Bai Su was utterly confused. He couldn’t understand how a person claiming to follow Yuan Du had suddenly appeared. What he understood even less was why this person had come to identify himself.

Bai Su could not believe it easily, and didn’t know where to start questioning him.

It wasn’t until Du Dongfeng took out a letter that Bai Su became even more stunned.

“This is my brother’s handwriting. Did my brother have dealings with you when he was working here?” Bai Su felt like his head was going to explode.

“Yes, we were under the care of First Young Master Bai eight years ago. Second Young Master, if you trust this letter and want to know the truth, please come with me. My father wants to see you. You should also be made aware of First Young Master Bai’s ultimate fate.”

There was no hesitation this time. Bai Su nodded at once. He wanted to know what was going on.

Du Dongfeng took Bai Su away quietly, and Qin Yu and He Lan followed.

On the roof, Huo Fenglie gently held Liu Zhenqing’s hand, bringing him out of his daze.

“Qing-ge?”

Liu Zhenqing looked at Huo Fenglie and said with a sigh: “It turns out to be that clever little child. I’ve actually seen him before. He’s grown so big. Time really does fly.”

Seeing that he looked all right, Huo Fenglie said: “Do you also remember why you gave a jade pendant to that person and permitted him to admire you?”

Liu Zhenqing choked and gave Huo Fenglie a helpless look, saying: “I really didn’t give it to him. But I did still wear a willow leaf jade pendant at that time, and wore the one you gave me since then.”

Huo Fenglie was slightly startled, and couldn’t help the blush at the base of his ears. He pretended to be calm and coughed, then raised his arms to carry Liu Zhenqing and fly toward Du Dongfeng’s home.

When they arrived, they saw the sick and weak Yuan Du kneeling shakily toward Bai Su.

“It really is him.” Liu Zhenqing sighed with complicated emotions.

Huo Fenglie had come here before and had seen Du Dongfeng’s father, but he didn’t recognize this man. This was not just because his appearance had changed with age, but because when Yuan Du was well-known, Huo Fenglie had also reached the age of majority and joined the military, so he was rarely in the capital.

The same went for He Lan. When he entered the capital, Yuan Du was no longer there. He could only ask Qin Yu next to him, who nodded. He had served in the palace when he was a child, so he naturally knew him.

Bai Su also recognized him and couldn’t believe it when he saw that this person was actually alive.

“Yuan-daren, please get up quickly, this junior can’t bear it!” Bai Su hastily helped him up. 

“I can bear it, I can bear it. If First Young Master Bai hadn’t protected me all the way, this old man would have died long ago. How could I have survived with my family for so long?” Yuan Du’s eyes reddened uncontrollably as he said, “I am fortunate to be able to see First Young Master Bai’s family again now.”

Bai Su’s eyes quivered. “What…..what on earth is going on?”

Du Dongfeng quickly helped his father sit down and invited Bai Su to take a seat. The old man slowly told the truth about that year.

“At that time, there was a serious tax problem in Tongmao Prefecture. People sent thousands of hand-printed letters to the capital to complain, and there was such a commotion that the Imperial court planned to send people to investigate the case in order to quell public anger. But back then, I was stubborn and opinionated, obstinate and against change…..”

Bai Su hurriedly said: “Don’t say that, Yuan-daren. Your reputation is still known to this day. People say that Yuan-daren is not afraid of the powerful, is upright, and petitions for the common people. He can be regarded as a role model for officials.”

Yuan Du smiled bitterly and shook his head: “Thinking about it now, many times I was just paranoid and didn’t know how to be flexible. Back then, I was angry that the government was hesitant about such an issue. Even Prime Minister Liu was unwilling to take action, as if he wanted to suppress the matter. So I took the initiative and vowed to root out the illness, so that the corrupt officials would not be able to hide, and also so that those ministers would feel ashamed of their inferiority. But I was wrong in the end.”

Bai Su said hesitantly: “There were rumors…..no, not rumors. After the subsequent investigation, there was evidence that Liu Zhenqing sent people to assassinate you right after you left the capital, and even slaughtered your entire family. This…..what is going on? Could it be that my brother secretly protected you?”

It was not surprising for Bai Su to think this way. After all, his brother later tried to collect evidence of Liu Zhenqing’s crimes, but was silenced by the remnants of Liu Zhenqing’s party.

When he thought of his brother’s character and what happened in Yanqiu Prefecture, he felt an indescribable sense of dissonance. 

Bai Su was full of doubts, and could only look at Yuan Du.

As a result, Yuan Du shook his head and said with a sad expression: “I didn’t expect that even the Second Young Master would misunderstand him like this. Everyone has wronged him.”

“Wronged…..who? Liu Zhenqing?” Bai Su said speechlessly.

“Exactly!” Du Dongfeng immediately said loudly and with agitation: “No one in the world understands how good Prime Minister Liu was. If he hadn’t arrived in time, our whole family would have died long ago!”

Bai Su stared at Du Dongfeng in astonishment and was speechless for a moment.

“Second Young Master, think about it, your brother was Prime Minister Liu’s right-hand man back then. If Prime Minister Liu didn’t okay it, would First Young Master Bai take action?” Yuan Du said with a sigh: “Back then, I was targeted just after leaving the capital. It was Prime Minister Liu who sent someone to pretend to intercept and kill me in advance, as well as give me medicine to fake my death. I watched the real assassins attack with my own eyes and rummage through my convoy. At the last moment, I died on the spot. After those people left, Prime Minister Liu’s people secretly hid me until my family could be sent over.”

Yuan Du couldn’t help but weep as he spoke.

Du Dongfeng said: “At that time, my father had just left and a group of men in black came to the house at night to kill us. My older brother resisted desperately and was killed first. The others were caught. I asked why they wanted to kill us, and they said that Father shouldn’t have overstepped his bounds, and that he deserved it.”

As Du Dongfeng spoke, he looked at his mother and younger siblings not far away. They all still remembered the terror of that time, and hugged each other with choked sobs.

“We were all in despair then. It was Prime Minister Liu and his men who suddenly appeared and fought with the men in black. Prime Minister Liu was even stabbed when he was trying to save me!”

When he said this, Du Dongfeng took out the jade pendant around his neck. Bai Su had also seen Liu Zhenqing wearing it, so he recognized it.

“At that time, this jade pendant was cut off by a knife and I picked it up. I will always remember that scene, the way he stood in front of me. He was the best person in the world.”

Bai Su looked at them in shock. This was far from what he knew.

On the roof, Huo Fenglie’s pupils quivered and he turned to look at Liu Zhenqing. He had not been with him at that time.

“You blocked a knife for him?”

Liu Zhenqing blinked. “That seems to be the case.” Seeing Huo Fenglie’s unhappy look, he quickly said: “It was just a flesh wound.”

In those days, there were so many injuries that a scratch was nothing.

Du Dongfeng continued: “Then Prime Minister Liu secretly sent our family away in the night, burned down the manor, and pretended that we were all dead. We met up with Father afterward. Then First Young Master Bai appeared and escorted us all the way south, gave us new identities, and settled us in.”

“Why? Why would he do this?” Bai Su asked in confusion.

“Because the tax fraud case was untouchable, and I had already touched it. All the common people knew. As long as I wasn’t dead, it would have to be investigated, but once I investigated it, our entire family would die in vain. This was the only way Prime Minister Liu could think of to save the lives of our family,” Yuan Du said bitterly.

“Why couldn’t it be investigated? It aroused public outrage!”

“So what if the people were outraged? The common people could only see their own lives, and couldn’t see that their country and their families were about to be destroyed. Even I couldn’t see through the situation.” Yuan Du gritted his teeth and said: “When First Young Master Bai came to pick us up, he said that he would also bow down and apologize on Prime Minister Liu’s behalf. But when he explained the reason, I was angry and ashamed.”

“Because behind the officials involved in the tax fraud were the ministers in the capital, cabinet ministers and veterans of two dynasties, all of whom held positions of power. But the emperor’s foundation was not stable, and the three kings were eyeing the throne. Once the emperor investigated the tax fraud case, it would be tantamount to attacking the veterans who stabilized the government.”

Bai Su’s expression changed slightly upon hearing this, and Yuan Du asked, “If this was the case, what do you think they would do?”

Bai Su felt a chill go down his spine. Back then, the new emperor had absolutely no voice, and those ministers were constantly keeping an eye on the situation.

Yuan Du said in a dark, cold tone: “They would abandon this new emperor and switch to one of the three kings. Whoever did not act against their interests was who they would follow, and the balance that Prime Minister Liu worked so hard to maintain would be broken. By then, many things were crumbling, and it was like walking on thin ice. Any wrong step would lead to an abyss. But my impulse risked the new emperor’s life.”

“I was self-righteous, thinking that everyone was drunk and I was the only sober one. That I was the only good official who worked hard for the emperor and the Great Zhou Dynasty. But I didn’t think that a single move would affect the whole country. If it was really because of me that those people defected to the three kings and the balance between them was broken, that would start a war. The Great Zhou Dynasty would certainly be devastated, and I would be to blame for the disaster.”

Yuan Du was so agitated that he couldn’t help but cough. Du Dongfeng on the side assisted him.

Bai Su was stunned by these shocking remarks. “He…..didn’t he have all the power and not take the new emperor seriously? Didn’t he commit all kinds of crimes that are too numerous to mention?”

“He was definitely not such a person.” Du Dongfeng spoke up in his defense again with red eyes. “Although…..although I don’t understand many things, I know that someone who was willing to protect a child like me was definitely not a bad person! After all…..apart from adding to his burden, was there any benefit to saving our family? Clearly, letting those people kill us was also a way to solve the dilemma, right?”

Bai Su could no longer argue at all, and just stared at the father and son blankly.

Yuan Du gave a deep sigh, and said after calming down: “Second Young Master, I dare not talk about other things. I can’t see through them with my block-headed brain. But this, at least, is the truth of our matter. Afterward, when news of my death came out, everyone thought it was Prime Minister Liu who did it, and he never defended himself. On the other hand, the emperor still had to explain the tax fraud case to the common people, so Prime Minister Liu suggested that First Young Master Bai come to investigate it. In fact, this was just to settle us down, and he delayed the investigation on the way in order to prepare for a real investigation once the emperor came into power. And in the capital, Prime Minister Liu reassured those ministers on the surface that this matter would be settled. At this point I understood. Everything Prime Minister Liu did was to draw the bow without releasing it. His patience and determination was beyond the reach of veterans like me.”

Bai Su’s eyes flickered, and many scenes of meeting Liu Zhenqing flashed through his memory. He only felt that this man was so high-ranking and powerful, and his every frown or smile seemed to have hidden meanings, making people not dare to peek.

Du Dongfeng said: “Actually, First Young Master Bai said that Prime Minister Liu promised to help us restore our identities and let us go home in the future, but…..” At this point, Du Dongfeng punched the table.

But after a long time, the three kings were killed one after another, the court was stabilized, and Liu Zhenqing died. The rumors about this late powerful official were not cleaned up. Instead, evidence of his crimes emerged frequently, nailing Liu Zhenqing to the sinners column on the Coiling Dragon Jade Pillar.

“Why did such a good person as Prime Minister Liu end up like this? The heavens are unfair!”

On the roof, Liu Zhenqing didn’t feel much upon hearing these words in his defense. On the other hand, Huo Fenglie’s expression became more and more fearsome, and his fists nearly made a cracking sound.

Liu Zhenqing was taken aback by the malevolent aura released by his body, and when he turned around, he saw the faint dark red in the other’s eyes. Although he didn’t understand, he still sensed that something was wrong and lightly nudged Huo Fenglie with his shoulder.

Huo Fenglie was startled, and looked at Liu Zhenqing as if he had just returned to his senses. Liu Zhenqing tilted his head and smiled at him, then raised his hand and scratched the other’s chin as if playing with a dog.

Then he leaned his whole body against him, indicating that he was tired from crouching and had no strength left.

Huo Fenglie’s eyes couldn’t help but take on a soft light, and he put his arms around Liu Zhenqing, letting him recline lazily against him.

Bai Su below no longer knew what to say. After all, Liu Zhenqing had long been a treacherous and powerful minister. Later, various pieces of evidence emerged, and his brother…..

Bai Su’s eyes flashed, and he asked at once: “Then what happened to my brother? Wasn’t he…..”

When he heard this question, Liu Zhenqing finally became interested. He also wanted to know what had happened to Bai Yu after his death. Although Bai Yu was indeed his subordinate at that time, the Bai family’s generations of Grand Tutors and Imperial teachers had a clean family background. Even if he himself had to be exposed and criticized, Bai Yu should have been safe. How could he have died?

In any case, one thing Liu Zhenqing was sure of was that he had no remaining followers at that time.

Yuan Du said: “I know this is completely contrary to the rumors. It just depends on whether the Second Young Master believes it or not. When the news of Prime Minister Liu’s death came and the court wanted to expose his crimes, we were quite shocked, so we contacted First Young Master Bai. He said that the situation wasn’t right, and asked us not to reveal our identities for the time being. Then he began to collect evidence to vindicate Prime Minister Liu. I also helped organize the evidence. After it was completed, First Young Master Bai set out to return to the capital. As a result, within three days, news of First Young Master Bai’s death came. Second Young Master, the First Young Master went back just for Prime Minister Liu, so tell me, how could he have been silenced by so-called remnant followers? The evidence we collected was clearly evidence that Prime Minister Liu was a loyal minister, so how could it have become evidence of his guilt! This was all…..”

Yuan Du couldn’t speak further. It had felt like there were countless hands covering their mouths in the dark of night, and the invisible and ubiquitous fear made them unable to resist. All they could do was tremble.

After listening to Yuan Du’s account of what happened back then, Bai Su felt as if he had lost all the strength in his body, and his back was soaked with sweat.

Bai Su had an intuition that what Yuan Du said was true, because that was his brother’s character. Bai Yu, Bai Wangshu, had admired Prime Minister Liu very much, so how could he trample on him after his death? 

Liu Zhenqing on the roof also understood, and sighed soundlessly. How could a person as smart as Bai Yu not know that something was fishy back then? He should have taken advantage of the situation to protect himself, but he just had to be stubborn. Bai Yu had followed him for many years, and he had also taught Bai Yu for many years how to behave tactfully. When you should be a villain, don’t be a gentleman, and when you should be cunning, don’t be upright. He had obviously learned well, but acted foolishly at the critical moment and lost his life. Liu Zhenqing was dead, so what was the point of peristing like this? It seemed that Bai Yu still hadn’t learned enough.

He hoped the other one wouldn’t be as foolish as Bai Yu, and would live well instead of dying somewhere.

Bai Su’s eyes gradually became moist. “Someone wanted Liu Zhenqing to be a treacherous official forever, so my brother, who had the truth and evidence and was determined to exonerate him, was a thorn in their side. Who was it? Who killed my Gege?”

“We don’t know. In the past eight years, there have been so many ministers in the Imperial court. Countless people have been convicted, resigned, or died of illness. Everyone I once suspected is gone, so I can’t verify it,” Yuan Du said. 

Bai Su’s thoughts received a jolt, and he said urgently: “Why didn’t you come out and tell the truth! Yuan-daren is an innocent person, so you could absolutely…..”

“Because someone was tracking us,” Du Dongfeng said. “Not long after the news of First Young Master Bai’s death came, someone went to Tongmao Prefecture to secretly search for us, just because the evidence from that year mentioned us. But it didn’t say that we were still alive. The identities that First Young Master Bai gave us were too perfect, and he had never exposed us to the outside world, so after investigating to no avail, they left.”

Yuan Du nodded and said: “We didn’t know what was going on, but we also realized that there were people who didn’t want Prime Minister Liu to be vindicated. We were helpless and didn’t dare take risks, so we could only survive until now.”

Bai Su asked in confusion: “But…..but eight years have passed. Didn’t you say that many ministers have been replaced? Now that the emperor is in power, no one can threaten you anymore, right?”

Now, Yuan Du and his son were silent.

The courtyard was quiet for a long moment before Yuan Du opened his mouth and said: “First Young Master Bai told us one thing before he left.”

“What was it?”

“First Young Master Bai said that if he failed to exonerate him, Prime Minister Liu would remain a treacherous official. We could go back, but we could never tell the truth. We could only say that we cleverly escaped when we were being hunted and kept our names anonymous. We could not speak for Prime Minister Liu until his reputation was restored. But this was not easy. After all, in the eyes of the common people, Prime Minister Liu clearly covered the sky with his hands, but still condoned the corrupt officials who were greedy for tax money.” When Yuan Du said this, his thin, hunched body almost shook.

He said with hatred: “We are already indebted to Prime Minister Liu, so how could we do this? If I were made to lie, I would rather be Old Man Du Yuan forever and not have an official position!”

“Right, we don’t care!” Du Dongfeng also said firmly.

Bai Su was shaken. Right, ah, it was the same in Yanqiu Prefecture before. In the eyes of the common people, although they had a fewest deaths, Prime Minister Liu had allowed corrupt officials to embezzle disaster relief funds. This was an irrefutable fact, and would be forever engraved in the minds of the people.

And as for Yuan-daren and his family, they knew that they could not change the opinions of the world, so they could only choose to use the clumsiest method and stick to their inner conscience.

---

Consider donating via Kofi here!

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

It must be said that Lu Qi did have the intuition of a small animal. After that day, he never mentioned showing his belly to Mu Nanqiao again.

Mu Nanqiao felt it was a pity, but wasn’t particularly disappointed. He was always patient when doing things, and his patience for Lu Qi was endless. Fortunately, Lu Qi happened to like men, which was one of the few blessings in his life. Otherwise, it would have been an unimaginably long road.

He knew that he should plan the matter slowly.

For him, Lu Qi was the warm sunshine that he had longed to catch when he was a boy, the prayer he could not forget despite wandering astray for many years. He originally had no intention of finding that little butterfly that flitted by back then. If he couldn’t extract himself from the past, he shouldn’t drag another person into the quagmire with him.

But Lu Qi happened to appear. Even though Mu Nanqiao didn’t know at first that he was the butterfly that flew through the broken window, he was still drawn to him, chasing the sunlight like a wild plant.

