Dingding.

The bell rang—

The afternoon class had just ended. Pei Yi closed his laptop with a snap, slipped out of the lecture theater through the back door, and walked non-stop to the School of Economics next door.

He entered the No. 1 teaching building with ease, and before he could get on the elevator, he heard an argument in the corner.

“Fuck, I’m telling you, don’t meddle in other people’s business!”

“What’s the cleaning aunty’s problem? Didn’t I say I’d compensate her for her cell phone? It’s her who thinks the money isn’t enough and is trying to get more!”

Pei Yi heard this angry accusation and stopped unconsciously.

Instantly, there was another anxious, tearful voice, “Young man, the amount of money isn’t the point. Although my phone is a bit worthless, it contains photos of my child before his death. I….I…..”

Pei Yi frowned and walked over, driven by curiosity.

Perhaps the entanglement had been going on for a long time, because the two boys on the other side were a bit impatient. “Don’t try to flaunt your age, if you don’t want this money, then forget it. Lao Zhou, let’s go!”

“Where are you going!”

A fair-looking boy with a slender figure stood in front of them. “You just pushed Auntie to the ground, and her hand is obviously broken. You need to take responsibility!”

“Weren’t you just bragging about your wealth? And you’re trying to escape this small amount of medical expenses? You have no quality or education!”

The voice was cold and overflowing with ridicule.

Pei Yi’s eyes shifted from the boy’s face to the auntie who was being protected by him.

Sure enough, the latter was holding her left hand, her expression one of extreme and forbearing anguish.

It was pretty much clear who was in the wrong.

The two boys causing trouble exchanged glances, and their impatience instantly reached its peak. They didn’t dare do anything to the cleaning lady there, so they had to transfer their emotions to the boy who was blocking their path.

“Fuck, I told you to stop meddling in other people’s business!”

Pei Yi saw that the boy was at a disadvantage, and rushed forward at once with quick strides!

. . . . . . .

Twenty minutes later, in the department head’s office.

When Bo Yueming arrived, the department head’s lecture and criticism regarding the fight between Pei Yi and the others had just come to an end. As an outer courtyard “invader,” Pei Yi actually kept a straight face and maintained a rare “refusing to give in” attitude.

Bo Yueming knocked hesitantly on the office door. “Director Sun.”

When their eyes met, Director Sun obviously recognized Bo Yueming, who was an outstanding student. “Yueming, ah. This classmate Pei Yi claims to be here to see you. Do you know him?”

“I know him.”

Bo Yueming approached and looked at Pei Yi. “He’s my little brother.”

When their eyes met, Pei Yi’s kitten-like appearance vanished instantly, and he lowered his head with a guilty conscience—

It was too embarrassing for a dignified college student to have his family come to claim him after a fight!

“All right, it’s nothing serious, just a small dispute.” The department head confirmed Pei Yi’s status as a student and didn’t exaggerate the matter.

The fight between Pei Yi had just begun when the department head passed by after getting off work, so it didn’t lead to a big transgression.

“Pei Yi isn’t from our school, so let’s forget it this time.”

“Li Yuan, Zhou Zekai, and Lin Yi, each of you will write me a letter of apology! Submit it to me by Monday! I’ll give you a warning first this time, but if it happens again, you will be punished!”

. . . . . . .

Five minutes later, a group of people exited the department head’s office.

“Just wait and see!”

The two boys who had caused the trouble sneered angrily and left at once. They left as soon as they said this, but looking at their backs, they especially deserved a beating.

Pei Yi’s anger had yet to subside, and immediately surged up. “Fuck, I still haven’t beaten them into behaving…..”

He couldn’t help but blurt out a curse, and before he could rush forward, Bo Yueming grabbed him by the nape of the neck. “Pei Yi, stop!”

“……”

His threatening attitude immediately vanished.

Pei Yi turned around honestly and obediently and said: “Er-ge, they started it. I just dropped by to help, honest!”

“I can vouch for him. He really did just drop by to help.” Someone behind the two suddenly spoke up.

Pei Yi’s eyes shifted over and brightened slightly. “Li Yuan, right? Hi, I’m Pei Yi.”

The two were in the same camp during the fight just now, so they would naturally greet each other in a friendly manner.

Li Yuan gave a restrained nod and expressed his gratitude. “Thank you, ah.”

Pei Yi raised his head and said, “You’re welcome. I just did what should be done. Are you from the School of Economics too?”

“En, I’m a sophomore.” Li Yuan glanced at his phone and said bluntly, “Let’s talk if we have a chance. I’ll take that auntie to the hospital for an X-ray first.”

If follow-up treatment was needed, he could also take advantage of the department head’s prestige to go to Lin Yi and the other guy and discuss a compensation settlement.

Pei Yi recalled the auntie’s situation and nodded. “Wait, why don’t you find someone to go with you? I’m afraid those two guys will cause trouble again.”

Normally, Pei Yi might have accompanied him personally, but today was a special day and he couldn’t waste too much time on other things.

Pei Yi glanced at Bo Yueming, who was in the same school as  Li Yuan. “Er-ge, please call someone to help him.”

Li Yuan didn’t like to trouble others. Just when he was about to refuse, he heard Bo Yueming follow Pei Yi’s wishes and open his phone interface. “I’ll find Yan Cen. He has a car, and happened to come to school today to drop off some documents.”

“……”

Li Yuan bit back his words.

Pei Yi didn’t notice anything and directly agreed. “Okay!”

The three of them shortly reached a consensus, and after deciding to talk another day, Li Yuan took the cleaning lady to find Yan Cen.

Soon, only Pei Yi and Bo Yueming were left in the corridor outside the office.

