Isn’t this too much of a fuss? Perhaps it was just a coincidence, and they were lucky enough to discover it.”

“Hehe, a coincidence. You still have a lot to learn. There are not so many coincidences in this world. The emperor is very clever.” The slender white hand moved the flower to the tip of her nose, and she sniffed it gently. Then, with a snip, the golden scissors cut the flower in half. “Even if it was a coincidence, this will also prevent future trouble.”

“But without General Huo, who will defend the country?” the man asked again.

“Without the Huo family, how can the Yuan family fall? If they have such thoughts, sooner or later a traitor from the Huo family will replace your Yuan family.” After saying this, the woman coughed, seemingly in poor health. She waved her hand. “You go back, I have an appointment with my sister. And don’t forget to visit her, she misses you.”

“Yes.” The man stood up and respectfully said farewell, but when he raised his eyes again, there was dissatisfaction on his face.

. . . . . . . 

When night fell, Liu Zhenqing was already asleep. He vaguely felt someone pulling the quilt over him. Liu Zhenqing opened his eyes with difficulty and saw Huo Fenglie standing next to him. 

“You’re back?” Liu Zhenqing asked faintly.

“En,” Huo Fenglie responded.

Liu Zhenqing turned his head unconsciously. He recalled that this was the commander’s tent and there was only one bed, so he moved to the inside.

“Come sleep.”

Huo Fenglie froze and stared blankly at Liu Zhenqing, not making a move.

It came as no surprise to Liu Zhenqing that Huo Fenglie had arranged for him to be in the commander’s camp, because from Huo Fenglie’s perspective, the two of them were the most familiar with each other. Moreover, Huo Fenglie was so busy that he may not come back to rest at night. Why not sleep in a big bed by himself? Therefore, Liu Zhenqing enjoyed it without a care.

But now that Er-gou was back, it was impossible not to let him sleep.

Fortunately, two grown men could squeeze in and sleep well here.

But he didn’t sense Huo Fenglie move. Liu Zhenqing couldn’t open his eyelids anymore to see Huo Fenglie’s expression, and could only pat the empty space next to him. “Isn’t it enough?”

But this time, a feeling of oppression soon came over him. He heard a creak, and something rubbed against his arm, so he knew Er-gou had laid down.

The disoriented Liu Zhenqing pulled up the corner of the quilt to cover Huo Fenglie, just like how he took care of Er-gou when he was a child.

His arms seemed to reach over, and his fingers brushed against the other’s clothes. It didn’t feel right. “Why are you still wearing your outer layer to bed? Aren’t you uncomfortable? It will be wrinkled by morning.”

As he spoke, he instinctively began to help the kid next to him remove his outer layer, but in the next second, his wrist was grabbed by a large hand.

A hoarse voice rang in his ears.

“Qing-ge, don’t make trouble. Go to sleep.”

“Oh…..” Liu Zhenqing’s hand was placed back at his side. He vaguely felt that he had forgotten something, but was half asleep and couldn’t wake up.

He sensed the familiar yet unfamiliar atmosphere around him, yet felt strangely at ease, as if a stone somewhere in his heart had been lifted. He had a dreamless sleep for the first time in a long time, and his body felt so comfortable that even his spirit seemed to be soothed.

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