Those turbulent emotions were as strong as wine that had been brewing for many years. Within them fermented many unknown yet unforgettable dreams, gradually flowing throughout his chest. 

But to Lu Qi, he was just a friend he had known for less than a year. Of course Lu Qi liked him and appreciated him as a friend, like a gentle breeze with drizzle. If not for Lin Yuan, this level of liking might have made Lu Qi accept a relationship, but after stepping into Lin Yuan’s snare, the reckless little deer learned to be cautious, and wanted to be more sure of his heart before accepting his love.

There was nothing wrong with this.

But Mu Nanqiao had to restrain himself. Those turbulent emotions, once released from their shackles, would be like a wild beast breaking out of a cage, scaring the deer into hiding far away.

This couldn’t happen. As soon as a few hints were revealed, he would begin to shrink his head.

. . . . . . . 

Mu Nanqiao’s birthday was on Monday. Although it was a working day, everyone who was invited could freely decide their working hours, so this was no problem.

Lu Qi got up very early that day, waking up even before the alarm rang. He had something on his mind, so he couldn’t sleep well. After he got out of bed and washed up, he caught Xiao Sanhua, dewormed her, and then tied a big bow on her.

“Meow?” Xiao Sanhua had not yet woken up and didn’t know what this was for.

“He can be considered half your master.” Lu Qi grasped Xiao Sanhua’s paws and rubbed the warm little pads. “He even sent you an invitation. It’s his birthday today, so how about you dress up nicely?”

There were two invitations in total, one with a deer and one with a kitten, both hand-drawn by Boss Mu.

The drawings were a bit ugly, but the calligraphy was beautiful, flowing but not messy, the writing sharp and elegant. Lu Qi clipped them into a small magnetic photo frame.

Xiao Sanhua didn’t understand, and just accepted the bow. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have worn a bow for that canine. That canine didn’t really mean to be nice to her. It simply had other motives, she could tell by smelling it.

After cleaning up Xiao Sanhua and putting her into the carrier, Lu Qi changed out of his cat hair-covered clothes and took out the shirt he had ironed the day before.

Lu Qi was a little nervous about going to Mu Nanqiao’s house today.

He felt it would be perfect if Mu Nanqiao had family and friends on his birthday, and he was the only friend who received an invitation.

Thinking about it, Shanghai hadn’t left Mu Nanqiao with any good memories. His only friend here might be Lu Qi.

So even though he was a little uncomfortable, Lu Qi still agreed. He was visiting someone else’s home, and there would be elders there, so he couldn’t dress too casually. Bright colors were excluded first, and he finally chose a loose casual shirt which was neither too formal nor too lively and frivolous.

Finally, he brought a gift and prepared to leave, cat in hand. He had bought a bouquet of sunflowers in perfect bloom at the flower shop downstairs to give to Mu Nanqiao’s parents.

When he went downstairs, he saw the Maybach again. This time, Boss Mu no longer had to pretend to be the driver. Coincidentally, he was also wearing a casual white shirt with vertical striped sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He raised his eyes and smiled when he saw Lu Qi coming over. “Are the flowers for me?”

Lu Qi was a little embarrassed: “They’re for your parents…..”

“Oh.” Mu Nanqiao went with the flow and smiled. He turned around and opened the door for Lu Qi. “They’ll like them.”

Whether the flowers or the person, they would like them.

Xiao Sanhua was placed in the familiar back seat, and Lu Qi sat in the passenger seat. He was surprised to find a small deer neck pillow. The Christmas deer was wearing a red scarf and had a chubby body. It had a unique cuteness and an exaggerated expression, its four hooves running wildly.

When he looked around, he saw that only the passenger seat had one, which really made him think further.

Lu Qi was too embarrassed to ask. His ears turned slightly red, and he turned to Mu Nanqiao and said: “Your birthday gift is in a bag in Xiao Sanhua’s carry case. It’s…..”

“Shh…..” Mu Nanqiao took out a hawthorn fruit stick with the outer packaging peeled off the side and handed it to Lu Qi’s mouth. “Don’t tell me, I want to see for myself. Eat this first to whet your appetite, there is lots of delicious food prepared at home.”

“Oh.” Lu Qi ate obediently and thought it tasted good. He spread out the wrapping paper to take a look: high-end food supplement.

Lu Qi: …..

It was difficult to imagine Mu Nanqiao’s mental state when he bought this.

Midway through, Mu Nanqiao answered a call and was summoned back to the office first to pick up a document.

Mu Nanqiao didn’t quite understand what his old father was doing at first. As far as he knew, the contract was neither urgent nor important, and it was completely possible for an assistant to deliver it. It wasn’t until he took Lu Qi into the lobby on the first floor that he had a sudden realization.

On a Monday morning, everyone but the boss was dressed appropriately and ready to work. And the boss, holding sunflowers in his arms and carrying a little kitten, was truly eye-catching and hateful as he walked through the hall.

Behind the boss was a little beauty. It was suspected that they were wearing couple’s clothing, and they had come through the special elevator together.

The group of melon-eaters practically exploded.

But everyone was of professional quality, didn’t want to lose their jobs, and wouldn’t just send out photos of the boss’s life. There was only one person of this sort – a person arranged by the Lins – who secretly took photos and sent them to Lin Yuan.

It couldn’t be helped. The upper floors were airtight after being purged by Mu Chuanbai and his son, and he couldn’t get close at all. He was a small leader at the mid-lower level and couldn’t even see Mu Nanqiao, let alone have access to company secrets.

But he was being urged anxiously by the Lins, so he panicked a little. Finally having caught something new, he immediately took a photo and sent it to Lin Yuan, also sending along a complacent message. 

[Boss Lin, take a look at this boy. He looks outstanding and noble, is he the young master of some family? Could it be that he’s here to discuss cooperation with Mr. Mu? Do you want me to try digging it out?]

It was difficult to say what happened to surnamed Lin that day, but according to people familiar with the matter, strange howls came from the CEO’s office in the middle of the night. The Lin family was haunted by bad feng shui, so rumors of a recent stock price plunge intensified.

Lu Qi was unaware of this. He was immersed in the confusion of “who am I, where am I?” Next to him were an extremely good-looking exotic couple and their handsome son.

And the four of them were standing in a pavilion halfway up a mountain. The beautiful Mrs. Talia was communicating with the engineers holding the diagrams.

When Lu Qi first met Mu Nanqiao’s parents, he was immediately impressed by how good-looking this family was. 

At that time, Mu Nanqiao had parked his car on the main driveway of the manor. Holding the flowers, Lu Qi got out of the car and saw a woman in a mint green skirt in the distance. She was standing beside a wheelchair, leaning forward to say something to a refined man.

When Lu Qi and Mu Nanqiao approached side by side, the woman raised her head.

She had long golden-brown hair that draped over her shoulders, and her face was small and delicate. She wasn’t tall, but her body proportions were excellent, and even though her son was so grown, she still had a girlish charm about her.

And as for the man next to her, the more Lu Qi looked at him, the more familiar his features were. When he finally remembered where he’d seen him before, he hit Mu Nanqiao in the waist with his elbow and gave a low harrumph, “Isn’t this your boss?”

“He’s indeed my boss.” Mu Nanqiao lowered his head and asked softly, “He’s the chairman, so isn’t that my boss?”

Lu Qi: ……

This was true, but he still felt that this person was twisting his words to force the logic.

Mrs. Talia showed great enthusiasm for his arrival. She no longer had an accent as she spoke with Lu Qi in Chinese. While they walked, she asked Lu Qi his age and the major he studied, acting like a traditional Chinese parent while Mu Nanqiao was relegated to the back, pushing Mu Chuanbai’s wheelchair.

Mu Chuanbai held out the bouquet and raised his phone to take photos in a satisfied manner. “These are the flowers I received for two bowls, I must post them on my Moments…..”

Mu Nanqiao: “Give them back to me after sending it, I want to take them.”

Mu Chuanbai: ……

This good child was stingy.

Lu Qi liked this kind of family very much. He thought that the next step would be to sit down and have a meal together, perhaps sing a birthday song for Mu Nanqiao, and he also planned to learn from Mrs. Talia how to say happy birthday in Russian.

This was the first time he had seen such a private house outside of TV dramas. The house covered a large area, and there was a courtyard and a scenic view in the back, even small hills. But the overall style was very confusing, with a bad combination of traditional and foreign styles, which Lu Qi didn’t like very much.

It was impolite to criticize other people’s homes. It wasn’t until led by Mama Mu to the viewing pavilion that he realized this wasn’t Mu Nanqiao’s home. This was the traditional old Mu family house that was about to be blown up.

Lu Qi: “S….Seriously?”

Mu Nanqiao put the helmet on him and lowered his head to tighten the strap with focused eyes, feeling a little helpless. “It seems they’re serious.”

On the other side, after discussing with the engineers, Talia finally confirmed everything and signed the consent form. She walked over gracefully, raised her hands, and hugged her tall son.

“Happy birthday, darling Леонид……” She kissed her son on the cheek. “You’re going to love this gift.”

Lu Qi vaguely felt that the Russian word sounded familiar. However, as the countdown began, he didn’t think about it carefully. He held his breath nervously and looked at the three-story villa not far away.

Mu Nanqiao stood beside him with a complicated expression. When the countdown reached three, he asked Lu Qi in a low voice, “Can I hold your hand?”

Lu Qi didn’t hesitate this time, and took the initiative to hold his slender hand.

“Three, two, one…..detonate!”

Boom—

The sound of the explosion was still a bit deafening even from such a distance, and then a large amount of dust spread with the wind. The majestic building collapsed into the dust, and the ground beneath their feet shook slightly.

That building was once so tall when Mu Nanqiao knelt at the door, shrouded in its shadow, as if he couldn’t escape no matter how far he ran. 

But now it had become a ruin, and in the settled dust, the deformed and broken reinforced concrete inside was exposed.

Mu Nanqiao just remained silent, and Talia couldn’t understand the emotion in his eyes.

When his arm was tugged, Mu Nanqiao returned to his senses and looked at Lu Qi, who was still holding his hand.

“I seem to understand that Russian…..” The little friend was slow to react, his eyes widening. He repeated with an accent, “Леонид…..Leon…..id?”

Mu Nanqiao: ……

His internet identity was discovered without warning. The birthday party was about to turn into a fan meetup.

As Mu Nanqiao had said himself, his skin was thick, but it wasn’t crocodile skin. It was still embarrassing to be exposed like this. He coughed with burning ears, and was about to say something when Wife Xiao Lu waved his hand and snorted softly. 

“Forget it, for the sake of your birthday, I won’t argue with you.” He took a small, dark blue box out of his pocket, handed it to Mu Nanqiao, and separated the hands they were holding.

Mu Nanqiao frowned, but before he could feel disappointed, Lu Qi smiled again and a slight dimple appeared on his left cheek.

“Happy birthday, Mu Nanqiao!” He pointed toward the ruins below, his eyes bright and curved: “When it’s your birthday next year, the ruins will be filled with wildflowers.”

Lu Qi had already taken off his helmet. His hair was so flattened that he looked particularly cute, like a marshmallow, sweet and soft, wrapping around Mu Nanqiao in strands.

He wanted to hug the marshmallow.

It was his birthday today, so he could be a little more unbridled.

Thus, Mu Nanqiao stepped forward and pulled the marshmallow into his arms.

---

Consider donating via Kofi here!

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

Liu Nanyuan also wanted to go out with the army, but was severely prohibited by Liu Xianche and had to stand by the road that day and watch the army leave. Then she turned her head and asked in a strange tone: “What are you happy about?”

The little maid replied with a flushed face: “The prince and our Second Young Master are a perfect match, ah.”

“…..It’s not the first time you’ve seen them.”

“But they haven’t worn armor before.”

He had previously not been wearing battle armor, but ordinary luxurious clothes. In the eyes of the little maid, His Royal Highness Xiao Wang wearing battle armor immediately turned into a grim god descending to earth. His whole body was filled with turbulent chills and thunderstorms, and wherever he went, black clouds stretched over the mountains and sun, making people feel endlessly terror-stricken. As for Second Young Master Liu wearing armor, although he didn’t have any murderous intent, good-looking was truly good-looking. Even Liu Nanyuan questioned the exquisite silver light armor on her Er-ge that looked quite expensive at first glance. Did it have any defensive functions, or was it just for show? Otherwise, why would he not even wear a helmet, just a silver hairpin stuck casually in his dark hair? How could anyone go to war so loosely?

The only thing that could be related to “war” may be the white war horse. Even this was a last-minute decision made by Liang Shu, because if not for the fact that the fat little red horse had short legs and had never run in the dense forest full of dead vines, Liu Xian’an would be seriously prepared to charge into battle with it and advance and retreat together.

“Never mind, let him do what he wants,” Liu Nanyuan said in the tone of someone with experience. “Anyway, the prince will definitely protect Er-ge. We’ll just wait in the military camp.”

The Silver Scimitar Moon Tribe’s troops divided into seven groups, leading the Southwest Garrison through the dense forest to quietly approach the center point. 

. . . . . . .

Wumeng Yunyou turned over and dismounted. The disciples at the door were stunned to see him coming back in such a hurry. They stepped forward to inquire, but Wumeng Yunyou had already vanished from everyone’s sight like a gust of wind.

“Quick, go and report to the Leader!”

It was still extremely quiet in the forest at this time, and the early morning mist had not yet dissipated. Wumeng Yunyou ran all the way to his sister’s residence, but stopped on the way: “…..Master.”

Mu Zhe looked at him: “I heard from A-Le that you went to kill Liu Nanyuan.”

Wumeng Yunyou said leisurely: “Yes.”

“Did you accomplish it?”

“No.”

“Then why did you return?”

“Because I heard…..I heard that A-Le….” Wumeng Yunyou clenched his fists. He really couldn’t say the dirty words he had heard along the way, and only said, “I want to see her first. Where is Uncle?”

Hearing him mention Feng Xiaojin, Mu Zhe’s expression changed visibly, but Wumeng Yunyou interpreted this as a sign that something was wrong with his sister. His heart felt empty, and he disregarded everyone to rush to the back courtyard. Mu Zhe was not willing to allow him to be so unbridled. He waved his sword and struck him with a sword glare, making him stagger forward two steps and nearly fall down. 

The other disciples rushed forward. Wumeng Yunyou drew his sword out of its sheath and swept the area around him, causing people to scream in pain. Seeing this, Mu Zhe’s eyes became more and more gloomy. He flew forward and grabbed the back of the other’s neck. He picked him up like a chicken, slammed him against a sturdy branch, and shouted angrily: “Presumptuous!”

Wumeng Yunyou was hit so hard that his eyes were filled with stars, and he felt that all his bones were about to be crushed. Blood oozed from the corners of his mouth. Just as he was dizzy and in agony, his ears picked up a long whistle coming from out in the forest!

It was sharp and harsh, an alarm for incoming enemies.

The sound was close, only a few li away. All the disciples were shocked, and even Mu Zhe turned around to look. Wumeng Yunyou took the opportunity to break away from him and continued to run desperately toward his sister’s residence.

Mu Zhe ignored him this time, because someone had already dismounted their horse to say in a hurry: “Leader, the Yan army…..the Yan army is invading!”

“Where are they now?”

“White Incense Grove. By the time we reacted, they already…..seemed to have fallen from the sky!”

“What about the beasts in White Incense Grove?”

“It took less than a cup of tea to force them all back.”

“Impossible!”

“They used a strange kind of crossbow. When it was cocked, it could fire countless arrows, and the sound it made was like a rattlesnake. When the beasts heard this, they panicked and fled.” The disciple held an arrow in his hand and said, “This is it.”

Mu Zhe took it in his hand. The arrow was hollow, something he had never seen before. But now was obviously not the time to study the opponent’s weapons. He turned around and commanded: “Fight!”

“Baifu Buddha Mother, bless the common people! Victory in every battle!” 

Cult believers poured out from everywhere like leeches.

In the forest, Liang Shu praised: “The crossbow made by Song-xiansheng is indeed easy to use, worthy of being the first in the world.”

Song Changsheng tightened his horse’s reins. “Your Highness is joking. If not for Second Young Master Liu providing the prototype for the weapon, I wouldn’t be able to perfect it, let alone see this giant weapon that only appeared in ancient times.”

In the beginning, it took a lot of manpower and material resources to restore this giant crossbow. Everyone thought it was unreliable, because Second Young Master Liu only drew less than twenty strokes. However, the person in question said: “Try it.”

Liang Shu also thought they could give it a try. He thought liberally that if the attempt failed, he would use his own salary to make up for the shortfall, and after making up for it, he would go to Baihe Mountain Village to make an honest living.

As the attempt was successful, even in the current situation with all the beasts running away, the army under the cover of the giant crossbow could ignore the enemy’s defenses and continue to advance straight in. 

“Baifu Buddha Mother, bless the common people! Victory in every battle!” 

Cries resounded from every direction in the dense forest.

Gao Lin led his troops to attack from the other side and caught up with the chants. He dodged to the side to avoid a stray arrow and said: “It actually looks like a normal army.”

“This group of people has been rooted in the southwest for many years, after all.” Chang Xiaoqiu gripped the Pojin sword, kicked the horse with one foot, and charged bravely toward the enemy.

The sounds of killing shook the sky, and the land around was in complete disorder.

The only relatively quiet place was the few remaining back courtyards surrounded by ancient trees.

Wumeng Yunyou panted as he ran wildly, hoping against hope that A-Le hadn’t done such a thing, that she had not become the person the believers said she was. He swung his sword, killing the two maids who came forward to stop him, and kicked the courtyard door open without saying anything. He saw a strong-bodied man walking out of the bedroom with his clothes wide open.

“Yun—”

As soon as the other party spoke a word, his head was already soaring into the air, and the bloody mist fell onto Wumeng Yunyou’s body like a waterfall. His eyes were dyed as red as a ghost’s, and the blood on his sword’s edge dripped to the ground. Still unable to vent his anger, he simply continued to swing his sword, chopping the headless corpse into a pile of meat. Then, panting, he staggered toward the house. 

“Ah!” The maid in the front hall screamed in fright, and for a moment, she didn’t recognize the person covered in blood before her. The Nanyang woman opened the bed curtain with both hands and looked at the terrifying Wumeng Yunyou standing at the door. She was also shocked, and immediately covered her chest, calling “Gege” with tears in her eyes.