The eyes of the two met again, and Pei Yi admitted his mistake without fear of embarrassment, “Er-ge, I was wrong. I won’t do it again. Don’t tell Father Rong.”

Helpless, Bo Yueming led him away. “Are you hurt?”

Pei Yi regained his spirit. “No, I’m perfectly fine.”

Bo Yueming could do nothing about him, so he simply said, “You’re not allowed to do this next time. If you’re going to fight across schools, plan it in advance.”

When he heard this, Pei Yi immediately remembered his purpose in coming here. “Er-ge, it’s your birthday today. Are you going home tonight?”

Bo Yueming didn’t like birthday parties, and in the past, he kept everything simple when celebrating. At most, he had a simple home-cooked meal with Old Mrs. Bo, Pei Yi, and others.

However, Bo Yueming was still happy that Pei Yi had remembered his birthday.

“En, I’m going home. Are you coming?”

“I was just about to tell you—” A glimmer of light flashed through Pei Yi’s eyes, and he pretended to be calm. “Er-ge, you and the Old Madam and the others eat first tonight. I’ll come find you around seven or eight o’clock.”

“……”

The corners of Bo Yueming’s mouth flattened slightly. “You have something to do?”

Pei Yi did his utmost to hide his inner thoughts. “En, I have an appointment with someone else, so I have to come later.”

Bo Yueming’s smile vanished. “Fine.”

Pei Yi snuck a glance at him. “You’re not angry?”

Bo Yueming noticed his deliberate questioning and wasn’t fooled. “No.”

Pei Yi suppressed a smile. “Oh.”

A month ago, Pei Yi had confirmed his intentions under the guidance of Xu Rong, but didn’t act rashly. Instead, he carefully thought about his plan of pursuit for a long time.

He and Bo Yueming knew each other so well that any “abnormality” would be spotted.

Instead of using the methods of normal people, it was better to remain calm and get along together “normally,” and wait until the time was right before taking action.

Today, Bo Yueming’s birthday, was the right time for him.

The two of them walked out of the No. 1 teaching building, and Pei Yi simply played his trick and ran away. “Then I’ll leave first! Er-ge, see you in the evening!”

With that said, he simply ran off under Bo Yueming’s gaze.

“……”

Bo Yueming watched Pei Yi leave without looking back, and his deliberately restrained emotions turned into a furrow between his eyebrows.

He had initially thought that after the last “misunderstanding,” it wouldn’t take long for Pei Yi to come to a realization, but unexpectedly, a month had passed and everything was still business as usual.

Bo Yueming frowned endlessly, feeling that he should find a way to speed up the process.

There was no time like the present. If there was a chance that night, he would have to pierce this layer of window paper himself.

. . . . . . .

Pei Yi kept his word and came to the door with a cake before eight o’clock in the evening.

“Er-ge, happy birthday!”

Seeing his smiling face, Bo Yueming’s inner gloom that had been building up all afternoon lifted instantly. “Where are you coming back from?”

He was still very concerned about who Pei Yi was with after saying he had “something to do” tonight.

Pei Yi couldn’t help but laugh, and continued to hold up the cake in his hands. “Look, I made it myself! I asked Father Rong to teach me this evening!”

Xu Rong had a class this afternoon, and Pei Yi could only ask for advice after the class was over.

Bo Yueming understood the truth from his few words, and carefully examined the cake covered by a transparent layer of plastic.

Pei Yi proceeded to show off. “How is it? Not bad, right? Father Rong gave me guidance and I did it myself.”

Bo Yueming’s lips finally curled up. “En.”

This crooked thing didn’t look like the decorating technique of a regular cake shop, but in order not to ruin the kitten’s enthusiasm, it was best not to say anything about it.

Pei Yi confidently handed over the cake. “It must be delicious.”

Bo Yueming chuckled. “You say it’s a birthday cake for me, but won’t it all go into your stomach later? Was this cake made according to your favorite flavor?”

Pei Yi covered his lips and refused to admit it. “Nonsense, if you can eat it all, I definitely won’t compete with you.”

The two went up to the second floor.

Bo Yueming was in a good mood, and placed the cake on the bar table. “What kind of wine do you want to drink? Kangdi?”

Pei Yi happily agreed. “You’re willing to give me this wine? Okay, ah!”

Bo Yueming took advantage of his height to take down the red wine from his collection, and opened the bottle while Pei Yi carefully opened the plastic outer packaging of the cake and looked with satisfaction at his first dessert creation.

Pei Yi looked over and said, “Er-ge, do you want to watch fireworks?”

Bo Yueming stopped pouring wine and asked, “What?”

“Look, I’ll conjure them up for you—” Pei Yi took out two numbered fireworks sticks from his black backpack. “We’ll use these instead of birthday candles today.”

Bo Yueming shook his head. “Childish.”

Pei Yi inserted the fireworks sticks representing his age into the cake, his smile undiminished. “It can’t be helped. Who told the Imperial Capital to ban fireworks? I could only use these instead. They’re supposed to burn for one minute. Is that enough for you to make a wish?”

Bo Yueming took out a spare lighter from the cabinet and let him arrange the process.

“Er-ge, have you decided what wish you want to make?”

“Not yet.”

Bo Yueming was telling the truth.

He had never been keen on celebrating birthdays, but he met Pei Yi later on and every birthday became a day for him to indulge in eating cake, which was also pretty good.

Rather than making a wish, Bo Yueming preferred to watch Pei Yi eat cake contentedly.

Pei Yi revealed in a low voice, “They say that birthday wishes come true easily.”

Bo Yueming asked, “What wish do you make every year?”

“It’s very ordinary. I just wish for everyone around me to be healthy.” Pei Yi paused, and said in a softer voice, “I, I don’t know my specific date of birth. If I make a big wish, it will probably fail.”

“……”

A trace of distress overflowed from the depths of Bo Yueming’s eyes, and he changed his words. “Then make a wish for me.”

Pei Yi’s thoughts moved slightly. “Me?”

“En, I give you permission to say whatever you want.”

Bo Yueming turned off all the lights in the small living room, then used the lighter for illumination and walked back to Pei Yi. “Say it, and I will help you realize any wish that you have.”

Pei Yi’s pupils sparkled in the firelight. “Really?”

Bo Yueming lit the firework candles and said, “Really. Come on.”

A cluster of fire split the darkness and illuminated their smiling eyes.

Pei Yi looked at the dancing firelight and felt an indescribable nervousness in his heart. “The first wish is for Bo Yueming to be free from illness and misfortune, and be safe and happy.”

“Okay,” Bo Yueming responded.

“The second wish—” Pei Yi took a deep breath imperceptibly. “I wish for Bo Yueming to be with the person he likes during this new year and stay together with them forever.”

Bo Yueming was stunned for a moment, and something seemed to surge from his chest. “……Okay. What’s the third wish?”

“The third wish—”

Pei Yi gazed at Bo Yueming through the candlelight, his heart beating faster and faster. 

One second, two seconds, three seconds.

The firework candles were still burning brightly, and seemed to have burned away the invisible layer of window paper between the two of them.

Just before the flames were about to bottom out, Pei Yi finally heard his nervous and trembling voice say, “The third wish is for the person Bo Yueming likes…..to be me.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the whole room fell into darkness.

Pei Yi didn’t know how to describe his emotions at that moment. He was overwhelmed with anticipation, and so nervous that he wanted to cry.

He didn’t know if the confession he had made through his wish would be reciprocated. He was even more afraid that he would lose the relationship he already had with Bo Yueming.

Even so, Pei Yi pretended to be relaxed and asked in the silence, “Er-ge, I like you. Do you want to be my boyfriend, ah?”

One second, two seconds, three seconds. Even the smell of smoke from the extinguished candles was lost in the air.

In the darkness, Pei Yi felt a heat on his lips, and as their breaths entangled, he finally received the answer he wanted.

“Okay.”

One word. Simple, firm, and clear.

— I give you permission to say whatever you want. I will help you realize any wish you have.

— I wish that Bo Yueming will always like me and be with me.

— Okay.

---

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Extra 12/15 <<Table of Contents >> Extra 14/15

Perhaps because he was worried that if he spoke a lot, his secret would be revealed, Yuan Yu did not say much. After asking about his identity and the causes and effects of the incident, he lay back weakly, panting slightly with chapped lips and looking half dead. Chang Xiaoqiu was still young and lacked focus, so he found an excuse to get away early in order to avoid laughing again. He was carrying a ripple of teenage thoughts and originally wanted to tell Liu Nanyuan about this fun thing, but Song Changsheng stopped him halfway and said: “Where are you running to? Come and help.”

“Oh.” Chang Xiaoqiu was forced to put away the little pink waves in his heart. He walked over and asked, “Song-xiansheng, what can I help you with?”

“His Highness requires that all weapons be delivered within five days. We don’t have enough manpower.” Song Changsheng still had an apron hanging around his neck. “There are many people in the forest who don’t even have enough time to eat. I’m here to assist.”

“Okay, then I’ll help,” Chang Xiaoqiu agreed. “But I can’t help for long. Third Young Lady Liu will go to another town for a free clinic soon. The prince sent me to lead people to protect her.”

After all, just staying in the Valley of Ten Faces would limit their influence. And it was currently the most beautiful season in the entire southwest, with flowers blooming and butterflies fluttering, so they should let the rivers of joy wash away in all directions. Liu Nanyuan herself had no objection to this. She even wanted to drag her Er-ge with her, but was ruthlessly rejected.

“Why?”

“Because it isn’t necessary.”

Second Young Master Liu had always avoided doing unnecessary things if possible, and besides, it was really tiring to play the role of an immortal. His belt was so tight that he couldn’t take even two bites of rice, and the jade button on it was heavy. Liu Nanyuan was shocked by this outrageous reasoning. Your jade button is only three fingers wide and half a finger long, how heavy can it be? 

But Liu Xian’an persisted. He quickly changed into his comfortable old clothes and lay down flat on the couch under his sister’s gaze.

Liu Nanyuan: “……”

The prince also can’t manage you.

But Liang Shu would not manage him. Others loved to see the immortal young master in brillant clothing, but he liked it all and was blinded by love. He felt that the jade button truly was heavy, and that he shouldn’t wear it if he didn’t like it. On this day, after finishing the military affairs at hand, he returned to his residence under the moonlight and picked up the drowsy man from the bed, asking him: “Why didn’t you wait for me?”

Liu Xian’an replied deceptively, I waited, and fell asleep while waiting. He stretched hard and just barely opened his eyelids: “Has the prince seen the fake Commander Ku?”

“I saw him. He doesn’t appear to be too lively,” Liang Shu said. “But I don’t have time to play around with him anymore. The army’s route has been decided. After two more tests to ensure safety, the army can march straight in and overthrow the Baifu Sect’s lair.”

Before Liu Xian’an fell asleep again, he did not forget to emphasize that before heading straight in, it would be best to rescue Commander Ku first.

And the fake Commander Ku soon made fresh movements. He no longer lay in bed all day long, but instead dragged his sick body to walk around the military camp on crutches. 