Wumeng Yunyou asked word by word: “What have they done to you?”

The Nanyang woman just cried and sobbed, refusing to speak.

Wumeng Yunyou really didn’t want to believe everything in front of him, and gritted his teeth as he asked: “Where is Uncle?” He didn’t understand. His uncle had clearly said that he would protect A-Le. How could he allow this to happen?

“Uncle, Uncle, he…..” The Nanyang woman covered her face and howled loudly. Wumeng Yunyou felt a sharp pain in his heart and bent down to pick up the cloak on the ground. He stepped forward to give it to his sister, but there was suddenly a cold, numb feeling in his abdomen.

And then hot blood flowed out.

He lowered his head in disbelief to look at the dagger inserted into his body and the white hands with red nails holding the handle.

The Nanyang woman looked at him with a smile and suddenly twisted her hand! The sharp blade twisted his internal organs to pieces, and blood flowed from Wumeng Yunyou’s mouth. He looked straight into her eyes: “You…..you aren’t A-Le!”

“Why do you disown me so quickly, Gege?” Holding the knife, the woman moved out of bed and forced him to retreat step by step. “I haven’t had enough fun. Who allowed you to come back and ruin my good deeds?”

“Yunle…..Yunle…..”

“Didn’t I tell you long ago that she eloped with Ku You to the Dayan military camp? You didn’t want to believe it.” The Nanyang woman said, “You can’t blame me for this.”

A-Le. Dayan military camp.

Wumeng Yunyou recalled in a trance the girl in red who died by his venomous snake, and fear immediately took over his entire face. A-Le…..she was in the Dayan military camp.

“You’re afraid?” The Nanyang woman touched his bloody face with her fingers. “It’s a pity that at such a good age and with such good looks, you’re here today in such a broken and filthy state. I can only look but not eat.”

As she spoke, she tried to stab him again, but Wumeng Yunyou held her wrist and twisted it back, causing the bone to give an obvious crack!

Unprepared, the Nanyang woman screamed and was thrown to the ground by him. The blade penetrated deeper into Wumeng Yunyou’s body, but it was as if he didn’t feel the pain at all. He just used all his strength to strike her hard in the face with his hand!

The hidden Gu weapon penetrated the mask deeply, and also cut through the original skin beneath the mask. Wumeng Yunyou’s hand slowly moved down, opening the bloody groove deeper, and blood also gushed from his own mouth in large quantities. He said with a ferocious expression: “Give A-Le’s face back.”

“Ah!” The Nanyang woman tried her utmost, but still couldn’t break away from the murderous lunatic on top of her. She twisted the dagger in his hand randomly, and finally escaped just before her throat could be slit. The fury of her appearance being ruined also turned her mad. She pulled out a venomous snake that had been raised in a jar, and with a curse, she pinched Wumeng Yunyou’s mouth open with one hand. As she was about to put the snake in, she was suddenly knocked into the corner by a huge force, almost breaking all her bones.

Wumeng Yunyou was dying. He gazed at the silver hair of the person in front of him and grabbed his wrist with all his strength: “A-Le…..A-Le…..”

“She is with the Dayan army,” Ku You said. “She is very safe.”

“In the Dayan army…..safe?”

“Safe.”

“Good. Then you…..protect A-Le.” Wumeng Yunyou lay in a pool of blood, repeating over and over again in despair, “Protect her.”

He knew what he had done.

But he didn’t want to know.

Ku You raised his hand and closed the boy’s eyes.

The Nanyang woman in the corner was half-mad by now, holding her bloody face and screaming with vicious fury. Ku You picked her up by the collar, dragged her out of the room, and threw her onto the horse.

“Ya!”

. . . . . .

“Baifu Buddha Mother, bless the common people! Victory in every battle!” 

There was so much noise that one of Dayan’s lieutenant commanders felt dizzy. This team was originally part of Ku You’s troops, and were considered some of the best soldiers in the entire southwest garrison. Therefore, Liang Shu had ordered them to act alone to attack the most difficult and dangerous line. Not to mention the high density of the forest in this area, there were muddy swamps all over and not even a few spacious paths to be found. However, the cult believers on the opposite side still had very high morale. They pushed two walls of archers to guard the front, and there was a strong intention to counterattack and advance.

“Baifu Buddha Mother, bless the common people! Victory in every battle!” 

“Stop your damn howling!”

Two voices sounded at the same time.

The cursing came from the lieutenant commander.

Thud, something was thrown in front of him. 

With wounds all over her face, the Nanyang woman was tossed into the crowd of cultists, causing an uproar. She continued to scream as poisonous Gu roamed around her body, which looked extremely terrifying. This horrified all the believers. They could not comprehend that the saintess who was entrusted by the Baifu Buddha Mother could be harmed by mere mortals. Thus, they all retreated in a panic. Their faith collapsed, and nobody was willing to rush forward to kneel and kiss her as they normally would.

“You, you…..You‘re not the Holy Maiden! You’re not!”

Ku You jumped back on his horse, silver-haired and golden-eyed, and stretched out his hand: “Sword.”

The lieutenant commander was overjoyed when he saw who had come. He quickly ordered the soldiers to bring his sword, saying happily: “No wonder His Highness asked us to carry the commander’s weapon!”

Ku You raised his arm and shouted: “Kill!”

The Dayan army moved with grand momentum, but there was no one on the side of the howling Baifu Buddha Mother.

A-Ning followed the army with a medical kit in his arms. When he saw Chang Suyue riding past, he quickly reminded her: “Cheng-guniang, please remember to help find A-Chang!”

Cheng Suyue agreed, thinking to herself that since the commotion was so loud, anyone with a bit of brains should know to hide or run out by himself.

The truth was as she thought. A-Chang was indeed hiding quite safely. Not only was he safe, but he was also eating steamed buns, at the same time not forgetting to give Feng Xiaojin a bite or two. 

The sweet smell of food spread in the dark room. Reclining on the bed, Feng Xiaojin asked: “Do you hear the sounds outside?”

“I hear it.” Liu Hengchang said, “It should be that the Yan army has already invaded.”

“Then why don’t you leave?”

“I need to eat something first, otherwise I’ll be dizzy if I go out hungry and be unable to help.” Liu Hengchang drank over half a cup of water in one breath. During this time, he had been detoxifying Feng Xiaojin. Although he was hanging onto life, it was only by a thread. He said: “My family’s Second Young Master will definitely be able to figure out a way to detoxify you.”

“My poison does not need to be cured,” Feng Xiaojin said. “Even if it is cured, according to Dayan law, nine generations of my family should be killed.”

Liu Hengchang knew of his theft of disaster relief funds. Although his words were correct, as a doctor, he must try his best to give the patient the will to live. So he comforted him: “Young Master Feng gave Commander Ku a lot of secret information. Merits offset the demerits…..anyway, don’t think about it too much.”

“I had enough of life a long time ago.” Feng Xiaojin said, “If it weren’t for Yunyou and A-Le, I would have long since died. I should have died when he made me an immortal monster.” He closed his eyes and said, “I robbed that batch of silver and grain just because I wanted to make the man surnamed Tan miserable. As for the deaths of the victims, I didn’t care at the time, and I don’t care now either. Tell me, do people like me who are born evil deserve to die?”

Liu Hengchang was silent for a moment, then said: “Disaster victims are always innocent.”

“So, you deserve to live, but I don’t.” Feng Xiaojin gave a wretched laugh. “But Yunyou and A-Le, they are still young. Perhaps…..perhaps they still have the chance to see the world through the eyes of normal people. Even if they only see it once, and die after seeing it, they will be a thousand times better than me.”

As he spoke, he turned his head to Liu Hengchang: “Thank you for what you’ve done during this time.”

“It is me who should thank Young Master Feng,” Liu Hengchang said truthfully. “Otherwise, I’m afraid my identity would have been exposed long ago, and I would have been thrown into a trap with thousands of Gu. Although Young Master Feng claims to not know good and evil, and slaughters people, at least he truly helped me in this matter.”

“Then for the sake of me helping you, treat Yunyou and A-Le kindly.” Feng Xiaojin sat up and took a bottle of medicine from his sleeve. Liu Hengchang was taken aback when he saw this and asked: “What is this—”

Before he finished speaking, Feng Xiaojin had already drunk the contents of the bottle. Then he stood up and walked out stiffly and strangely.

Shocked, Liu Hengchang hurriedly caught up: “Young Master Feng!”

Feng Xiaojin waved his hand back and flung him to the side.

Liu Hengchang was beaten to dizziness, and asked with difficulty: “Where is Young Master Feng going?”

Feng Xiaojin opened the mechanism door and gazed at the dazzling sunshine outside: “I’m going to collect the debt Mu Zhe owes me.”

---

Consider donating via Kofi here!

Chapter One Hundred Twenty << Table of Contents >> Chapter One Hundred Twenty-Two

At noon, there was the sound of the door opening, accompanied by the smell of fish. Huo Fenglie whispered: “Qing-ge?”

A casual response came from behind the bed curtains. Huo Fenglie stepped forward and opened them. He saw Liu Zhenqing lying in bed and reading a book, chewing on dried fruit comfortably.

“Qing-ge, it’s time to eat.”

Liu Zhenqing raised his hand and threw a book toward Huo Fenglie.

Huo Fenglie caught it at once, not understanding. But Liu Zhenqing suddenly turned sideways and held his head with one hand, his long black hair hanging down as he raised his eyebrows and smiled with a charming look.

Huo Fenglie was stunned.

Liu Zhenqing’s eyes immediately narrowed. He raised his leg and stepped on Huo Fenglie’s strong waist and abdomen.

Standing beside the bed, Huo Fenglie immediately tensed up and looked at Liu Zhenqing in shock.

“Qing-ge?”

“Er-gou, what do you mean by finding this kind of book for me? Could it be that you…..” Liu Zhenqing narrowed his eyes seductively while moving his foot along the undulating texture.

Huo Fenglie wanted to retreat, but didn’t dare move, and his body grew even more tense. He knew that Liu Zhenqing’s actions sometimes had no meaning and just came from restlessness, so Huo Fenglie didn’t think much about it at this moment and just endured it. However, for some reason, the picture that caught his eye made him instantly feel like his whole person had fallen into hellfire.

Huo Fenglie’s pupils shrank and his hand unconsciously exerted force, causing the entire book to crack.

“No, Qing-ge, this is a misunderstanding. I didn’t know this book was in the pile. I…..” Huo Fenglie tried his utmost to explain as he threw away the burning hot book in his hand.

This was the first time Liu Zhenqing had seen Huo Fenglie in such a panic since they had met again. He was completely different from usual and seemed to be quite frightened.

Liu Zhenqing held back his laughter, and said in a tone that made his feelings unclear, “I’m not angry, why are you nervous? It’s just such a coincidence, and I don’t believe it.”

In fact, Liu Zhenqing had figured it out just now. Because there was such a short time to collect them, Liu Zhenqing guessed that Er-gou must have gone to a street bookseller. No matter what was there, he packed it up and brought it back. After all, he didn’t like poetry much, and preferred more miscellaneous books, so the books at this kind of informal little book stall were the most suitable for him. Only, he didn’t expect that the boss was carrying contraband. He had probably disappeared before the boss had time to explain it to his customer, which led to this absurdity.

Before, Liu Zhenqing felt that he had been teased by Er-gou, which made him think of some strange images. Therefore, he couldn’t help but bully Er-gou to regain his position and make himself feel more balanced.

Liu Zhenqing looked at Huo Fenglie when he spoke, and the other already looked quite embarrassed. He even deliberately slid his toes down, almost reaching his lower abdomen, but Huo Fenglie suddenly reached out and grabbed him.

“Qing…..Qing-ge, it’s really a misunderstanding.” Huo Fenglie lowered his head and his voice shook, as if he was really afraid of Liu Zhenqing misunderstanding him.

Huo Fenglie’s mood swing was so great that Liu Zhenqing couldn’t help but tease him.

“Really? That’s a pity. I was going to say that if it wasn’t a misunderstanding, I really want to try…..”

Huo Fenglie instantly raised his head with wide eyes. He looked at Liu Zhenqing in disbelief and almost stuttered: “Try…..try what?”

Liu Zhenqing raised his face slightly and moved his eyes up and down Huo Fenglie’s tall body, saying: “What do you want to try?”

He felt Huo Fenglie take a deep breath, looking very stimulated.

Feeling that he had teased him enough, Liu Zhenqing nearly choked to death holding in his laughter. Just as he was about to speak, he suddenly saw Huo Fenglie’s eyes shift, and the other party captured his foot with sudden force.

Just then, there was movement at the door. “Brother Liu, are you there? Ai? What book is this? Why is it thrown on the ground?”

That was Bai Su’s voice.

Huo Fenglie suddenly flashed out, and Liu Zhenqing heard Bai Su say in surprise: “Zhanyuan? What are you doing?”

Liu Zhenqing looked curiously and saw tiny pieces of paper scattered in the sky like falling snowflakes, having been shattered by internal force.

This was almost to the point of destroying a corpse and eradicating the traces.

Before Huo Fenglie could explain to Bai Su, Liu Zhenqing was already laughing so hard that he hammered the bed board. Such commotion naturally attracted the attention of the two people at the door.

Bai Su didn’t understand, but Huo Fenglie’s expression was ever-changing. Seeing Liu Zhenqing laugh like this, there was still something he wasn’t clear about.

“What’s going on?” Bai Su had thought that Liu Zhenqing was in a bad mood, so he came back to visit him at noon. Unexpectedly, he saw Huo Fenglie acting strange as soon as he came in, and Liu Zhenqing was laughing so hard that he was about to burst into tears.

Liu Zhenqing sat on the bed and said while laughing: “Brother Huo found an interesting book for me.”

Bai Su asked in confusion: “What book? The one that was just destroyed?” Why destroy it if it was interesting?

Liu Zhenqing looked at Huo Fenglie with a smile and said: “Now you can only ask Brother Huo about that book.”

Huo Fenglie looked embarrassed and said: “It’s nothing. Yuzhou, you and Brother Liu have a meal. I have something else to do, so I’ll leave first.”

Bai Su just thought there was some small secret between them and didn’t delve into it. Seeing how Huo Fenglie left in a hurry, he looked at Liu Zhenqing.

Liu Zhenqing shrugged and got out of bed to greet Bai Su and eat. However, as soon as his feet touched the ground, he felt a slight residual pain. Liu Zhenqing was taken aback. Er-gou had grabbed him rather hard that last time.

Bai Su saw the things on Liu Zhenqing’s bed and looked at him helplessly.

Liu Zhenqing smiled and said: “I really have nothing to do, so I can only lie down to kill time.”

Bai Su said with a sigh: “I’m sorry.”

“Why are you apologizing to me?” Liu Zhenqing said. “Is Cheng Xi okay?”

“He coughed for a while and took medicine before getting better. Then he kept working,” Bai Su said with a frown.

Liu Zhenqing sat down and took the food out of the food box. It was hot, and the grilled fish had all the bones picked out. How had he done such a difficult thing?

He imagined Huo Fenglie picking fish bones and said casually: “Is he still angry?”

Bai Su looked a little unnatural. “He just cares so much about my brother.”

Liu Zhenqing raised his eyebrows and said: “It’s not that simple.”

Bai Su was a little embarrassed, and said: “You saw it too? To tell you the truth, my brother was indeed interested in Cheng-daren, and now it seems that Cheng-daren is also…..”

Bai Su said with some envy in his eyes: “Their friendship was so deep, but they missed the opportunity. It is a pity that they were not destined.”

Liu Zhenqing recalled Bai Yu’s disposition. He didn’t know if it was just that he was emotional after being treated with hostility, but Liu Zhenqing felt that Bai Yu wouldn’t have been happy with Cheng Xi. Looking at Bai Su now, Liu Zhenqing frowned slightly.

Liu Zhenqing still had an impression of Bai Su as a child. Bai Su admired Bai Yu very much and regarded Bai Yu’s hobbies as his own. He liked to be close to Bai Yu in everything. In fact, his nature was more lively when he was a child, but now Bai Su lived like Bai Yu in every aspect.

Seeing Bai Su like this, Liu Zhenqing suddenly said: “Forget it, let’s not talk about this. That’s right, I read a lot of interesting story books today. The love stories were very beautiful and enviable. They made me want to fall in love.”

Bai Su’s attention was diverted by this interesting statement, and he said with a smile: “Really?”

Liu Zhenqing said with unclear implications: “Sometimes when I read them, I really wish I was the hero in the book and could enjoy the same love.”

After speaking, Liu Zhenqing happily began to eat, but the person across from him didn’t pick up his chopsticks for some time. It wasn’t until Liu Zhenqing urged him that Bai Su started eating.

When Huo Fenglie returned in the afternoon, Bai Su had left and the bed curtains were lowered. Liu Zhenqing seemed to be asleep inside.

Huo Fenglie brought another pile of snacks. Even in his confusion before, he had noticed that the snacks had been finished off. He didn’t try to open the curtain, but just reached inside.

He was silently placing the snacks on the edge of the bed when his hand was suddenly grabbed.

Huo Fenglie’s expression didn’t change. When he saw the bed curtain open, he just whispered: “Did I wake you up?”

Liu Zhenqing tilted his head and looked at Huo Fenglie with a smile, saying: “What? Are you angry with me? Don’t you want to have dinner with me anymore?”

“I’m not. I’m going to keep an eye on that person.” Huo Fenglie didn’t raise his head to look at him. He tried to pull his hand back, but didn’t dare to use too much force.

Liu Zhenqing tightened his grip and said: “Sorry, Qing-ge went too far. I shouldn’t have teased you like that. Please forgive me, I’ll never tease you like this again.”

Huo Fenglie’s furrowed brow didn’t loosen. He just raised his head and looked deeply at Liu Zhenqing. Liu Zhenqing couldn’t make heads nor tails of the complicated look in his eyes.

Huo Fenglie reached out and pushed Liu Zhenqing’s hand away, his expression gradually turning to normal as he said: “Qing-ge, I’m really not angry with you. That you could tease me means that you’ve regained your spirits, so that’s good.”

Liu Zhenqing couldn’t help feeling guilty. He moved closer and touched Er-gou’s head. “Er-gou is still magnanimous.”

Er-gou was so good, and yet he still teased him like this. This was really not good, and he needed to reflect on it.

But Huo Fenglie’s eyes gradually dimmed with such an embrace.

Afterwards, the two got down to business. Having rested all morning, Liu Zhenqing felt full of energy.

“So Du Dongfeng has been acting very normal, and it doesn’t seem like there is anyone else behind him?”

“I suppose we’ll have to wait until evening.”

“En, I had better go to Qin Yu’s place to have a look in the afternoon.”

Soon after, Huo Fenglie sent Liu Zhenqing to the interrogation room. Qin Yu and He Lan were both there, and were a little surprised to see Liu Zhenqing come over.

He Lan said: “Is it appropriate for a young master like him to be here? Lao Qin’s methods are so twisted. After seeing this, he will have nightmares.”

Qin Yu glanced at He Lan coldly.

He Lan immediately apologized with a smile.

Huo Fenglie looked at Liu Zhenqing.

Liu Zhenqing shook his head and smiled. “Don’t worry, I have a strong tolerance.”

Everyone thought he was just worried about his family and wanted to find the truth quickly, so they accepted his presence.

Once Huo Fenglie left, Qin Yu said to Liu Zhenqing: “There is no information about your Liu family.”

He Lan sat directly on the table and crossed his legs in an unceremonious manner, saying: “I was just wondering, what does your Liu family have to do with the Imperial Examinations?”

Liu Zhenqing said: “I don’t know either. I’d like to start with the personal information of the officials. Do you have anything on them?”

Qin Yu pointed to the bookshelf beside them and said: “The information and confessions have been preserved. Take a look.”

Liu Zhenqing finally got what he wanted, and checked them one by one against the list in his memory.

The afternoon passed by, and He Lan received a shock. He spoke in Qin Yu’s ear: “Look, he’s so calm, ah. He hasn’t even raised his head despite so many screams. Could it be that he’s as vicious as you deep down?”

There was a snap as soon as he finished speaking, and He Lan gave an aiyo, touching the leg that Qin Yu had whipped. He could only grit his teeth and say: “You wait, sooner or later, I’m going to whip you hard too…..”

Qin Yu’s narrow phoenix eyes swept over, and He Lan immediately shut up.

Liu Zhenqing nearby didn’t notice their quarrel at all and calmly turned a page.

He didn’t go back in the evening and just had dinner here. Facing the smell of blood and the cursing in the room, Liu Zhenqing felt nothing and thought about what he had read.

He had noticed two strange things.

Firstly, the First Princess had come here with Rong Shiming two years ago. Officials including Magistrate Yao and Cheng Xi had participated in the reception. And the Imperial Examination fraud model had begun almost two years ago.

Secondly, the list of officials involved in the Imperial Examination fraud had a high degree of overlap with those who may have been involved in the tax money corruption case, except for Magistrate Yao.

Although it seemed normal to say that corrupt officials would do all kinds of wicked deeds, there was one thing that was very strange. There were very few officials in the capital who were involved in the Imperial Examination fraud. After all, such a model didn’t require the participation of many officials at all. As long as there were exam questions, just one was enough. The focus was on the academy and the candidates. But so many officials were involved in the south, as if they had all heard about this and were roped in to get a share of the pie.

Was this a plot by someone behind the scenes?

Magistrate Yao was not among the officials who committed fraud. Could it be that he was plotting against these officials behind the scenes? Why? He was already the local boss, and others couldn’t shake him at all. Even in the tax fraud case, they were all grasshoppers on the same string, so why bother?

Or were these people just well-informed and trying to make money?

Huo Fenglie suddenly came over at this time. Seeing his expression, it was obvious that Du Dongfeng had made a move.

Huo Fenglie didn’t say much, and picked him up directly.

He Lan had originally wanted to complain to Huo Fenglie about his hard work, and thought that everyone could go out to drink and relax together in the evening. But as soon as he turned around, that person was gone. Their work had come to an end, so he took Qin Yu and went to find people to drink with.

As soon as they went out, they saw Huo Fenglie and Liu Zhenqing walking along the eaves, but they were heading toward the courtyard where they were staying.

What were these two playing at?

He Lan was immediately nosy, and took Qin Yu to fly up to the roof and watch the fun.

In the end, they saw them land directly on Bai Su’s roof and lay down.

Qin Yu, who was forcibly dragged over, couldn’t help but become curious. After all, he also stayed in that house.

When the two got closer, Huo Fenglie naturally discovered them. When he saw them descend, he didn’t chase them away, but just shushed them and indicated that there was someone in the room.

The two understood at once and lay down to observe.

Liu Zhenqing was still confused. Weren’t they going to watch Du Dongfeng?

Why did they come to Bai Su’s residence?

Did Huo Fenglie mean that Du Dongfeng was in Bai Su’s residence? What for? To attack him?

After a while, Bai Su returned, looking preoccupied.

Huo Fenglie raised his head and glanced at Qin Yu and He Lan. In order to discover the purpose of the person in the house, it was inconvenient to warn Bai Su, but they also couldn’t put their brother in danger, so the two of them landed at different windows and continued to observe the situation inside. This way, under the siege of three people, Bai Su would be protected no matter what.

Bai Su returned to the house and lit the candles in a daze. He heard movement after a moment, and turned around suddenly to see a figure rushing over.

Startled, Bai Su stood up quickly. Just as he was about to shout, he saw the person kneel on the ground with a thud.

“Greeting Second Young Master Bai!”

Bai Su was taken aback. He saw that the person who was kneeling sincerely was an acquaintance, and couldn’t help but say in surprise: “What…..what are you doing? I remember that you’re Du Dongfeng, a government servant?”

“No, my real name is not Du Dongfeng. In fact, my surname is Yuan. Ten years ago, my father was Yuan Du, a third-rank official in the Imperial court.”

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone was stunned.

Bai Su was even more shocked. “Yuan-daren? Wasn’t Yuan-daren’s entire family……”

One of the evil deeds of the treacherous minister was to levy excessive taxes in the south. The problem was serious, and a good official was recommended to investigate but was assassinated by Liu Zhenqing. In the end, even his family members in the capital were wiped out.

This rumored good official was Yuan Du, who was known for his integrity!

---

Consider donating via Kofi here!

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

Wumeng Yunyou relied on his familiarity with the terrain and various hidden weapons designed in advance to shuttle through the dense forest like a dexterous ape. Seeing that the other party was fleeing farther and farther away, the guards of Xiao Wang Palace waved their hands and ordered everyone to bend their bows into full moons. For a time, the arrows were like heavy rain. Wumeng Yunyou’s steps seemed to stagger slightly due to this, but he did not stop, and instead quickly rolled down a short cliff.

He escaped without a trace once more.

Liu Xianche in the military camp also sighed upon hearing the news of Wumeng Yunle’s death. After a good while, he ordered: “Have her remains cremated, otherwise the Gu in her body will be buried deep in the ground, which will inevitably give rise to other poisonous Gu.”

Liu Nanyuan nodded: “Okay.”

The girl whose life was ruined by the Baifu Sect finally turned into a wisp of slim and graceful smoke. Swept by the summer wind, it disappeared into the dense forest in all directions, leaving no trace.

In the middle of the night, a heavy rain fell across the entire southwest. The rumbling thunder practically tore through the sky, and the loud noise rolled into Second Young Master Liu’s dreams. He trembled in shock, and the Three Thousands Worlds turned into dancing butterflies. Liang Shu tightened his arms. “Were you frightened awake?”

Liu Xian’an was semi-conscious, and replied without losing his principles, I wasn’t frightened awake. I can still sleep a bit more.

Liang Shu lowered his head and rubbed his chin, which rubbed his sleepiness away. The night rain in the dense southwest forests was actually very beautiful. It hit the roof of the bamboo building with pattering sounds, soaking the surrounding areas with moisture and greenness, and the air was also filled with the fragrance of flowers. But it was still not as fragrant as the beauty in his arms. He took advantage of his person’s sleep to pull open his robe bit by bit, like peeling a tender fruit hanging on a branch. It trembled when you poked it, and when you took a bite, even the skin and flesh were sweet.

Liu Xian’an somewhat reluctantly reached out to pull his sleeping clothes, but it was obvious that he couldn’t hold onto them. Liang Shu smiled and turned over to embrace him, whispering in his ear: “No sleep allowed.”

In the middle of the night, everything was quiet. Even the chirping of the insects had subsided, but he couldn’t sleep. Liu Xian’an felt that there was no such principle in the world, so he opened his mouth and responded with an “Mm, wu,” and at the same time crawled toward the corner with his hands and feet, trying to shake this person off him. However, Liang Shu leaned over and pressed him down, biting the small red mole on his snow-white neck with his teeth. Liu Xian’an was really sleepy, but he couldn’t sleep. Half-conscious, he had a dream full of philosophical thoughts about sacrificing his life to feed a tiger, and was finally bitten awake.

After waking up, the current situation was no better than the dream, because at least the tiger in the dream could not catch up with the white crane in the clouds thirty thousand li away. But in reality, there was only a thin, creak-creaking bamboo bed for the two of them. Its sturdiness was worrisome, but His Royal Highness Xiao Wang seemed to have taken the wrong medicine. He bit and licked, grasping that soft waist with his big hands, and there was also moist water vapor in his voice: “Don’t move.”

Liu Xian’an: “……”

Liang Shu rubbed the side of his face with his thumb: “Don’t close your eyes. Look at me.”

Liu Xian’an didn’t want to cooperate, mainly because if he looked again, he might not be able to sleep later. So he immediately closed his eyes, stretched his hand forward, and managed to deal with what must be dealt with. And because of this, he felt confident enough to sleep for an extra half hour the next morning.

He wanted to sleep more, but was unable to, because the entire military camp was currently pretending to be sick, and this required the cooperation of many doctors to pretend. Even Liang Shu himself held his chest and coughed twice. The aunt in charge of cleaning was frightened when she took out two bloodstained handkerchiefs.

“What illness does the prince have?”

“He isn’t ill, it’s just a cough!”

With a gloomy look on his face, Gao Lin ordered the aunt to burn the handkerchiefs and not say anything more in the future. But the news eventually spread, and even Yuan Yu heard about it. He asked probingly: “Why haven’t I seen the prince in recent days?”

“He’s ill.” Gao Lin didn’t hide anything from him. He sat on a chair and complained, “I don’t know where this strange disease came from. It’s not the plague, and it isn’t just the prince who is sick. Didn’t you notice when you were walking these past few days? There are coughs everywhere.”

“Is there nothing Baihe Mountain Village can do?”

“Baihe Mountain Village has doctors, not gods,” Gao Lin said. “I came to tell you that you should not go out in the next few days to avoid getting infected. I’ll get someone to spread lime around your house later.”

“Okay, I’ll stay here,” Yuan Yu said. “I’ll just stay here and wait.”

He thought he had successfully accomplished his goal, and was very proud of himself. He would just wait for Mu Zhe’s next move.

At the same time, the Holy Maiden of the Baifu Sect began to wander around the southwest lands. 

Different from the coldness and aloofness of the past, this time the saintess was finally willing to step down from that high platform and allow many believers to worship her amazing beauty more closely. They knelt on the ground, their faces flushed with excitement. Like loyal but stupid dogs, they crawled forward, vying to kiss those bare white toes.

The Nanyang woman giggled and raised the face of one of them with her toes: “Let me see your loyalty.”

The man quickly took a cloth bag from his sleeve, and after opening it, a heavy amount of silver rolled down all around. The Nanyang woman turned to look at the other person: “Where is yours?”

The other person also took two gold bars out of his sleeve. He offered them devoutly and nervously, saying: “This is, this is what I got for selling my wife, daughter, and ancestral property!”

“Good, very good. Gold.” The Nanyang woman stepped lightly on the gold and silver on the ground. “With such sincerity, the Baifu Buddha Mother will protect you from illness and disaster.”

As she spoke, she glanced around the room, but not every believer had gold and silver, and they feared punishment from the Baifu Buddha Mother. The Nanyang woman turned around to sit on the high platform, taking the initiative to comfort them: “It doesn’t matter. Without gold or silver, you can also receive blessings if you kill demons with only your strength. Who is a demon?”

“Liang Shu!” They shouted in unison.

The Nanyang woman covered her mouth and smiled. She reclined slightly and leaned her head on one hand. With her clothes half-undone, she pointed her polished toes at the man who sold his wife and daughter: “You, come up.”

The man was overjoyed, and climbed all the way up the steps on his knees, stretching out his hands tremblingly.

Wind filled the entire room, whimpering and wailing, like the sharp, wanton laugh of a demon.

. . . . . . .

Wumeng Yunyou removed the bandages and looked down at the wound on his shoulder. He was injured by a stray arrow that day in the forest and gritted his teeth, fleeing to a secret contact point of the Baifu Sect. However, he was no longer being tracked by the officials. After being nursed for so many days, the arrow wound had finally scarred over. 

He had no intention of going back. At least, not until he killed Liu Nanyuan.

“Uncle Qian.” Wumeng Yunyou asked the middle-aged man in the courtyard, “How is the matter I asked you to inquire about?”

“Everything is normal in the Dayan military camp.” The middle-aged man lowered his voice. “There is no news that anyone important has been killed, though there is a bigger fuss about the plague. I heard that even Liang Shu is ill. Doctors kept running to his room all day long, but nothing could be done. Those are doctors of Baihe Mountain Village.”

Wumeng Yunyou said leisurely: “Where is Liu Nanyuan?”

“Busy treating everyone’s illnesses.” The middle-aged man said, “But she will only practice medicine in the military camp now, and will not go to other places to visit patients. If Young Master Yunyou intends to kill her, I fear it will take a lot of effort. In my opinion, it would be better to just wait until she falls ill too, and save the trouble.”

“She provoked A-Le. I will definitely kill her.” Wumeng Yunyou glanced at his sword. “Never mind. Uncle Qian, help me send a letter to A-Le first.”

“This…..I’m afraid it won’t be easy to send, ah.” The middle-aged man felt awkward. “The Holy Maiden’s whereabouts have been uncertain recently. She is in this city today and will go to that city tomorrow. I have not received news for three to five days. My guess is that she went back to the sect.”

“Isn’t she in Shuhua City?”

“She was originally going to Shuhua City, but there was some trouble there.” The middle-aged man said, “It is said that there was a believer who wanted to stay at the Holy Maiden’s bedside, but couldn’t assemble the money, so he cut off his own finger to show his loyalty, which finally alerted the government—”

“Wait.” Wumeng Yunyou frowned. “What do you mean he wanted to stay at the Holy Maiden’s bedside?”

“That’s right, that’s right…..Young Master Yunyou, don’t you know?” The middle-aged man hesitated. “The saint’s touring activities this time are…..very different from the previous ones. I thought Young Master Yunyou had known this for a long time.”

“Those men stay in A-Le’s room?”

“Yes, yes, ah.” The middle-aged man nodded. “There are many people, including our shop’s Wang Zhu. He has worked hard for the holy religion for seven or eight years, and this was the Holy Maiden’s reward for him…..Young Master Yunyou, Young Master Yunyou!”

Wumeng Yunyou descended from the eaves of the back courtyard as leisurely as a vulture and grabbed the man by the collar: “Did you go to see A-Le?”

“Yes.” Wang Zhu grinned, looking a little simple and embarrassed. He said: “The Holy Maiden was very satisfied with me, and said she would reward me next time.”

Wumeng Yunyou stood there for a moment as if struck by a thunderbolt, then staggered and ran out.

He swung onto a fast horse, passing through the town and forest like lightning.

At that same time, the Dayan army was also ready to go. 

Liu Xian’an tried to place Liang Shu’s armor, but he was not very good at the job. The result was not a majestic general, but a dissolute prince who didn’t look like he could win a battle. In the end, he simply gave up and said: “Do it yourself.”

Liang Shu shook his head and sighed. Alas, I have a bad fate, and did not find a virtuous and capable person.

Liu Xian’an raised his leg and kicked him.

Liang Shu quickly ducked aside. He straightened his clothes and opened his hands again: “Come here and give me a kiss, one kiss before we leave. The army is still waiting.”

Liu Xian’an hugged his waist. His hands touched a part that was cold and icy, and he frowned slightly.

Liang Shu wanted to play the scoundrel: “How about it? Does it feel as good as it did last night? I say, I shouldn’t have put on clothes.”

Liu Xian’an’s eyelid twitched slightly. He didn’t want to think about last night. Liang Shu picked him up with a smile and told him softly: “The Imperial guards will protect you. Don’t run around, just stay with the team, understand?”

“I understand.” Liu Xian’an held his face, lowered his head, and kissed him. “There’s no need for you to worry about me. It is best not to use your attention on me.”

“En, I won’t get hurt, and I won’t worry about you.” Liang Shu led him out and said, “Just watch the fun and be a comfortable lazy person. But you must remember the details of our victory very clearly, so that when we return to the Three Thousand Worlds in the future, we can speak in detail to those white-bearded old men for three days and three nights.”

“They won’t want to listen.”

“Not listening is beyond their control!”

Liu Xian’an: “…..Okay, ba. That is also fine.”

In any case, you are the only one in that world who has a very long sword and a grumpy face, and no one dares to provoke you.

---

Consider donating via Kofi here!

Chapter One Hundred Nineteen << Table of Contents >> Chapter One Hundred Twenty-One

From this indirect and step by step approach, one could also catch a glimpse of Mu Nanqiao’s cunning in the business world.

In any case, the goal was achieved. Boss Mu still pushed and pulled reservedly, answering with slight hesitation: “Yes, do you want to see them? They’re not very good.”

Lu Qi held Xiao Sanhua and thought for a moment. Not very good.

If he had known, he would have taken a good look last time when Mu Nanqiao took off his clothes in the bathroom. He was too embarrassed back then, but now that he thought about it, he was regretful. He opened his mouth and was about to tell him to forget it, but Mu Nanqiao had already put his hands on the hem of his clothes.

Boss Mu, who almost lost his chance, remained calm on the surface: “If it’s just you, it’s okay.”

Since the other person said so, of course Lu Qi sat down in a well-behaved manner, bright-eyed and ready to “learn.”