“Don’t!” Gao Lin stopped him and advised earnestly, even if you have lost your memory, you are still the commander of the Southwest Garrison. The commander must be strong and powerful, but look at you now. You are blind and sick, with broken ribs, and crooked like a shrimp that has been left in the pot. You look very unpresentable, which is detrimental to the morale of our army.

Yuan Yu said: “I want to listen to the sounds here, perhaps I can remember more.”

Gao Lin donned a look of embarrassment that was also full of brotherhood. He thought for a long moment and said: “Then take a walk nearby and don’t go too far. Come, I’ll accompany you.”

Yuan Yu used a stick to explore the path and walked forward step by step. His pace was very slow, and Gao Lin did not rush him. He followed quietly, waiting to see what kind of mischief the other party was going to do. Yuan Yu looked at the surrounding military camp and soldiers through the thin silver gauze covering his eyes. After a long time, he asked hoarsely: “Where is the prince?”

“Ahead.” Gao Lin pointed at once. “It’s that black-roofed bamboo house. Oh, I’m sorry, gege forgot that your eye disease hasn’t healed. Come, I’ll take you there for a walk.”

Yuan Yu walked toward the bamboo house ahead.

As dusk fell, the camp was buzzing with the thrum of summer insects, noisy and fretful.

“Why are there so many bugs?” Cheng Suyue brushed off the black spots on her body. “I can’t even get rid of them all.”

“Nanyang’s secret technique is called Gu Army.” Liu Xian’an held up a butterfly in a glass jar. “I caught this in the prince’s study today.”

Cheng Suyue was greatly surprised, mainly because Second Young Master Liu was able to catch a butterfly. This was too nimble. But in fact, Liu Xian’an did catch it himself. He specially made some bait, sat on a chair with a net, and soon caught two pure white butterflies with the sit-and-wait method.

“It looks very ordinary.” Cheng Suyue drew closer and asked, “Is it any different from the ones commonly seen in the rapeseed flower fields?”

“It looks just the same, but the scale powder on its wings is highly toxic. If a person inhales a certain amount, there will be hallucinations and pain,” Liu Xian’an explained. “But my Da-ge has worked with several girls from the Scimitar Silver Moon Clan to prepare the antidote. It will be mixed in the soup and distributed to the soldiers in the next two days.”

Cheng Suyue felt that the important points of every sentence she heard tonight were a little off. First Young Master Liu and several girls from the Scimitar Silver Moon Tribe?

Liu Xian’an gave an ‘En.’ “Da-ge showed no expression during the entire process, just like a block of ice. It is best not to provoke him these days.”

“I am going south with Young Head Escort Chang and Third Young Lady Liu. Did Second Young Master Liu forget?” Cheng Suyue said, “We must leave tomorrow.”

She therefore prepared several more beautiful dresses and also a box of jewelry sent by Liu Nanyuan, which were awkward no matter how she wore them. Liu Xian’an nodded and said, “I understand. Playing the role of an immortal is indeed physical work.”

But being drowned in the cheers and laughter of the common people was indeed very pleasant.

Liu Nanyuan carried her own small medicine box and rode her Er-ge’s chubby red horse, leading her team to leave the Valley of Ten Faces in a majestic manner. When she first set out, there were only about a hundred soldiers and disciples from Baihe Mountain Village. Later, the team grew larger and larger as many people joined in and volunteered to help, coming one after another.

Cheng Suyue disliked the gorgeous dress , which could be called simple compared with the clothing of the southwest people. She soaked up folk songs every day, and her originally tone-deaf voice could actually sing along with a few lines. Liu Nanyuan’s singing voice was even more melodious. The old ladies in the village couldn’t remember her name, so they simply called her A-Ying and praised her, saying that even the most beautiful oriole in the world did not have a voice as sweet as hers.

Chang Xiaoqu also learned a few songs and hummed them in his free time, but didn’t expect to cause many girls to join him. He blushed deeply on the spot, jumped off the tall tree, and ran away, causing a lot of laughter behind him.

It seemed that wherever this procession went, happiness would flow.

The news also spread to the depths of the miasma forest.

A maid said: “Now the whole southwest is praising her beauty and kindness.”

Wumeng Yunle sat on a chair, wringing her handkerchief tightly as she looked at her pale face in the mirror.

“The Holy Maiden is naturally more beautiful than her.” The maid leaned in slightly, looked at the person in the mirror, and held her shoulders with both hands. “Don’t worry, the leader won’t let that medical woman be proud for too long.”

Wumeng Yunle said with dissatisfaction: “But she has been proud for long enough.”

The maid smiled: “That is because many people have never seen the beauty of the Holy Maiden, so they will naturally be attracted by her.”

“Master doesn’t let me go out easily.”

“Then the Holy Maiden should go beseech the Leader.”

The maid’s voice was like a snake constricting around a person: “The Leader loves the Holy Maiden the most and will definitely let you out. Just like the medical girl, you will meet many, many people. Or to be more precise, you will meet many, many men and they will go crazy for you.”

Wumeng Yunle stroked her face: “Okay, I’ll go find Master right now.”

It was noisy outside. Ku You closed his eyes and judged the footsteps of the person who had arrived, which were as light as if they were stepping on clouds.

“Commander Ku.” La Yue ‘floated’ sideways through the crack of the door.

This was the second time the two of them had met. The first time, La Yue also squeezed into the room like a ghost, and gained his initial trust with one of Liang Shu’s military talismans. Ku You had rubbed the familiar lines with his thumb but did not speak. Seeing that he remained silent, La Yue thought he still had doubts in his heart, so he continued: “His Royal Highness Xiao Wang said that if Commander Ku still has doubts after seeing this military talisman, I should mention the blindfolded cavalry shooting event in the northwest camp a few years ago. All the soldiers who participated had ten rings. Only Commander Ku missed the target twice, which was worse than—”

“That’s enough.” Ku You couldn’t bear it anymore. “Before that mounted shooting event, I had been fighting wolves for three days and three nights…..forget it, let’s get down to business.”

“I’m here to take Commander Ku out of this hellish place,” La Yue said. “The path is ready. We can evacuate tonight.”

Ku You said: “I want to wait a few more days.”

La Yue was puzzled: “Why?”

“This group of evil cultists have been making preparations and training recently, so they should be making their next move.” Ku You said, “I have developed an informant here, and he is still hesitant about whether to cooperate with me. I want to win him over.” He turned his head and ‘looked’ at the other person through the silver gauze, continuing, “Since you’re here, why don’t you stay and help me, brother? By the way, I don’t know what to call you?”

Just like that, he got himself an extra helper.

La Yue’s figure was agile, and he could float better than a ghost’s shadow. He ran out to gather information when he had nothing to do, and gained quite a lot. This time, he also said after entering the door: “That enchantress who wants to marry you will leave soon.”

Ku You guessed: “Mu Zhe wants to use her to win over people’s hearts again?”

“Yes, and according to the words of the cult leader, he has been inciting her to give more.”

“Give more?”

“Use her body to capture men.” La Yue explained, “He said that Third Young Lady Liu uses her body to gain fanatical followers, and she has a more beautiful body than her. There were also some dirty sentences, so I won’t describe them in detail. He meant just what he said, but the demon girl didn’t react to it. She wasn’t even angry.”

Ku You said: “Because she doesn’t know it is wrong. She only knows that what Mu Zhe says is right.”

“She has contributed much to the Baifu Sect’s rapid expansion, but now she has ended up in this situation. I don’t know if it is abominable or tragic.”

“Abominable and tragic are not mutually exclusive. Although she bears much blame and has killed as many people as Mu Zhe’s sword, she does not deserve to be humiliated like this.” Ku You asked, “Is there any way you can take her away?”

La Yue was puzzled: “Yes, there is. Commander Ku wants to save her?”

“I’ll leave her to the prince, and Dayan’s laws can punish her,” Ku You said. “Moreover, she is extremely important to Feng Xiaojin. Holding her in our hands gives us one more bargaining chip.”

---

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Chapter One Hundred Fifteen << Table of Contents >> Chapter One Hundred Seventeen

“I gave the set of Ru porcelain to you,” Mu Nanqiao said. “I didn’t ask you to pass it on to Mrs. Talia.”

“En.” Mu Chuanbai nodded. “I understand. What you mean is that there is no problem with giving your dad two empty spots.”

Mu Nanqiao held his forehead. His hair fell down, and his handsome features were filled with helplessness. “Dad, you don’t need those two bowls. I gave them to a very important person…..so what exactly are you here for?”

Mu Chuanbai said nothing, gazing out at the community through the car window.

In addition to the geographical advantage of being close to Hengjin Secondary School, the Garden Community could be said to be “old and broken,” at least according to the few well-established families in Shanghai.

But his son, who had spent almost all of his secondary school years alone here, was forced to change his nature and pretend to be weak and foolish at the age when he should be the most energetic.

Many scars still could not be healed, and this person suffered from a severe stress disorder in dark environments. It was difficult for him to enter intimate relationships, and there were still violent emotions and self-destructive tendencies that were constantly suppressed.

And he was to blame for all of this. Because of his negligence and stupid blind trust in his “relatives,” he had nearly lost his child.

He was in a coma for two months after the car accident, and it took him another half year to be able to sit up and move around. Later, when it was revealed that the car accident may have been related to Mu Chuansong, Mu Chuanbai and his wife nearly went crazy, because Mu Nanqiao was staying in the old house and seeing the murderer every day.

But every time Mu Nanqiao contacted them, he said he was doing well.

Whether their son was coerced, or he hid his situation because he didn’t want them to worry, or both, Mu Chuanbai and Talia were so frightened that they returned home overnight and took Mu Nanqiao away.

If someone hadn’t stopped her, Talia would have tried to use a chair to wake Mu Chuansong directly. She had almost lost her husband and almost harmed her son. This Russian woman practically demolished Mu Chuangsong’s home. She smashed all the furniture in sight like a hurricane, and the slender ballet dancer burst out with the destructive power of a warrior. 

Mu Nanqiao was already taller than Talia at that time, but he was very thin, with a pair of cold, calm eyes. When he was hugged by his mom, there were some slight ripples in them. He raised his hands and hugged Talia back, but this maturity made his parents’ hearts twist even more.

Mu Chuanbai had become a father at the age of twenty-one. He had not even finished graduate school at that time. Although the little lion’s arrival was an accident, when he actually took the wrinkly baby into his arms, he vowed to protect Talia and this little boy for the rest of his life.

But he didn’t do it well, so he deserved to never stand up again.

Mu Chuansong was now in prison and would have no chance to come out in his lifetime. This father and son became the true masters of the Mu family, but if he could change things and make a different choice, he would rather be a man who was abandoned by his family and opened a small shop. At least then, his son would still be a cheerful and lively child.

It was only that he couldn’t go back in time. Fortunately, there was still sunlight shining through the broken cracks.

“You gave the bowls to a person you like?” Mu Chuanbai asked slowly, “What kind of person are they?”

A person he liked…..

These words fell into his ears unexpectedly and then rolled into his heart like thunder, an awakening from hibernation, the growth of the first grass sprout in a barren land. From then on, everything began to recover silently, and everything went as it should.