Seeing him like this, the originally calm Mu Nanqiao became a little embarrassed. He coughed, grabbed the hem of his black housecoat with slender fingers, and lifted it up a little.

Lu Qi: Wow!!

First-rate male beauty! Golden quality!

He had never liked very deep and exaggerated muscle lines, which were very stiff, but the mermaid lines and abdominal muscles in front of him were just right, smooth and beautiful. The sweatpants hung loosely at his hips, and the lines that tucked into the waistband had an unspoken sex appeal.

Lu Qi found another red mole below the concave dimple of his belly button on that cool white skin. This spot was simply eye-searing, unable to be described…..

He had taken the initiative to ask to see his muscles, but now he was blushing. Xiao Sanhua in his arms was still nudging him, making coquettish little chirps, and seemed dissatisfied that his attention was trained on the canine.

Lu Qi quickly covered Xiao Sanhua’s eyes.

Xiao Sanhua: “Meow?”

But the clothes weren’t lifted up enough, and the muscles on the sides of the ribs couldn’t be seen.

Mu Nanqiao pulled them up a little more.

Lu Qi suddenly recalled that he had once cooperated with a Taobao store and drew several sets of game fanart. The store later mailed him a set of samples. On a palm-sized card, the silver-haired character was half-kneeling, hands tied behind his back, and he was wearing a sleeveless black high-collar outfit.

At the time this sort of card appeared, Lu Qi still didn’t understand. He had clearly not drawn a shirt for the character. Then he received a friendly reminder from the store that the specially-coated clothes were temperature changing, and could be “taken off” by using hot air from a hair dryer.

Why did he think of this thing?

Because the man in front of him was also wearing a black short-sleeved shirt, and the process of lifting up the black material really seemed to make it fade like the temperature change card.

The muscles on the sides of his ribs extended smoothly upward. Lu Qi pursed his lower lip and looked up at Mu Nanqiao: “Can…..I…..touch it?”

“That won’t work.” Mu Nanqiao looked down at him with slightly raised eyebrows: “That’s another price. It’s only for a boyfriend to touch.”

“Okay…..” Lu Qi glanced at it reluctantly a few more times and murmured softly: “En, it seems I do still have room for improvement.”

“Have you seen enough?” Mu Nanqiao put down his shirt and asked in a low voice: “Are you satisfied? Does it look good?”

Lu Qi nodded like a chicken pecking rice. “En, en, en, exceedingly good!”

He actually raised his hand and touched the corner of his lips. Of course there was no drool, but this small gesture was so cute that Mu Nanqiao’s Adam’s apple rolled and he looked away with difficulty.

Otherwise, he was truly afraid that he would lose control and push this person down on the sofa and kiss him.

It wasn’t time yet.

“As long as you’re satisfied. Remember to give me a five star rating.” Mu Nanqiao rubbed his soft hair. Refraining from touching him was like drinking poison to quench his thirst, and his voice became imperceptibly hoarse. “I’m going to change my clothes. You should get ready too.”

“Okay.” Lu Qi agreed and stood up.

Xiao Sanhua, who had her eyes covered for no reason, jumped away with a miwu sound, and her foot tripped over the cord of the desk lamp. With quick reflexes, Mu Nanqiao leaned over to hold the desk lamp and shook his head with a smile. “There are some decorations in the apartment that need to be put away. Let’s replace the desk lamp.”

This was indeed the case with cats. Xiao Sanhua loved to push things off the table. In these past two days, there was the paintbrush Lu Qi put on the table, the keys to Mu Nanqiao’s Maybach, and her own kittens…..none of them could escape the claws of this devil with pink footpads.

Lu Qi acquiesced to the idea of changing the desk lamp and nodded, but saw something extraordinary from the corner of his eye.

Mu Nanqiao’s ears were red.

They were really red. Because he had leaned down to adjust the lampshade, he was close to the light source. A bit of light shone through the shells of his ears, so his red-hot ears and earlobes were particularly obvious.

It was as if Lu Qi had discovered a comet that had never been recorded before, and he stared for a long moment. It wasn’t until Mu Nanqiao finished adjusting the lampshade that he exclaimed: “Mu Nanqiao! Your ears are red! You can also be embarrassed!”

Mu Nanqiao: …….

He couldn’t bear it, and raised a hand to flick Lu Qi’s forehead.

Lu Qi yelped and covered his forehead.

“What are you talking about, ah, Wife Xiao Lu? I have a thick face, not crocodile skin. You’ve been staring at my belly for so long, so why can’t I be shy?” Mu Nanqiao said: “Stop flirting with me, and change clothes quickly.”

Lu Qi: ? ? ? 

Who was flirting with whom? It was obviously him who was flirting!

But Mu Nanqiao didn’t give Lu Qi a chance to refute, and turned around to walk out in a hurry.

The door closed behind him and he exhaled, leaning his back against the cold outer door. The charming flash of heat moved by emotion was given a shock by the cold metal behind him, and finally ceased clamoring.

There was only his heart beating in his chest.

Across the door, Lu Qi hummed songs one after another, in a good mood. They gradually became smoother, like Tchiacovsky’s “Dance of the Reed Flutes.”

Bright, lively, like a little sparrow that disturbed people without knowing it.

Leaning against the door, Mu Nanqiao raised his head. Slender fingers lifted up the hair on his forehead, and his eyelashes halfway concealed his pupils.

They also covered the surging emotions in his eyes.

Silly little deer.

Having red ears was sometimes more than just shyness.

. . . . . . .

Fortunately, Sichuan cuisine was not just red peppers. Mu Nanqiao ordered carefully, and strategically avoided the peppers when picking up the dishes, ultimately saving his face as a Boss.

When he looked up at Lu Qi, there was a bit of sweat at the tip of his nose, and his cool white skin was flushed, but he continuously moved his chopsticks.

This Sichuan restaurant wasn’t too big, but the price was affordable and the menu was friendly. You could see the bright fire in the kitchen through the transparent glass, and the hygiene was relatively guaranteed.

Both Mu Nanqiao and Lu Qi were wearing casual short sleeves and sweatpants. The shopkeeper thought they were students from a nearby university and gave them a small cold dish as a gift.

Mu Nanqiao was not warm toward the aunt who served the food, but he still smiled politely and thanked her. He took the plate and put it down with both hands, then poured Lu Qi a glass of water and handed it to him.

Although it was a bit unlucky, Lu Qi still thought of Lin Yuan, who was also a company boss. That dog was very particular about ostentation when he ate. There were many times when Lu Qi went to take the drunk Lin Yuan home. He went to all those star-rated hotels, and even restaurants that refused to let people in casual clothes enter, and they had to show a membership card.

The last time, Lu Qi was treated as a substitute driver. En, the waiting room for drivers and others was also beautiful and luxurious, and there were unlimited fruit and drinks. Ignoring other people’s gazes, Lu Qi ate enough mangosteen before going home by himself, and never picked up Lin Yuan again from then on.

Some people’s upbringing and temperament were not just about eating delicacies from the mountains and seas and wearing high-end, luxurious, limited-edition clothes.

Mu Nanqiao was sitting in the bustle of the mundane world with an upright look. When he saw him looking over, he smiled warmly. “Are you full?”

He couldn’t describe what it was, but he just seemed very at ease. This person could wear a suit and leather shoes, elegant and proud at a banquet, or he could dress casually and blend into the hustle and bustle of a roadside shop without being obtrusive. 

Well, not obtrusive, but his face was still a bit eye-catching.

Lu Qi smiled. There was a small corner of his heart that, after being soaked in warm water for a while, was actually very soft. It just needed an opportunity. If given a light touch, it would open up slightly and grow a small bud.

He smiled very brightly, eyes bent, and answered happily: “I’m done eating.”

“You really like this restaurant?” Mu Nanqiao gave him an amused look. “You’re smiling so happily after eating?”

He didn’t even know how beautiful his smile was. The pear dimple on his cheek was filled with sunshine.

“I’m not smiling just because I’m full, ah.” Lu Qi wiped his mouth with a moist tissue. He suppressed his smile slightly, but his eyes were still bright. “I’ll get the check!”

Mu Nanqiao didn’t argue with him about this. He asked the waitress for a to-go box and packaged the remaining dishes.

When Lu Qi returned from scanning his WeChat, he had everything packed up. Standing at the door of the restaurant with the to-go box in hand, he lowered his head and clicked on a WeChat message.

A woman’s voice came from the receiver. It was very gentle, but compared to the average woman’s voice, it was a little deeper, and it could be heard that she was not of the same age.

Lu Qi subconsciously stopped. Mu Nanqiao was a CEO, after all. Who knew if there might be any trade secrets on his phone? But it was already too late, and he heard the lady saying:

“Come home for your birthday next week, Mom has prepared a surprise for you. We’ll blow up the old house. The procedures for declaring it a dilapidated building have been completed. How about we enjoy the blasting together when you come back?”

Mu Nanqiao’s expression was dumbfounded.

Lu Qi: ……

Could Mu Nanqiao’s childhood composition be “My Mother From a Fighting Nation?”

But Lu Qi heard the key information. On the way back when they were walking to digest, he asked Mu Nanqiao: “It’s your birthday? Then I want to give you a gift. What would you like?”

Mu Nanqiao’s fox eyes looked at him with a smile that wasn’t a smile: “The gift I want is very simple. What you did to me today, I want to do to you. Is that okay?”

His original intention was just to make a small joke, so he kept walking forward carelessly and said casually: “Actually, you can give me anything. I’ll like whatever it is…..”

Realizing that Lu Qi hadn’t followed, he stopped and turned to look in confusion at the young man who was lagging behind.

Lu Qi had followed for two steps before stopping. As if he had come to a decision, he said with a knitted brow: “Then is it too late for me to exercise now?”

He gave a sheepish cough. “I seem to have gained weight recently.”

Lu Qi felt that this seemed fair. They were both grown men, and just looking at their bellies. 

Upon further thought, Mu Nanqiao was the one at a disadvantage. After all, the five-star scenic spot under his clothes and the small park next door could not be compared.

It was just embarrassing. There wasn’t much meat on his waist, but it was soft when pinched and a bit unpresentable, ah.

He waited for a moment, but Mu Nanqiao didn’t reply.

When he glanced up, the other person’s eyes were heavy. There was no smile on his face, and inexplicable emotions surged in his eyes. There was a hint of fierceness hidden in his already deep and handsome features, mixed with a bit of softness. 

Lu Qi blinked and instinctively wanted to run away.

“Lu. Qi.” He actually called him by his first name, and chuckled after calling him. Those complicated and turbulent emotions in his eyes vanished, as if it had all been Lu Qi’s imagination.

He said jokingly: “I’m not a good person. I can’t help but bully you when you’re so so sincere to me.”

He wanted to lock him up and bully him until he cried.

---

Consider donating via Kofi here!

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

The four kittens were two months old in the blink of an eye. He fed the few little ones until they were chubby, and the price he paid was a pair of looming dark circles under his eyes. His skin was pale, so it was a bit obvious. Xu Hengxing was taken aback when he came to pick up the kitties. He crouched on the floor and stuffed them into a crate, asking: “Someone who didn’t know might think you have a fox spirit hiding in your house, sucking out your vitality…..”

As soon as he finished speaking, a tall man wearing an apron came out of the kitchen and asked while holding a spatula: “Will your friend stay for dinner?”

Xu Hengxing: ……

Fuck! A fox spirit!

Lu Qi lowered his head and asked: “Do you want to eat here?”

Xu Hengxing’s voice trembled. “Who…..who is this? You’ve been doing good deeds for more than twenty years,  so has a cat or dog finally transformed to repay your kindness?”

He picked up a kitten and said: “Transform! Transform for me!”

“……” Lu Qi lightly kicked him on the hip and coughed. “This is my neighbor. He…..he doesn’t have a kitchen, so he often comes here to cook…..”

His guilty eyes wandered, darting around.

Xu Hengxing whispered to Lu Qi, “Brother, aren’t you lying? The watch on his hand could buy a small restaurant, but he still lacks a kitchen?” After looking Lu Qi up and down, he suddenly hehe’d. “Is he pursuing you?”

Lu Qi couldn’t deny it, and muttered faintly.

“Then I must stay for dinner!” Xu Hengxing was eager to start. “Rich men play around a lot. I need to guard the pass for you so that you aren’t deceived!”

He gave Mu Nanqiao a meaningful look.

Mu Nanqiao was all smiles, and no matter how he looked at that smile, it seemed as if he had a card up his sleeve.

When it was time to eat, Xu Hengxing faced the six dishes on the table and swallowed his saliva. “I admit, I spoke a little loudly just now.”

When Mu Nanqiao chatted with him about the operation of the rescue center, Xu Hengxing became more serious. Mu Nanqiao listened attentively, and didn’t forget to peel shrimp for Lu Qi.

“I can fund the rescue center.” Mu Nanqiao said: “Mr Xu, you can contact my assistant later to confirm the relevant procedures with him.”

Mu Nanqiao had brought this matter up with Lu Qi two days ago, so Lu Qi was not surprised. He had a detailed discussion with Mu Nanqiao at that time and hoped that the other party wasn’t spending money just because of him. Mu Nanqiao said that Mu Group had a special expenditure every year that was used for public welfare. After Mu Chuansong came to power, all of the funds were given to Mu Rui for food and drink, prostitutes, and gambling.

He was just reusing this money in the right place.

Xu Hengxing’s eyes lit up when he heard that Mu Nanqiao was going to donate to the rescue center every month, and he reached out tremblingly to pat Lu Qi’s shoulder.

“Boss, he’s yours,” Xu Hengxing said. “I can also help you guard the door. No matter how loud he screams, I won’t open the door for him.”

Lu Qi almost choked. He kicked Xu Hengxing’s calf with burning ears, silently reprimanding him for neglecting their friendship over wealth.

Mu Nanqiao noticed his small movements and just chuckled, raising his hand to push a small plate of shrimp toward Lu Qi.

Xu Hengxing suddenly felt like he had been fed full of dog food.

The four kittens were taken away by Xu Hengxing. After finding suitable adoptive families, they would start new lives. The mother cat, Xiao Sanhua, was kept by Lu Qi and officially joined his family.

After sending Xu Hengxing away, Lu Qi went to the kitchen to wash the bowls. When he came out again, he found that Mu Nanqiao was still in the small living room and was teasing Xiao Sanhua with a cat teasing-stick. When he saw Lu Qi come out, he raised his eyes and smiled: “Your friend is quite interesting.”

“What’s so interesting about him? Isn’t he especially hypocritical?” Lu Qi couldn’t help but want to laugh when he thought about Xu Hengxing’s cheap appearance. “He was completely convinced by Boss Mu’s wealth…..but aren’t you going to work this afternoon?”

He himself didn’t notice the familiarity of this sentence, as if they were very close friends or a couple living together.

Mu Nanqiao knew that Lu Qi was just asking a question and had no other meaning, but he didn’t care, and was busy digging some sugar out of this simple question. His smile became more cheerful, and his fox eyes were shining brightly.

“I actually don’t have to go to the company on Saturdays and Sundays.“ He picked up the cat and put her on his knees, using his fingers to play with her ears. “Various departments in the company were in the handover stage previously, and things were inevitably a little more complicated. Everything is good now, so I plan to give myself a day off today.”

Mu Nanqiao looked at Lu Qi and grasped the cat’s front paw, shaking it. “Do you want to go out for a walk together? Hike a mountain? A picnic? Archery?”

Lu Qi was a little moved, and his round little deer eyes lit up. Then he thought of something again, and his raised eyebrows drooped. “Forget it, I’m afraid I can only take a half-day tour of my living room today. I took an urgent commission that needs to be handed in tomorrow. I have to concentrate on catching up with the progress.”

Mu Nanqiao nodded: “Oh.”

After waiting for a moment, Lu Qi blinked. “You’re still not leaving?”

“To go where?” Mu Nanqiao looked at Lu Qi, and he and Xiao Sanhua tilted their heads in unison. The big fox and little cat both gazed at Lu Qi with equally innocent eyes. “The place next door is damp and dark. Do you really want me to go back?”

“You…..” Lu Qi reached out and picked up the cat to prevent her from learning bad things. “If you don’t want to go, then don’t go. Speak politely and don’t act coquettish!”

Having achieved his goal, Mu Nanqiao took out freeze-dried cat food from the small drawer of the coffee table. He called Xiao Sanhua back and sat on the sofa to focus on feeding the cat.

Lu Qi went to the bedroom to take out his equipment, and shrunk into a small corner to draw. He clearly didn’t want Mu Nanqiao to know what he was drawing, and put his back to the wall while facing him, as nervous as a little hamster secretly collecting food.

But a prompt popped up on Mu Nanqiao’s mobile phone, and he paid special attention to a live broadcast. 

Mu Nanqiao: ……

He didn’t mean to peek, but as a qualified “captain,” wasn’t it right for him not to miss any of wifey’s broadcasts?

A lot of fur was rubbed onto his chest when he picked the cat up and nestled them both on the small sofa. Pretending to check his phone, he entered the live broadcast room.

As soon as he entered, Mu Nanqiao raised his eyebrows and reached out to cover the cat’s eyes.

Xiao Sanhua: “Meow?”

The drawing was nearly completed, and the final rendering was in progress. Mu Nanqiao didn’t recognize this character, and only after looking at the barrage did he realize that it was fanart for a certain game.

There were special effects when a captain entered the live broadcast room, and Mu Nanqiao heard Lu Qi’s soft gasp. After a moment, the barrage appeared slowly and Lu Qi typed out a welcome to him with his own hands.

[Why isn’t wifey speaking today? It always feels like something is missing when the wife doesn’t speak. I refuse to hand over my pants.]

[555~ Two of my favorite elements, wifey is drawing my favorite idol]

[This pixelation is a bit strange]

[Although, aren’t the abs drawn by wifey not so natural, ah?]

[Yes, it’s a shortcoming. Fortunately, most of the time wifey likes to draw more subtle things, so they usually have clothes]

[Today’s sponsor daddy specifically asked for no clothes]

[Hot, hot~ You are all experts, but I only know hot~]

Mu Nanqiao silently threw out two gifts, and heard Lu Qi huddled in the corner let out a small sound again, like a little frightened animal.