Mu Nanqiao looked stunned for a moment, but soon laughed.

“It was love at first sight.” Mu Nanqiao looked at his father with a bright light flowing in his beautiful narrow eyes. “Dad, you don’t know what it was like when I first met him. It would be difficult not to fall in love at first sight.”

“Very good,” Mu Chuanbais said. “Your mom and I also fell in love at first sight.”

Mu Nanqiao shrugged noncommittally: “You two fell in love with physical appearances.”

Mu Chuanbai was dissatisfied: “It was love at first sight, why are you trampling on your dad?”

Mu Nanqiao said: “I didn’t see his face. I was bruised and swollen at the time.”

Mu Chuanbai: “You win, son.”

The clouds cleared and the sun suddenly dawned. Mu Nanqiao was in a good mood and wanted to see Lu Qi as soon as possible, so he issued an eviction order to his old father, “You go back, I’m going to cook for him.”

He got out of the car, then suddenly remembered something and frowned.

“Dad, the person I like is a man.” He hesitated. “Mom, she…..”

In Russia, the gay community was an ostracized group, even among young people. They all had an indifferent attitude of not supporting or opposing it, as long as it had nothing to do with them, while older generations had a more conservative attitude.

Mu Chuanbai lowered the car window and waved his hand toward him: “Your mother said that if one day you are willing to embrace another person, she is willing to do whatever it takes.”

This should have been a very touching scene, but for some reason, after saying this, his father suddenly took a black mask out of nowhere and put it on, winking at him.

Mu Nanqiao: ? ? ?

“Mu Nanqiao!” Lu Qi ran over, slightly out of breath. “Xiao Bai is okay. You didn’t come back for so long. I was afraid you had bought too many things, so I came to pick you up.”

He noticed the person in the car and stopped hesitantly. “I’m disturbing you and……”

Mu Nanqiao: ……

He knew why his dad put on a mask so quickly. This way, nobody could see the copied and pasted faces of the father and son.

So he said calmly: “My boss.”

Mu Chuanbai smiled in greeting, although Lu Qi could only see the smile in his finely-lined eyes.

“Hello,” Lu Qi greeted politely.

The boss’s car drove away, and the two carried the shopping bags upstairs.

Lu Qi sneezed and rubbed his nose, saying in a nasally voice: “You’re really related, ah. The boss’s eyes look similar to yours.”

Mu Nanqiao was already beginning to regret his careless words. He had thought he wouldn’t have much interaction with this person back then, so there was no need to explain too much, but now the lies were beginning to snowball.

It was best to find a time to explain things clearly. While Mu Nanqiao cooked, he thought about how to tell the whole story.

But plans were plans, and surprises always came sooner than expected.

Lu Qi was lively and energetic while cooking. He chopped the cod into small pieces with two knives as if it was the virtue-less Lin Yuan. With his help, the two dishes and one soup were completed quickly. Lu Qi was hungry, and ate a lot.

After dinner, Lu Qi asked Mu Nanqiao if he wanted to watch a movie. The two people sat on the sofa, and the small three person sofa was suddenly a little crowded with two tall young men. Lu Qi chose a science fiction movie, and amid the grand music of the prelude, Mu Nanqiao coughed. “Lu Qi, I have something to tell you.”

As soon as he made his opening remark, Lu Qi suddenly covered his mouth, skewed his deer-like eyes, and stood up suddenly.

Mu Nanqiao was startled. He put his long legs down and sat upright, thinking that he hadn’t said anything yet, so why was there such a big reaction?

Then Lu Qi stepped over his long legs, went straight to the bathroom, and threw up loudly.

Mu Nanqiao: ……

Did the truth really nauseate him?

He was stunned for a moment, then quickly got up and went to the bathroom.

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Chapter Fifteen << Table of Contents >> Chapter Seventeen

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

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The last notes of the piano music were still echoing in the sky above Hengjin Secondary School. He didn’t know which year the warehouse was demolished. Wild grass grew in the open unused space, and unknown wildflowers bloomed in clusters. The flowers were small and multi-colored, growing enthusiastically.

Mu Nanqiao stood in this open space, looking down at the small flowers swaying in the wind.

There was a rustling sound on the wall behind him. He turned around and caught sight of a boy climbing over the wall. He was wearing a Hengjin Secondary School uniform, and one of his legs had already swung over the wall. He didn’t expect to see anyone here and gave Mu Nanqiao a blank look, asking tentatively: “You are?”

Mu Nanqiao raised his eyebrows and made a welcoming gesture.

The boy breathed a sigh of relief and jumped down from the wall neatly, his movements skilful. It looked like this was not the first time he had done such a thing.

“I thought you were a school leader, big brother. You scared me to death.” The boy patted off his dusty hands, took off his suit-style school uniform jacket, and casually put it on his back. “What are you doing in this wasteland?”

After standing here for a while, the smell of tobacco and alcohol had been blown away by the wind. Mu Nanqiao planned to go back, so the two of them walked toward the sidewalk together.

Regarding the boy’s question just now, Mu Nanqiao answered casually in a lazy tone: “I’m thinking about what to do with this vacant land after gaining control of Hengjin.”

The boy looked up at him in disbelief.

Anyone who said such a thing was most likely talking nonsense, but for some reason, he felt that this person was not joking.

“Damn it…..jumped over the wall and met a bigshot…..” He murmured a few words in a low voice and quickly caught up with Mu Nanqiao. “Boss, how about I buy you a drink?”

Mu Nanqiao: ……

Checking the expression in his eyes, he was a full-level extrovert.