After a moment, the barrage appeared slowly: Thank you @Lionid for the tip. Just watching is enough, no need for gifts.

Mu Nanqiao thought and then sent a message.

[You can do it, wifey~ It will be even better with the abs drawn well~ I look forward to wifey’s progress~ (holding heart)]

“Meow~”

Xiao Sanhua licked her paws. She didn’t understand what this human was doing, but she could see that this man had a cunning smile on his face, almost like a fox wagging its tail. Cats and dogs were naturally incompatible with each other. She instantly forgot the friendship of being fed freeze-dried food and yelled at Mu Nanqiao, jumping away by stepping hard on his belly.

Mu Nanqiao: ? ? ?

What kind of ungrateful rebellious girl had he been feeding in vain?

However, Xiao Sanhua ran to Lu Qi’s feet in the blink of an eye, circling around him as she purred coquettishly and said in a soft and delicate voice: “Miwu~”

Lu Qi endured it for two minutes before he finally couldn’t resist the temptation. He leaned over and picked up the cat, stroking her in his arms. “What are you doing? I’m at work…..”

Mu Nanqiao hadn’t turned on the sound, so he heard this sentence directly, and the people in the live broadcast room obviously heard it too. The barrage stopped for a few seconds, and then a series of ahhhhs filled the screen.

[Wifey, you’re acting coquettish with me, I know it]

[I told wifey earlier to livestream and lull me to sleep. I’m sleepwalking so much that I could spin around thirty times. I’m so busy that I’ll put the donkeys in the fields out of work]

[Laughing to death. The more I listen, the more energetic I become. Finally, some unspeakable program has been opened]

For a moment, Mu Nanqiao felt sour.

He sat up and asked softly: “Do you want to go out to eat tonight?”

Lu Qi replied subconsciously: “What should we eat? Do you want to go to that Sichuan restaurant from last time?”

Mu Nanqiao: ……

He shouldn’t have asked this question, and simply said they would go eat seafood.

Who would have thought that this pale, clean person like a soft butter cake turned out to be filled with hot pepper flavor, but it happened that Mu Nanqiao couldn’t eat spicy food. He almost couldn’t maintain his dignity last time and cried in front of Lu Qi.

Nothing could make a boss shed tears, and if so, it was abnormally spicy.

But Lu Qi’s eyes were bright, as if he was looking forward to testing it. “No? Then let’s…..”

“Yes.” Mu Nanqiao smiled with difficulty. “We’ll just eat at that one.”

“Okay,” Lu Qi agreed immediately. “Then I’ll treat you this time.”

The barrage: ……

[Fuck~ A mysterious wild man]

[He hesitated, he hesitated! He’s not sincere! Let me go with wifey! I can show off my tolerance for chili seeds]

[It sounds so good that my ears are numb]

[Are they roommates? Is this the friend wifey mentioned last time? That super handsome one!]

But Lu Qi didn’t say anything else. In order to go to dinner early, he focused on completing his task, and successfully uploaded it before dinner.

After booking a seat, Mu Nanqiao planned to go back and change clothes. He stood up and stretched his stiff muscles, casually informing Lu Qi, but received no response.

When he looked down, Lu Qi was gazing at his waist, lost in thought. After a moment, he reached up and pinched his own waist.

Mu Nanqiao: ……

If he lifted his clothes to see if Lu Qi’s waist was red, would he be invited out by the Holy Sword of Physics? 

But he had pinched really hard and was cruel to himself.

“What are you thinking about?” He vaguely guessed the answer, but pretended to be puzzled and asked: “Why did you pinch yourself?”

Wife Xiao Lu sat on a small stool and held his chin, frowning in distress as he asked: “Do you exercise? I don’t seem to have seen you working out.”

“……” Mu Nanqiao said: “While you’re sleeping, I get up early for a run. Sometimes when I come back late, it’s not always because I’m working overtime. There is a gym downstairs at the company.”

Lu Qi: ……

My goodness, Boss Mu secretly one-upped everyone and stunned them.

“Then you…..” Lu Qi’s eyes sparkled with anticipation: “Do you have abs?”

Ah, the little fish took the bait.

---

Consider donating via Kofi here!

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

T/N: Thank you once again to DashingRavens for the donation! I thought the bonus chapter was too short, so I tossed in an extra one!

---

Lu Qi was quickly angry to the extreme at Mu Nanqiao. How could such a smart person be defenseless against the scumbag who bullied him? He watched as Mu Nanqiao took the glass of wine and began chatting with Lin Yuan, the golden liquid swirling in the glass with a clear light.

But Lu Qi had clearly seen what that bastard Lin Yuan put into the glass.

He watched the glass vigilantly, but unfortunately didn’t have time to take out his mobile phone and take a picture for evidence.

Mu Nanqiao held the glass and didn’t pay attention to what Lin Yuan was saying. He seemed to be chatting with Lin Yuan, but in fact, his thoughts were all on the little deer huddling in the corner.

He set down his wine glass and turned toward that baseball hat at the bar, then picked up the wine glass and turned his head back. He couldn’t hide the smile on his lips, and could only raise his hand to cover his mouth and cough.

The glass was switched twice, and Lin Yuan’s face darkened. “Did you hear what I said?”

Mu Nanqiao finally turned his eyes toward him.

“Does it matter whether I heard? It’s all nonsense.” In a good mood, he leaned back on the bar counter, a smile on his face and a gleam in his fox-like eyes. There was not enough time for the lingering sentiment to disperse, but faced with this eyesore, his tone was chilled. “Mr. Lin has motives other than drinking, and this ceasefire is a sham. Getting me to drink the wine you brought was your original intent, right?”

Lin Yuan’s eyes grew cold, and his feigned kindness just now was seen through and torn apart bit by bit. He was sure that Mu Nanqiao wouldn’t drink, so he sneered and was about to speak when Mu Nanqiao gave him a meaningful look.

Raising his hand, Mu Nanqiao pressed the glass of wine to his lips and actually drank it in one gulp. He drank a little hastily, and a bit of golden wine flowed down from the corners of his lips, moistening his Adam’s apple.

Lin Yuan was stunned. He didn’t know where this was coming from, but instinctively sensed that something wasn’t right and took a step back.

At the same time, a person suddenly appeared next to Mu Naniqao and slapped him on the back. “Spit it out, spit it out!”

Lin Yuan: ……

This person’s voice was quite familiar.

When he took a closer look, it turned out to be Lu Qi.

Lu Qi was so anxious that he turned the brim of his hat to the back of his head and patted Mu Nanqiao’s back: “Spit it out! I saw him throw a little white pill into it.”

Mu Nanqiao: “Cough, cough, cough…..cough cough…..”

He turned his head and gave Lu Qi an innocent look. His eyes were a little wet from coughing, and he opened his mouth to show Lu Qi.

His thin lips were a pale pink, and his tongue was red. He had actually swallowed it!

Lu Qi almost jumped on the spot. With such a short distance, he couldn’t even have run this fast in a hundred meter sprint! But he had already drunk it!

“Are you a child? Your mouth is so quick.” Lu Qi turned his head and glared at Lin Yuan. “What did you put in it? Did you drug him to do something nefarious?”

Lin Yuan was going insane. With no care for embarrassment, he shouted out: “I’m not interested in him! Who would be interested in someone who held him down and beat him, ah! I’m not a masochist! What I really want is you!”

The well-rounded Wife Xiao Lu could not be fooled, and his face said: that is not necessarily the case.

Lin Yuan felt dizzy. He did add something to Mu Nanqiao’s wine, but his original intention was to wait for the drug to take effect, and when Mu Nanqiao went to the private box to rest, he would send in a little duck. It would be best if Lu Qi arrived and happened to run into the two of them doing something.

But why had Lu Qi come so early? Now Lu Qi happened to be here when Mu Nanqiao drank. Wasn’t he spending money just to entertain others? He should just give them a room card!

What the hell was this injustice!

Lu Qi did see the text message from Lin Yuan about the car being sent to pick him up, but he was not a fool. Why would he get into the scumbag’s car? He could still afford the taxi fare! What’s more, he hadn’t seen Li Yimiao in a long time and planned to come in advance to see his cousin.

Before he set off, Lu Qi was a little angry.

No matter whether Mu Nanqiao was a driver or a CEO, there would be no difference in Lu Qi’s attitude toward him. The root of the problem was that Mu Nanqiao had lied. It should be known that he was really worried about Mu Nanqiao’s livelihood at first, but in the end, this guy clearly had no worries about food and clothing.

The little flame of anger burned brightly. When he came in, he saw Mu Nanqiao sitting in the corner.

The man was sitting at the intersection of light and shadow. He had a handsome profile, a tall, straight figure. His long legs were crossed, and two buttons on his black shirt were unbuttoned at the collar. The hair falling across his forehead covered his eyebrows, and his expression was full of a cold arrogance that Lu Qi had never seen before. He smiled and greeted everyone, but always stayed away from the crowd.

Lu Qi held his chin and admired this beauty. The more he looked at him under the lights, the more breathtaking he was. The little fire in his heart flickered in the breeze, swaying from side to side, and ultimately went out with a pop.

It couldn’t be helped. Lu Qi made a mistake that any man would make. Looking at that face, he couldn’t help but think that regardless of the facts, could it be that he was suffering some hardship?

He would wait until he heard his explanation.

And as a result, he saw Mr. Mu swallow the drink Lin Yuan handed him in one gulp!

Lu Qi nearly rushed over and grabbed Lin Yuan’s collar to ask what kind of drug it was, but Mu Nanqiao hugged his waist and rubbed his head, pushing him behind him.

“Be good.” Mu Nanqiao said: “What would you do if you bumped into someone while rushing in front?”

He rolled up his sleeves and raised his hand to pull off his tie, stuffing it into the small bag hanging against Lu Qi’s chest.

He blinked his eyes, smiling softly and cunningly. “Let me do it.”

When he turned around, he no longer looked so gentle. Stepping over the obstructive decorations on the ground, he walked straight toward Lin Yuan.

As soon as Lin Yuan saw his expression, he felt a dull pain in his newly-healed wrist and ribs. He turned around unthinkingly and started to run away, but the people around him had long been drawn in by the commotion here. The faces that looked familiar or unfamiliar were basically all well-known people in the circle.

He hesitated for a moment between being shameless or not, and missed his chance to turn around and run away. Seeing that Mu Nanqiao had already reached for a chair, he simply took the initiative to pick up a bottle of wine from the bar.

Lu Qi was a little worried, but Mu Nanqiao easily twisted his thin waist and dodged.

Watching this, Lu Qi felt relieved, and his eyes turned from worried to complicated.

He was a black hole when it came to sports, and was also a homebody, so he was not very good at them at all. But even a person who had never eaten pork had seen a pig run. Mu Nanqiao was not only good at fighting, but was simply an expert, and his steps were very methodical. In comparison, Lin Yuan really only had a bit of ruthlessness and nothing else.

Therefore, Lin Yuan didn’t last two minutes. After taking a beautiful side kick from Mu Nanqiao, he fell into a booth and knocked down a bunch of glasses with a clang.

The scumbag lay on the floor surrounded by a bunch of drinks and broken glasses, howling miserably.

Wu, this was the legendary white moonlight who was too weak to take care of himself? Lu Qi touched his chin and thought that there were still similarities between the two of them.

For example, the position where they chose to kick the scumbag was the same.

. . . . . . . .

When they came out of the bar, Mu Nanqiao’s assistant was still negotiating with Lin Yuan’s assistant. For some unknown reason, the Lin family didn’t have any intention of calling the police and were trying to keep it low-key.

One of the two parties entered the hospital once more, and the other walked down the road with Lu Qi.

Opposite the bar was a music square with a light show, along with a musician holding a guitar and singing. The two people walked slowly along the outer circle of the square. Disordered light and shadow fell on Lu Qi’s white short-sleeved shirt like smudged oil paint. It also fell on Mu Nanqiao’s black shirt, leaving little spots of light on the smooth, silky material.

“I’m sorry.” Mu Nanqiao apologized in a low voice: “When I saw you at the bar, I figured Lin Yuan told you about my identity. But it’s not that I deliberately hid it from you. I’m just a general manager, it’s not like I’m the emperor trying to go incognito. There’s nothing to hide.”

His attitude was pretty good. Lu Qi glanced at him, unsure if he was angry or not. Although Mu Nanqiao had lied, it hadn’t hurt him, but as a friend, he still didn’t feel good.

“So why did you do it?” Lu Qi took off his hat and gripped the hair that had been pressed down. “Can you tell me?”

He asked casually, but to his surprise, Mu Nanqiao nodded without any hesitation. His handsome face was filled with sincerity. “I can tell you.”

This time, Lu Qi felt a little awkward. The two of them walked to a relatively secluded corner and found a bench to sit down. 

The cicadas chirped and the night wind blew. Mu Nanqiao fell silent again.

Lu Qi whispered: “It’s okay if you don’t want to say it.”

“I was wondering where to start.” Mu Nanqiao turned his head to look at Lu Qi, some kind of emotion surging in his narrow eyes. “En, let’s start with my dad having a car accident and having to go to Sweden for treatment. The story is actually…..rather cliche.”

When Mu Chuanbai had a car accident, Mu Nanqiao had just graduated from middle school.

The situation was critical at that time. Talia asked around and found a Swedish expert who could operate on Mu Chuanbai, and had to immediately take him abroad for treatment.

At that time, Mu Chuanbai had been alienated from the Mu family for many years. He had opened a small company of his own and could be said to have an affluent life, but in the face of enormous medical expenses, it was inevitable that he was financially strapped.

Talia didn’t know when Mu Chuanbai would wake up, but her son was still underage and needed to continue his education, so it was not suitable for him to go to a foreign country with them.

Mu Chuanbai had once said to Talia that the Mu family were all relatives in the end. Because of this sentence, Talia made the wrong decision.

The young Mu Nanqiao was sent to his grandfather’s house. In name, he was a young master of the Mu family, but in fact, the junior members of the Mu family could bully him.

“I could have a full meal, but I had to be served last. Sometimes they took a long time to eat, and the food got cold.” Mu Nanqiao stared at a point in the void and suddenly smiled. “It’s rather funny, isn’t it? The Mu family, with assets in the hundreds of millions, used this method to squeeze out a child.”

Lu Qi didn’t think it was funny at all. He pursed his lower lip and quietly moved in Mu Nanqiao’s direction. He raised his hand and put it down with no place to rest it, feeling that it would be very misleading for him to rashly grab his hand.

But he really didn’t know how to comfort people.

As he hesitated, Mu Nanqiao reached over and gently grabbed his hand.

Lu Qi blinked and held it back.

With their fingers intertwined, Mu Nanqiao felt the warmth from his palm and continued: “As for me, at first I thought it was because I wasn’t good enough. Later, I found out that it had nothing to do with what I did. I had never been bullied like this as a child, and if someone hit me, I would definitely hit them back. Even if I won, I would be punished to kneel, but at least I was satisfied.”

“Later, that dog Mu Rui didn’t dare hit me at home, so he did it at school and relied on the power of numbers to win. After beating me, he would take photos to show his father. I didn’t want to see the disgusting faces of that father and son, so I wouldn’t go back to the Mu residence.” Mu Qi thought about that old warehouse and rubbed the back of Lu Qi’s hand with his thumb. “But the money my mom left me was still in his hands. Mu Chuansong refused to let me live on campus, so I had no choice but to work part-time and rent room 502. At that time, room 502 was still group rental housing, so the environment was very poor, but the rent was cheap.”

“I could rest there without having to worry about cold water being poured on me in my sleep.” Mu Nanqiao lowered his eyelashes and gripped Lu Qi’s clean, slender fingers. “This is why I moved back into 502. I have trouble sleeping elsewhere, and always feel like someone is going to jump out and attack me. In 502, the situation is much better.”

“So that’s why I’m in 502.” He exhaled a long breath. “After all these years, I’m still trapped there. As long as one of those people is still living a good life, I can’t get out.”

Lu Qi said nothing for a long time, and his voice was hoarse when he spoke. “So you didn’t say anything at first, because if you did, you would have to explain your…..”

Psychological trauma.

“I’m sorry, ah…..” Mu Nanqiao lowered his head like a little mushroom caught in the rain. “I shouldn’t have…..”

“It doesn’t matter,” Lu Qi said softly. “From the day I met you, I knew you had something to say.”

En, this……

If you met someone at a bar who treated you as a duck, could you really have a heart-to-heart relationship with him?

He hesitated to speak, and finally shut up in a well-behaved manner, with an “as long as you’re happy” look.

Mu Nanqiao knew what he was thinking by his tangled look and flicked his forehead, angrily amused.

He leaned back and raised their intertwined hands. Looking up at Lu Qi’s clean, slender fingers, he said with a sigh: “Sometimes I hope you pity me, so that I can take advantage of your weakness, but sometimes I don’t want you to pity me, so that it doesn’t influence your judgment……”

“I won’t stay with you just because I sympathize with you,” Lu Qi retorted in a low voice. “You’ve experienced a lot of terrible things, but now you’ve grown into a very good person. Of course there are things that are more attractive to me.”

“En?” Mu Nanqiao became interested and asked, “For example?”

Lu Qi didn’t realize that this was a trap to lure him to confess his affection, and thought about it seriously. “En, for example, your face…..”

Mu Nanqiao: ……

He was amused by Lu Qi’s frankness, and said while laughing: “I thank my parents for giving me the ability to serve others…..”

Lu Qi blushed and quickly interrupted him: “I haven’t finished speaking yet. Of course there are other things……huh? Mu Nanqiao? What’s wrong with you?”

The man sitting opposite him had suddenly gasped and frowned slightly.

“It seems…..I don’t feel very good.” His voice became hoarse as he spoke, his eyes misty, and he raised a hand to tug at his collar.

Lu Qi: ……

Why did he look like this, as if spring love was overflowing, ah…..

“Didn’t you say that the effect of the drug would go away if you went out and got some air?” Lu Qi panicked. If Mu Nanqiao hadn’t been holding his hand, he would have spun around in circles. “What should we do now? Do you need to go to the hospital? Should I call 120?”