There were many people in Shanghai who wished to have a drink with Mu Nanqiao, but right now he wanted to go back to the old neighborhood and have a drink with his little neighbor on the pretext of watching the kittens.

His face was cold, his refusal obvious. Still, he warned the child: “Minors are not allowed to drink alcohol.”

“Who said anything about drinking alcohol?” The boy pointed to the street corner. “Look, milk tea. This milk tea shop is super tasty, and the queue can reach the school gate after school. I climbed over the wall in advance to buy it for my girlfriend!”

The underage brat had a girlfriend. Mu Nanqiao fell silent.

When he came to his senses, he was already standing at the door of 501 with two cups of milk tea.

He hadn’t drunk something so high-calorie in many years. Not knowing whether Lu Qi would want to drink it or not, he stood at the door and hesitated for a while, then laughed angrily at his tangled appearance.

There was nothing to be hesitant about. He should have invited Lu Qi to drink milk tea a long time ago. He didn’t drink it when he was young, so he would make up for it today. If Lu Qi didn’t like it…..

Then he would just ask him what he liked to drink.

After successfully convincing himself, Mu Nanqiao raised his hand and knocked on the door.

There was a click click sound through the door. After a pause, the door lock popped open crisply.

Mu Nanqiao raised the milk tea in his hand. “I passed by the milk tea shop after getting off work. I don’t know if you…..”

At the door, Lu Qi was wearing beige house clothes, with red eyes and a red nose.

His smile faded at once, and he frowned at the other’s flushed face. “What’s wrong?”

Lu Qi opened his mouth, and finally turned sideways in a huff, saying in a muffled voice: “Come in.”

Mu Nanqiao walked in, hung the milk tea on the coat rack at the entrance, and changed his shoes. He was anxious to find out why Lu Qi was angry. However, this person with long legs and long arms was squeezed into the small entrance and couldn’t move freely, and even stepped on himself. 

There were obvious shoe prints on his handmade Italian shoes, but Mu Nanqiao didn’t care. He entered the small living room wearing cinnamon roll dog slippers, and Lu Qi stuffed a tablet into his hands. A variety show was playing on the tablet, and there was sliced fruit on the small coffee table. It could be imagined that Lu Qi was sitting on the sofa, eating fruit and watching the variety show just now. So how did he get himself angry?

Mu Nanqiao clicked play.

A little star appeared on camera.

In terms of appearance and temperament, this little star actually looked a bit like Lu Qi. Although his facial features were more delicate than Lu Qi’s on camera, that kind of delicateness was too deliberate, and his makeup was heavy.

This person was someone Mu Nanqiao recognized. He was the little star Lin Yuan hired.

But how did Lu Qi know?

He glanced at Lu Qi doubtfully and pretended to be confused: “Who is this person?”

“He’s just a star.” Lu Qi came over and pointed at the screen, saying, “That’s not important, look back.”

As soon as he came closer, Mu Nanqiao was able to see the small tuft of messy hair on his head. It turned out that the reason why that tuft of hair misbehaved was because there was a whorl there.

“That’s it!” Lu Qi patted his arm. “Look at this packed lunch!”

Only then did Mu Nanqiao turn his eyes away from his hair and look down at the tablet.

This variety show was a daily event. The little star’s cooking skills were surprisingly good. When the program team asked them to make a packed lunch, the other guests just fooled around casually. He was the only one who made three dishes and one soup and packed them neatly into an insulated box.

When asked by the other guests why he did so well, he smiled shyly and said: “I have a good friend who had a stomach ache for a while, so I brought him food.”

The other guests immediately started heckling him, saying, isn’t this relationship between friends unusual, ah?

The little star just lowered his head and smiled with his lips pursed. This attitude of neither admitting nor denying was very ambiguous.

Lu Qi squeezed out a sentence through his teeth: “I’ve seen this packed lunch before.”

Mu Nanqiao: ? ? ? 

“I started thinking that it was just the same style, but then I saw these dishes he made, and the rice that was pressed with a mold to make a little penguin impression…..” Lu Qi took a breath. “When I was in the hospital, all I ate was food cooked by others! I thought it was Lin Yuan who made it, and because I was so touched, I agreed to date him…..”

Mu Nanqiao could imagine, but Lu Qi was about to explode with anger.

Lu Qi had a constitution that was a little bit prone to tears. When he was emotional, his eyes would easily turn red even if he wasn’t going to cry. Right now, for example. He was actually just angry and wanted to use a crowbar to hit Lin Yuan. He was very curious about this person’s brain circuits—maybe he could open his brain and take a look: Oops! This is not an earthling at all!

Mu Nanqiao was speechless for a moment.

How should he put it, he had still thought too highly of Lin Yuan. If this idiot young master Lin wanted to pretend to be “virtuous,” he could have ordered a nutritious meal at his hotel and put it in a lunchbox. And there were always the housemaids at home, right?

In the end, he found another way and gave the meals cooked by his lover to the person he was pursuing.

It was not to save money, which Lin Yuan was not short of. It was just that he didn’t want to put in the effort.

Mu Nanqiao patted Lu Qi’s back gently, as if smoothing a kitten’s fur, but his focus was not on that idiot Lin Yuan. “You were hospitalized some time ago? What was wrong? How is your recovery now?”

“It wasn’t a big problem,” Lu Qi murmured to himself, “Did the doctor stab me in the eye? How could I be with such a person…..”

“Don’t talk nonsense.” Mu Nanqiao rubbed his head. His wish was fulfilled, and he pressed down that unruly hair.

Lu Qi was still in a state of bubbling anger, his head buzzing, until Mu Nanqiao pushed him to sit on the small sofa. Something warm was stuffed into his hands, and he lowered his head subconsciously. It was a cup of milk tea with the straw inserted.