“No need.” Mu Nanqiao shook his head and reached to push back the strands of hair over his forehead. The straight lines of his brow were exposed, and the long, narrow hook-like tips of his eyes were stained by a bit of crimson, making the small mole at the end of his eye even redder.

He glanced at Lu Qi with blurry eyes, and the Adam’s apple on his slender neck rolled, as if he was suppressing something.

Like a charming fox spirit.

Lu Qi patted his cheek with the other hand to keep himself calm. After some thought, he still needed to call 120. He had heard a lot about these messy things. The consequences of misusing such a drug could be large or small, and they couldn’t risk any problems.

He would quickly ask an angel in white^[1] to collect this evil-doer.

As soon as he took the mobile phone out of his bag, Mu Nanqiao reached out and pressed it back.

“Don’t make trouble.” Lu Qi smacked Mu Nanqiao’s hand away, but Mu Nanqiao pressed it back down again.

Mu Nanqiao closed his eyes and murmured, “I don’t want to go to the hospital.”

“Then what do you think we should do?” Lu Qi pulled out of his grip and smacked his hand angrily, using a bit of force. There was a slap, and a red mark appeared on the back of his hand. “Don’t lie or think about wicked things, I’ll sue you for sexual harassment! Get up quickly, we’re taking a taxi to the hospital!”

It could be said that Lu Qi was anxious, otherwise he would have seen the corners of Mu Nanqiao’s lips twitching as he obviously held back a smile.

“Okay.” Mu Nanqiao seemed to compromise: “Then my assistant must be informed. He has all my documentation.”

“Oh, oh.” Lu Qi felt a little strange. “It’s so troublesome for a general manager to be hospitalized? If your assistant asks why you’re going to the hospital, won’t it be a kind of social death? And which department should you go to?”

He glanced faintly downward.

Mu Nanqiao: “…..Does it look good?”

Lu Qi shifted his gaze, thinking that nothing had changed, ah. If it was Lin Yuan who drugged him, there wouldn’t be any change in Mu Nanqiao. Maybe it was because of…..

Mu Nanqiao took a deep breath and stretched out his hand, saying: “Let’s go. Help me.”

“Cough…..” Lu Qi reached out his hand to help him.

But it didn’t feel right. Mu Nanqiao didn’t seem to put any weight on him at all, only holding his shoulder loosely. The two took steps side by side, and Lu Qi frowned in confusion.

Just at this time, Mu Nanqiao lowered his head and spoke in his ear with a smiling voice. The sound was obviously not loud, but it made his ears slightly numb.

“En, although whiskey has a lot of stamina, there’s no need to go to the hospital over it. Which department would I be admitted to?” He finally couldn’t help but laugh. “Did I forget to tell you that I didn’t drink the wine Lin Yuan gave me? I exchanged it with one of the glasses on the bar.”

Lu Qi: ……

“Mu. Nan. Qiao!” He stomped on that stinky fox’s foot, and his sneaker left a distinct mark on the leather shoe. “You’re a big liar!”

This stomp was substantial, and Boss Mu reaped the consequences. He nearly jumped up on the spot, but regained his composure. He quickly caught up with the little deer he had offended, who was running away, and had to coax in a low voice: “I was wrong, there won’t be a next time. Do you want to go home? Mu-shifu drank today and can’t drive. How about we take a taxi back?”

Lu Qi finally returned to his senses.

Having been teased by Mu Nanqiao, the heavy sourness in his heart had faded a lot, as if it had been swept up into the night sky by the evening breeze.

Lu Qi slowed down and looked back at Mu Nanqiao.

This man was following him at a leisurely pace, his fox eyes constantly trained on him. The fog in his eyes seemed to have greatly dissipated, and his eyes were clear and focused.

He really wasn’t willing to let others pity him, let alone use other people’s pity to achieve his own goals.

Even though he was facing a person whose heart was easily softened, he didn’t bother to use this method.

He caught up with Lu Qi and walked side by side with him, asking with a smile: “Are you still angry?”

Lu Qi huffed and turned his head.

His ears silently turned red.

---

[1] An “angel in white” is a an honorary title for a doctor or nurse. ⮐

---

Consider donating via Kofi here!

Chapter Nineteen << Table of Contents >> Chapter Twenty-One

Just as they were talking, a loud noise suddenly came from the third room in the small courtyard, which was supposed to be the room He Lan was staying in. They had originally thought that neither of them came back last night, so how could there be any movement?

When the three people heard this sound, they rushed over to take a look and saw He Lan being kicked out of the room by someone.

He fell with an aiyo in front of the three of them. Upon closer inspection, there was a big footprint on his chest.

They looked up in shock and saw Qin Yu flying out of the room with a sinister expression. The layers of his robes were still open, leaving only the inner garment fastened as he rushed out and stepped on He Lan.

He Lan stood up and quickly began to fight Qin Yu, but Qin Yu was so furious that He Lan couldn’t resist him at all, and was soon stepped on again. He could only look to Huo Fenglie, who was standing aside, for help.

“Zhanyuan, save me.”

However, Huo Fenglie shielded Liu Zhenqing and stood at a distance. Even Bai Su silently stepped back, refusing to save him.

In the end, amidst a burst of cries and howls for mercy, the one-sided beating ended. Qin Yu went to Bai Su’s room to change clothes with a sullen face.

He Lan lay on the ground and rubbed his legs silently, looking with resentment at the three people who had watched him being beaten.

“You’re not human, why didn’t you help me?”

“Will you tell us what you did first?” Bai Su rubbed his brow helplessly as he spoke, as if he was accustomed to this.

Liu Zhenqing’s face was full of curiosity. “This is the first time I’ve seen Brother Qin truly angry.” Although Qin Yu was a cold person, he could occasionally let loose with these few people and play around, and truly treated himself as one of their own.

He Lan let it be known that he was wronged. “I only pushed him down on the bed…..”

The three people: ? ? ?

“And tore off his clothes.”

The three people: ! !

“I wanted to see the tattoo on his body.”

Huo Fenglie frowned in disgust, while Liu Zhenqing looked curious. Tattoo?

Bai Su said with a sigh: “How is it different from the tattoo on your body? Didn’t you all get them with Zhanyuan when you were young?”

This being said, Liu Zhenqing indeed saw that He Lan, whose clothes were ripped and torn, had a tattoo on his body.

“I have an eagle, and he has a snake. I was just curious. I heard that the snake’s scales are different, and I wanted to take a closer look.” He Lan clapped his hands and said, “I failed again.”

Bai Su couldn’t be bothered to talk to him anymore: “I think you were simply itching to be beaten.”

Seeing He Lan’s unresigned appearance, Liu Zhenqing felt deeply that this fellow not only showed no introspection at all, but also still intended to keep trying.

Although he had never expressed anything and Liu Zhenqing never asked, Qin Yu came from the Dongchang. At this time, the Dongchang were all eunuchs, and this was a rather sensitive thing, so Qin Yu should have a taboo about others looking at his body, even his brothers. Then he happened to encounter this careless fellow He Lan, so Qin Yu couldn’t be blamed for beating him.

However, according to Liu Zhenqing’s observations, He Lan’s martial arts should be superior to Qin Yu’s. Therefore, He Lan was beaten at this moment because he knew he was in the wrong, and let himself be beaten. He was a typical fool who loved to create difficulties for himself.

Huo Fenglie asked a more important question: “Why did you sleep together?”

He Lan said: “We didn’t return until dawn, and didn’t want to disturb Yuzhou’s rest, so I just asked Lao Qin to come to my place.”

In fact, this fellow was trying to find a chance to see his tattoo. Liu Zhenqing couldn’t help but have this conjecture.

This farce quickly broke up. Afterwards, Qin Yu came out to have breakfast with everyone and ignored He Lan, who gave an airy apology. But He Lan was thick-skinned, so the result didn’t matter.

During this time, Liu Zhenqing realized that their tattoos were actually different. Huo Fenglie’s was usually not visible, and would only show up when his body heat reached a certain level. For example, when they bathed in the hot spring last time. And Qin Yu and He Lan’s were directly visible.

Although they had all gotten tattoos from the same person, they didn’t know what Huo Fenglie had tattooed on his body. They were only vaguely aware that it was very large and took up his entire upper body.

Liu Zhenqing gave Huo Fenglie a curious look, but Huo Fenglie still avoided talking about it and said: “It’s nothing special.”

Such concealment meant it must be very special. Liu Zhenqing’s curiosity was no lower than He Lan’s, and he intended to take a peek the next time Er-gou bathed.

After dinner, they split up. Liu Zhenqing first followed Bai Su to find Cheng Xi.

In the office hall, several officials transferred from local areas and officials from the investigation team gathered together. When everyone saw Bai Su and Liu Zhenqing arrive, they turned a blind eye. The local officials didn’t know them and only thought they were part of the investigation team, and naturally, everyone in the investigation team knew Bai Su and Liu Zhenqing. Although Liu Zhenqing had a special status, they had all received hints that he had come with General Huo, so they naturally didn’t dare to say anything and just kept their heads down to work.

Cheng Xi was the leader here, so he had a separate study. The two of them went directly to his study where it was more convenient to talk.

As soon as they entered, they saw the tall man with a slightly bloody cloth on his head standing next to the desk. He had a frown on his face and a frosty expression, carefully reviewing the information in his hands.

If it weren’t for a few coughs from time to time, the room would have been so quiet that it seemed like you couldn’t even hear him breathing.

The paperwork consisted of case files and newly obtained confessions, and sorting out each person’s charges was a huge workload. Who made this Imperial Examination fraud almost half the burden on the officials here?

Hearing a sound, Cheng Xi looked up. His face was covered in frost just now, but facing Bai Su, he looked like a delighted big brother.

“The two of you were given a fright today.”

“Cheng-daren, don’t say that. We’re here to help. Is there anything we can do for you?” Bai Su stepped forward with a slight smile, but his eyes remained on Cheng Xi’s wound with a hint of worry.

Just as Cheng Xi was about to speak, he suddenly coughed again. Bai Su quickly stepped forward to support him and pour him tea.

Liu Zhenqing listened carefully to the sound of his cough, and feared that he was going to cough up blood. Looking at Cheng Xi’s skin, there was no color to it. 

“Cheng-daren, do you really not need to see a doctor?” Liu Zhenqing said. Cheng Xi’s body looked like he had a long-term lack of rest, excessive worry, and exposure to cold. To put it bluntly, without proper treatment, his life would be short.

Bai Su also said with a frown: “It is better to rest. This case is not your responsibility in the first place, so there is no need to sacrifice yourself to such an extent.”

Cheng Xi waved his hand and said: “I’ve been sick for a long time and I’m well aware. I should take advantage of my ability to still work, and work harder.”

These words sounded as if he had no fear of his mortality.

As Cheng Xi spoke, he looked at Bai Su with a smile: “I promised Wangshu that I would be a good official who works on behalf of the common people, but I can’t live up to his expectations.”

Bai Su’s eyes flashed, and his breath caught in his throat.

Liu Zhenqing frowned slightly. Such “good officials” were very rare. And it seemed that Cheng Xi’s feelings for Bai Yu were very deep. If he didn’t have a wife and a mistress, he would have really believed Huo Fenglie’s analysis.

Bai Su helped Cheng Xi sit down and said: “I came to help you. Don’t worry, I won’t delay your progress.” He was already a top scholar, so it would be easy to deal with these matters. Before, he simply hadn’t wanted to get involved in such things.

Seeing Bai Su like this, Cheng Xi didn’t refuse. He held a hot tea cup to warm his hands and looked at Bai Su in a daze. “I’ll ask my servant to bring some snacks from Shu Ya Pavilion later. Wangshu liked them very much. He said the two of you had the same tastes, so I think you’ll like them too.”

Bai Su’s hand holding the brush paused, then he nodded and said, “Thank you, I’m looking forward to it.”

Liu Zhenqing took the opportunity to step forward and say: “Give me the list of jailed officials and I’ll sort it out.”

Bai Su was about to hand it over to Liu Zhenqing when Cheng Xi asked with polite curiosity, “By the way, has Young Master Liu also passed the Imperial Examinations?”

“That…..actually, no.” Liu Zhenqing was suddenly embarrassed.

However, Cheng Xi did not discriminate, and asked with a smile, “Then what is Young Master Liu’s name?”

Liu Zhenqing said directly: “My name is Liu Xiaozhu, courtesy name…..”

Before Liu Zhenqing could finish speaking, the teacup slipped from Cheng Xi’s hands and hit the floor with a bang.

Liu Zhenqing looked over and saw that Cheng Xi’s expression, which had been pleasant just now, was filled with shock, and then turned into an uncontrollable sullenness. 

Liu Zhenqing’s heart thumped, and he had a guess in mind.

“Oh, what is the relationship between Young Master Liu and the late treacherous minister Liu Zhenqing?”

As soon as these words came out, Bai Su also realized the problem and looked embarrassed, wanting to stop him.

“It seems that Cheng-daren already knows,” Liu Zhenqing said calmly.

“When I took over this case, I naturally knew that the Imperial merchant Liu family in the capital was also involved in the Imperial Examination case, and I also heard the name of their eldest son. Unexpectedly, Young Master Liu was not arrested, and even more unexpectedly, he is traveling with General Huo and Young Master Bai.” The hostility on Cheng Xi’s face was undisguised, and his unkind gaze even extended to Bai Su.

“Cheng-daren, the Liu family has been divided since their ancestors’ ancestors lived, and Brother Liu didn’t even know that person. We should not implicate innocent people,” Bai Su said firmly.

But Cheng Xi continued to look at Liu Zhenqing with gloomy eyes and said: “Apologies, I believe that General Huo and Young Master Bai can treat you fairly. They have clear grievances and can act normally, but I cannot. When I think of Wangshu’s tragic death, I just can’t understand it, and I don’t want to see anything related to that person. To avoid me losing my composure, Young Master Liu should leave.”

This was the first time Liu Zhenqing had felt such deep-seated hatred since his rebirth. He gradually lost all expression on his face and faced Cheng Xi’s anger in silence.

Although Cheng Xi was very restrained, he began to cough violently again right away. The coughing was even more severe this time, and it seemed as though he was about to cough up half his life.

It would be rude to stay any longer. 

Liu Zhenqing could only apologize and walk out.

Bai Su wanted to persuade him to stay, but he didn’t know what to say. Liu Zhenqing just gave him a faint smile and said: “Take care of Cheng Xi. He’s right. His behavior is only natural, and it was me who was insensitive. I’ll be fine, don’t worry.”

When Liu Zhenqing finished speaking, he turned around and left.

Bai Su sighed and looked back at Cheng Xi.

Cheng Xi also looked at Bai Su. “I know I am not qualified to say anything to you, but you are Wangshu’s younger brother. Do you know what he went through? Everything started because of Liu Zhenqing. Everything is his fault. How can you still have contact with his relative?”

Although Bai Su could understand Cheng Xi’s attitude, to be honest, Cheng Xi’s performance before was so perfect that the current Cheng Xi made Bai Su a little disappointed.

On the other side, Liu Zhenqing was thinking about where to go next. His steps got continuously slower, and his head went lower and lower.

Suddenly, he bumped into something. When he looked up, he saw that Huo Fenglie had appeared in front of him and was regarding him with a serious look.

Liu Zhenqing blinked. “What are you doing here?”

“Du Dongfeng is working. I was watching from above and saw you.” Then he heard Huo Fenglie ask in a slightly worried tone: “What’s wrong?”

Liu Zhenqing: “Oh, I didn’t find anything over there. I plan to go to Qin Yu’s place and have a look. There should be a list in the interrogation room.”

Liu Zhenqing was the best at acting. He confirmed that he hadn’t leaked out any emotion, but in the next second, Huo Fenglie grabbed his wrist.

Startled, Liu Zhenqing stared at Huo Fenglie with wide eyes. But Huo Fenglie didn’t say anything, and just forcefully pulled him toward the small courtyard.

“Yi? What are you doing? I’m not going back, ah, wait…..” Liu Zhenqing was pulled so hard that he staggered. Before he could regain his balance, he was picked up by Huo Fenglie.

It was difficult to comply with this kind of princess carry. Liu Zhenqing said with embarrassment: “Er-gou? What are you doing?”

But when he looked up, he only saw Huo Fenglie’s slightly gloomy face, as if he was sulking and blaming himself for doing something wrong. He didn’t dare to look at Liu Zhenqing.

Such an Er-gou made Liu Zhenqing shut up for a moment.

With a bang, Huo Fenglie kicked open their door. Liu Zhenqing didn’t realize what he was going to do until he placed Liu Zhenqing on the bed and removed his shoes.

Soon after, Huo Fenglie turned around and brought over a bunch of small mechanism toys he had bought on the road and spread them on the bed. Even a hidden Rubik’s Cube was included. 

Huo Fenglie looked up at Liu Zhenqing and said: “Stay here and don’t move. Wait for me for a while.”

Liu Zhenqing seemed to realize what Huo Fenglie was going to do, and said nothing.

Huo Fenglie hurriedly left. Soon, a circle of snacks he had said were delicious the day before were added to Liu Zhenqing’s bed. There were also new novels, as well as drinks that were not too strong, and Liu Zhenqing’s favorite incense was lit on the small table next to him.

Liu Zhenqing watched Huo Fenglie place them carefully and couldn’t help but smile: “What are you doing?”

Huo Fenglie looked up at Liu Zhenqing and said: “Qing-ge, you rest today. Don’t do anything. Just stay in bed.”

As he spoke, Huo Fenglie helped Liu Zhenqing put down the bed curtains to give him a small space.

In fact, he did this because it was what Liu Zhenqing used to do when he was unhappy and gave himself a holiday. Er-gou remembered.

Amused and helpless, Liu Zhenqing said: “Is there anything serious to be done?”

“There is…..nothing important, not at all,” Huo Fenglie said in a suddenly dark and cold tone.

Liu Zhenqing stared blankly at Huo Fenglie standing beside the bed, and suddenly felt that the person in front of him was no longer a child. He was grown up enough to shield him from some unpleasant emotions.

“I will keep an eye on Du Dongfeng,” Huo Fenglie said softly. “At noon, I will bring Qing-ge back the grilled fish from Wan Zhao Tower.”

As he spoke, he reached out and gently touched Liu Zhenqing’s head. “Qing-ge, have a good rest.”

Liu Zhenqing felt an inexplicable surge of sourness. Huo Fenglie’s tone of voice was a bit cold and unnatural, but he really felt the affection in his words.

It was strange. When Huo Fenglie said he felt sorry for him before, he only thought it was amusing, but now he felt very moved.

This person really felt distressed for him.

“Okay.”

Having received this response, Huo Fenglie left so as not to disturb Liu Zhenqing’s rest.

Lui Zhenqing took a deep breath and truly let himself go. He wrapped himself in the quilt and nestled in bed, eating snacks, playing with toys, and reading books when he was tired of playing.

When he was flipping through the pages, Liu Zhenqing came across a unique book.

The cover said “Album of Secluded Courtyard Paintings.”

Liu Zhenqing opened it curiously, and found that the first picture showed two figures sitting face to face on a bed, each of them using their hands to play with the other…..

Wait? What was he looking at? There were two men!!

Liu Zhenqing sucked in a deep breath and instinctively slammed the book shut.

Great Zhou was open to homosexuality, and even marriage was possible. This was not rare to Liu Zhenqing, and because of his appearance, he was often admired by men. So Liu Zhenqing knew some common sense things about it, but had no interest in his own sex, so he had never been curious to see any male erotic pictures. 

The scene just now shocked him hard.

It was so bizarre.

Why was this sort of thing mixed in with the books, ah?

Such nonsense. Liu Zhenqing tossed the book aside with no intention of looking at it again.

After a stick of incense, Liu Zhenqing closed the book again with a red face.

So ridiculous, how could that be possible? It must be an exaggerated depiction! Too unrealistic!

After another stick of incense, Liu Zhenqing felt that his soul had transcended, as if he had received incredible knowledge and the door to a new world had opened.

All those men who liked him wanted to do these things to him! He thought for a moment and really couldn’t accept it no matter what.

Er-gou had found this. Could it be…..

Several scenes suddenly flashed through Liu Zhenqing’s mind, including bathing in the hot spring pool, the Heaven’s Blessing Sect’s aphrodisiac, determining the scent on his body before…..all the drawings he had just seen became countless fragments and mixed together in his mind, as if they were about to condense into some kind of picture.

Liu Zhenqing’s mind went blank, and he wrapped himself in the quilt in shame and anger. He seemed to have accidentally thought of an incredible scene just now. It was simply crazy.

---

Consider donating via Kofi here!

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

T/N: Thank you so much to DashingRavens for the generous donation! Here’s a regular chapter and a bonus chapter!

---

Du Dongfeng didn’t expect to wake up again. He touched his neck, which was already very painful, and truly felt that those people were crazy. They knocked him out three times in one night but didn’t kill him. What in the world did they intend to do?

Thinking of this, Du Dongfeng immediately groped for the jade pendant on his body and found that it was still there. He breathed a sigh of relief and then took out a piece of paper.

‘Like-minded person, we tested you many times and offended you.’

Du Dongfeng couldn’t help but frown. He was puzzled and could only go home in embarrassment, unaware that there was someone behind him.

At an ordinary house in an alley, Du Dongfeng looked around carefully and found nobody following him, so he went inside. In fact, there was no need to be cautious. The government knew where his house was.

When he entered, he saw that the lamps were still on, and there was a low coughing sound coming from inside.

Huo Fenglie observed for a long time on the roof and determined that Du Dongfeng’s father was indeed chronically ill. There were also a mother and younger siblings at home, truly an ordinary family. Just based on the calculation of his age, Du Dongfeng should be the oldest of his siblings, otherwise the age of his parents would be inconsistent. 

Not long after Du Dongfeng returned home, everyone also went to sleep. Only Du Dongfeng sat in the courtyard, holding the jade pendant in a daze, which made Huo Fenglie very unhappy.

Huo Fenglie kept watch all night without finding anything, full of displeasure. When he went back, he saw Liu Zhenqing sleeping peacefully with a pillow in his arms.

Since this person was nearby, he could only digest his anger silently.

The person on the bed suddenly turned over, and the quilt slipped off again. Huo Fenglie was about to step forward and cover him up, but when he glanced at him, his breath suddenly froze.

He saw that Liu Zhenqing had moved so much that his robes were all messed up. The top and bottom of his clothes were open, with only the middle belt barely holding them together.

A large area of fair skin was exposed. Delicate collarbones, a smooth chest, and a dot of red were accidentally revealed. That flat belly and belly button rose and fell slightly with his breathing.

Huo Fenglie felt his throat instantly tighten. Thinking of his brief suffering the previous night, his entire body felt bad. He quickly walked back to the table and took a sip of cold tea to extinguish the fire in his heart.

Likely because the teacup made too much noise, Liu Zhenqing woke up in a daze. When he saw Huo Fenglie sitting there, he got up with difficulty and took a deep breath, asking: “How did it go?”

Huo Fenglie briefly explained the situation.

Liu Zhenqing’s eyes gradually became clearer. “So cautious? He didn’t go find the people he follows?”

Huo Fenglie said with discomfort: “In short, apart from taking care of his parents and sleeping normally, he just stared at your jade pendant. Now, he has returned to the government office for his duties.”

Liu Zhenqing coughed at once, looking embarrassed.

It was true that he had been admired by men before, but wasn’t the age gap a bit high? Could it be that he was able to charm people from eight to eighty years old, with no scruples between men and women?

After thinking about it, he felt inexplicably proud. Liu Zhenqing touched his chin and said with a smile: “It’s my fault. It’s all my fault.”

Huo Fenglie was speechless.

Liu Zhenqing noticed that Huo Fenglie’s expression wasn’t good and thought he was tired, so he said: “Then you should rest quickly. He’s on duty during the day and can’t run around, so I can still observe him. You can keep an eye on him at night.”

Huo Fenglie said: “I’ll rest for a while and continue to watch him. You don’t need to look at him.”

Liu Zhenqing opened his mouth, feeling that there was no need to make Er-gou work so hard. But seeing that Huo Fenglie had really taken off his outer layers and went to rest on the other side, he didn’t speak further. When he got up and went out, he happened to meet Bai Su, who had also just gotten up.

Bai Su’s mood seemed to have improved a lot after a night’s rest, and he had returned to his handsome appearance with a leisurely smile. They said good morning to each other and planned to go to the kitchen together to find food.

“Did Brother Qin and the others come back last night?” Liu Zhenqing asked.

“No, they didn’t come back all night. Although the investigation is important, how can they do this without rest? But I don’t know what the physique of someone who practices martial arts is like. Perhaps they really don’t get tired easily,” Bai Su said.

Liu Zhenqing nodded along. Just as they were talking, they heard a commotion when they passed by the gate of the government office and some officials went to open the door.

When Liu Zhenqing saw that Du Dongfeng was there, he couldn’t help but shift his attention. Bai Su was also curious, so he followed him to see what was going on outside.

As soon as they opened the door, they saw a group of people blocking the door angrily and making an uproar. They were chased back by the government office guards, but they could only push them to the bottom of the steps.

These were the family members of imprisoned scholars and officials. It seemed that what Du Dongfeng said before about people coming to make trouble every day was true.

There was no point in arguing with them. Liu Zhenqing and Bai Su didn’t want to cause trouble, and were about to retreat.

At this moment, they saw a sedan chair approaching. It seemed that some people recognized Cheng Xi’s sedan chair, and they immediately surrounded it. Cheng Xi always traveled simply and did not bring a lot of guards. He was not originally the person in charge here, and had only come to handle the case and then return to his residence at night, so he could only rely on the government officials here to come forward and save him.

Seeing that Cheng Xi was in danger, Bai Su stopped and Liu Zhenqing could only watch along. Bai Su breathed a sigh of relief when the government officials escorted him over.

Cheng Xi was a local official, after all. After standing firmly on his feet, he faced the questions and immediately replied in a loud voice: “Where do you think this is? How can you be allowed to make a disturbance in front of the government office? Those who are not guilty should go home, and those who are guilty should face the law. The laws of Great Zhou will not bring injustice to good people, nor will they indulge evil people. You cannot change this just by making some noise. If you don’t go back, you can only be thrown into prison according to the law.”

A person with a clear conscience would naturally go home obediently after hearing such upright words, but these people all had evil intentions in their hearts. Not only did they disobey, but they also made worse trouble and picked things up to throw at people in an ignorant and unreasonable manner. They also specifically focused on the three people who were not wearing official uniforms, perhaps thinking that they were officials like Cheng Xi.

The government officials instinctively protected Cheng Xi and disregarded Liu Zhenqing and Bai Su.

Bai Su was standing next to Cheng Xi, and when Cheng Xi saw him get hit, he stepped over and used his slightly taller body to shield this person completely behind him.

Liu Zhenqing watched rotten vegetable leaves and rotten eggs flying toward him. He tried to dodge, but was not that agile, and was about to lament the suffering of his clothing when a figure blocked him.

“Be careful, my lord, and retreat inside.”

Liu Zhenqing took a closer look and saw that it was Du Dongfeng.

The matter came to an end with a few leaders being arrested, and everyone returned to the main hall.

“Hurry, the medicine kit,” Bai Su called out.

“Should we invite a doctor?” An official asked nervously.

Cheng Xi covered the bleeding wound on his forehead and said: “No need to bother. It’s only a scratch. Just use the medicine kit to treat it.”

The medicine kit was soon delivered, and Bai Su took charge of it himself.

“Don’t trouble yourself…..” Cheng Xi raised his hand to block Bai Su’s wrist, attempting to stop him.

Bai Su said in an unusually firm tone: “If Cheng-daren hadn’t protected me just now, I would have been injured. Let me do it. I can handle it.”

Cheng Xi looked at the extremely familiar gentleness revealed in that firm expression, and did not refuse. Instead, he stared blankly at Bai Su and let him deal with the wound on his forehead.

The wound was indeed not serious, but it left a mark. Bai Su felt increasingly guilty as he looked at it. He should have known better than to watch the fun.

Suddenly, a hand reached out and rubbed away the wrinkles on his brow.

Bai Su was startled, then lowered his head to see Cheng Xi staring at him intently. The affection in those eyes made Bai Su’s heart tremble.

“Don’t frown, you look good when you smile.” As he spoke, Cheng Xi held Bai Su’s face in his hands.

Suddenly, in a flash, Bai Su saw a clear look of aggressive encroachment in Cheng Xi’s eyes and couldn’t help but step back, his heart beating wildly.

And Cheng Xi seemed to sober up in an instant. He quickly apologized, “Young Master Bai, I’m truly sorry. I was distracted for a moment and thought you were…..Wangshu. You brothers look so much alike.”

Bai Su raised his head to look again. The way Cheng Xi looked at him was completely different, as if he was looking at a favored younger brother.

Cheng Xi looked at Bai Su almost lovingly and said: “You are Wangshu’s younger brother, so it is right for me to protect you. Don’t take it to heart. If his little brother got hurt on my territory, he would be angry with me.”

Bai Su had countless thoughts in his heart at this moment, as if there was something lodged in his chest. In fact, he was aware of his brother’s affection for Cheng Xi. During his tenure here, at least half of every letter he sent home praised Cheng Xi, speaking of Cheng Xi’s kindness and the things they did together. Bai Su had known from a young age that there was such an outstanding person who was very well-liked by his brother. He didn’t understand it before, but when he read them after he grew up, he clearly understood their friendship and his brother’s unrequited love. Because his brother knew that the other party was engaged and liked women, he could only be a confidant and not cause offense. But at this moment, Bai Su really wanted to ask Cheng Xi what kind of friendship toward his older brother he had seen in his eyes.

He distinctly felt that they were more than confidants.

At the same time, Liu Zhenqing also quickly told Du Dongfeng to take a break and go down to change clothes. His robes were just like jianbing pancakes, containing everything. He was the most miserable among the government servants.

“My lord is not injured.” Du Dongfeng actually cared for him honestly. Although he was responsible for his duties and didn’t dare let a distinguished guest be hurt, it still made Liu Zhenqing a little embarrassed. After some thought, he told Du Dongfeng to change his clothes and come to his place. Then he turned around and rushed back to the courtyard.

Entering the room, he looked for the money bag next to Huo Fenglie’s clothes.

Huo Fenglie naturally woke up when Liu Zhenqing came in. He turned around and was about to speak, when he saw Liu Zhenqing running out in a hurry.

Du Dongfeng came over after a while and Liu Zhenqing directly gave him ten taels of silver. He had heard before that Du Dongfeng’s family was generally poor, and he wouldn’t sell his jade pendant, but now he tried to protect him from disaster. Liu Zhenqing didn’t have anything to give him, so he wanted to give him some more money as thanks. 

“My lord, this is unnecessary.” Du Dongfeng quickly refused. “I did what I should have done.”

“I’m not an official of the investigation team, so I’m not under your protection. You helped me, so you deserve it. Don’t think about it too much. Just take it and treat this as making a friend,” Liu Zhenqing said firmly.

Du Dongfeng still tried to refuse, but Liu Zhenqing forced it into his hands.

While the two of them were holding hands, Huo Fenglie had gotten dressed and was going out. Upon seeing this scene, he immediately froze.

Du Dongfeng finally accepted it with some embarrassment. He hesitated, then asked Liu Zhenqing’s surname.

“My surname is Liu,” Liu Zhenqing said frankly.

Du Dongfeng was stunned, and his expression softened for an instant. “What a coincidence. Young Master Liu is a kind-hearted person, very similar to someone I knew. You are both good people.”

Liu Zhenqing smiled and said: “Really? Thank you very much for the compliment.”

Du Dongfeng nodded firmly and looked at Liu Zhenqing for a moment. His cheeks suddenly turned red and he gave a quick salute, turning around to run away.

Liu Zhenqing’s eyes became inquisitive as he touched his chin. When he turned his head, he was startled.

He saw a demon standing in front of the door with a gloomy face that dripped with ink.

“Eh, did I wake you up? Do you have a bad temper right after waking up?” Liu Zhenqing looked in confusion at Huo Fenglie’s novel terrifying expression.

Huo Fenglie’s piercing gaze turned from Liu Zhenqing’s face to his hands.

Liu Zhenqing thought he was looking at the money bag, so he explained the situation in front of the government office doors.

Hearing what had happened to Liu Zhenqing, self-blame flashed across Huo Fenglie’s face, but it was immediately replaced by displeasure.

“You and him were so close. Did you have an ulterior motive?”

Huo Fenglie still knew Liu Zhenqing, and there must be an explanation for his extraneous behavior. The most likely reason was that he felt compassion for a person who admired him.

Liu Zhenqing was taken aback for a moment, and then chuckled. He walked to Huo Fenglie on his own initiative and said softly: “Actually, there was a point, but not a major one.”

His originally fluctuating heart calmed down somewhat, and Huo Fenglie listened carefully. Judging by Liu Zhenqing’s tone, he must have something to say.

“Du Dongfeng is very sharp. When he was protecting me just now, I could just see his face. It was normal at first, but at a certain moment, his expression froze and he secretly observed me. I wondered if there was some scent on my body that reminded him of his captors, such as the ink he brought last night or the incense on my clothes. In fact, I didn’t smell anything, and only suspected it, so I took advantage of the situation to send a gift in order to get closer. Judging from his reaction just now, he shouldn’t be suspicious.”

Liu Zhenqing was not a naturally emotional person, and he was extremely sober when faced with such a petty quarrel.

After Liu Zhenqing explained, he wanted to say that Er-gou looked down on him.

As a result, his arm was pulled by someone in the next second, and he suddenly hit a solid chest. By the time he reacted, Er-gou had already lowered his head and moved closer, almost nose to nose. Liu Zhenqing was so alarmed that he couldn’t help but hold his breath as he stared blankly at the aggressive Huo Fenglie before him.

“Er…..gou?”

“Did you get this close? That’s why you saw him so clearly, and why he could have smelled something?”

Huo Fenglie’s deep voice and peculiar questioning tone made Liu Zhenqing inexplicably ill at ease, as if he was being invisibly suppressed. He instinctively reached out his hand to push this person. “It wasn’t this close.”

“Really?” Huo Fenglie’s eyes darkened, and he suddenly buried his head in Liu Zhenqing’s neck, taking a deep breath. Liu Zhenqing felt Huo Fenglie touch his neck, and didn’t know if it was his nose or lips that touched it.

He could feel the cool breath being passed across his skin and then inhaled away.

Liu Zhenqing was stunned, and before he could react, Huo Fenglie had already stood up straight, saying seriously: “There is a faint scent of ink, but he would have to be as close as I was to smell it, so he probably didn’t. No matter how good his nose is, his suspicion would be very shallow.”

Liu Zhenqing lifted his hand and put it on his neck in astonishment. It seemed that he had teased Er-gou not long ago, but now it was the other way around. Somehow, he felt like Er-gou was flirting with him.

But he was Er-gou, ah, how could that be possible?

The strange feeling flashed through his heart, and under Huo Fenglie’s calm gaze, Liu Zhenqing automatically answered: “In any case, it’s better to be careful. Do I really smell like ink? Should I take a bath?”

“No need, it’s very light. Just don’t let people get so close.”

“If someone else got as close as you did, I would have reflexively used my killing move.”

“Is…..that so?”

“Of course. I’ve been taking care of you since you were a child, so I instinctively have no defenses against you.”

“Oh.”

Just as he was speaking, Huo Fenglie looked up and seemed to catch sight of someone. Liu Zhenqing turned around and saw Bai Su returning in a dazed manner.

Liu Zhenqing asked: “Brother Bai, is Prefect Cheng still okay?”

Bai Su was taken aback, and said with an unnatural expression: “Oh, he suffered a cut on his forehead. It has been treated now and he’s back to work.”

“Aren’t you going to lend a hand?” Liu Zhenqing asked curiously.

“I…..I’ll go later, I haven’t had breakfast yet.” 

Liu Zhenqing thought for a moment and said: “Then I’ll accompany you later?”

Bai Su didn’t think too much of it, and nodded in agreement.

Liu Zhenqing turned his head and glanced at Huo Fenglie, who gave a nod. He wanted to go watch Du Dongfeng, so Liu Zhenqing naturally had to check on the situation with those officials who were involved in the embezzlement of tax money.

---

Consider donating via Kofi here!

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