“Drink something sweet.”

Lu Qi took a sip of milk tea and puffed out his cheeks.

The sweet peach flavor and taste of milk tea flooded his mouth. The temperature was just right, soothing his manic depression little by little.

He chewed the soft peach pulp and blinked, saying belatedly, “Thank you, this is delicious.”

Mu Nanqiao also took a sip from his own cup. He had asked for full sugar, but surprisingly, it wasn’t too sweet and tasted pretty good.

It was impossible to persuade Lu Qi not to think about this matter. Anyone who encountered such a thing would be angered to death. The two of them were silent for a moment. Lu Qi was still angry, and Mu Nanqiao was wondering whether Lin Yuan’s broken leg was too minor.

“Mew….” 

Fortunately, there were four small creatures in the room who couldn’t give them meaningful looks. Lu Qi drank half a cup of milk tea and gave a long sigh. “I’ll feed the kittens.”

He got up and went to the kitchen, and when he turned around, he found Mu Nanqiao following him.

“We agreed to take care of them together.” Mu Nanqiao unbuttoned his cufflinks and slowly rolled up his sleeves. “I’ll learn how.”

Lu Qi thought about it in confusion. Had he agreed to let Mu Nanqiao help take care of the kittens? Wouldn’t it be too much trouble?

But Mu Nanqiao had already raised his hand to get the milk powder on the shelf. He had no choice but to move closer. The two of them stood in front of the sink, and the space was a bit crowded. Lu Qi put his shoulder against Mu Nanqiao’s arm and looked at the temperature display on the kettle.

45℃. Just right.

Lu Qi directed Mu Nanqiao: “Pour the water first, then put in the milk powder…..”

The man next to him lowered his eyelashes and looked as serious as if he was conducting an experiment. Lu Qi couldn’t help but stare at his hands.

Mu Nanqiao’s hands were beautiful, with long fingers and slightly convex muscles on the back, but his knuckles were red and slightly scratched.

“What happened to your hands?” Lu Qi asked.

The fingers holding the milk powder spoon tightened, and Mu Nanqiao said casually: “I accidentally bruised them.”

Lu Qi thought silently, why do these hands encounter so many accidents?

After the four kittens finished drinking milk, Lu Qi crouched beside the cardboard box to play with them.

Lu Qi rubbed the kittens’ heads with his slender fingers. Just as he was about to say something, his stomach growled.

Mu Nanqiao was standing behind him. When Lu Qi turned around awkwardly, he saw the smile in the other’s eyes.

“It seems there is still a kitten who hasn’t had enough to eat.” Mu Nanqiao glanced at the watch on his wrist. “I don’t have any kitchen utensils over there. How about lending me the kitchen in exchange for dinner?”

Lu Qi looked him up and down and asked uncertainly, “Can you really cook?”

“Who are you looking down on?” Mu Nanqiao raised his eyebrows. “Order whatever you want.”

“But…..” Lu Qi coughed. “I only have two eggs left in the refrigerator. How about fried rice with eggs.”

Mu Nanqiao: ……

How could elementary school homework such as egg fried rice reflect his superb cooking skills? The most important thing was that he wouldn’t be able to outdo that Lin Yuan, who plagiarized all of his elementary school homework.

“I’m going to buy groceries,” Mu Nanqiao said firmly.

Today, this peacock was determined to spread his tail!

. . . . . . .

There was a large supermarket downstairs, which was very convenient for shopping. Lu Qi also wanted to follow him down, but Xiao Bai, one of the four cubs, vomited milk. Thus, he had to stay and clean up, as well as monitor the kitten’s condition.

Mu Nanqiao returned to the bottom of the unit with shopping bags. He was about to press the code to open the door when a low-key black business car behind him suddenly honked its horn.

He turned around and the car door opened. His assistant got out nervously.

Mu Nanqiao frowned and saw a middle-aged man sitting in the backseat through the car window.

Compared to the previous president of Mu Group, Mu Chuanbai could be considered very young. He and his wife had married early, and Mu Nanqiao was their only child. He was only twenty-one years old when they had Mu Nanqiao, so he was still in his prime.

Sitting in the back seat, he flipped through a stack of paper documents. Anyone would be able to see the blood relationship between him and Mu Nanqiao. The father and son had similar features, but Mu Nanqiao’s facial contours were more handsome and three-dimensional, while Mu Chuanbai’s face was much softer, with a natural calmness and elegance.

There was a thick blanket covering his legs. When Mu Nanqiao sat down, he sat on one corner. Mu Chuanbai patted his thigh in dissatisfaction and pulled out his blanket.

“Dad.” Mu Nanqiao sighed helplessly. “What are you doing here?”

“Let me ask you, why is the eight-piece Ru porcelain set you gave me missing two bowls and two spoons?” There were fine lines at the ends of Mu Chuanbai’s eyes. He glanced at his son who was taller than him and smiled very kindly. “Your mother opened it and found two empty spots.”

Mu Nanqiao: …….

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Chapter Fourteen << Table of Contents >> Chapter Sixteen

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“No,” Huo Fenglie said firmly.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Yes, it was him!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Qin Yu had no objections.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And now they were inseparable.

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

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

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

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

Huo Fenglie nodded.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Er-gou felt sorry?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Huh?

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

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

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

[ (image) (image) ]

[ (link) ]

Lu Qi clicked on the pictures first.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Later, the personal video outlet released a video.

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

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

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

In short, Liu Jiang was finished.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

. . . . . . .

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Was he going to die?

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

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

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

He closed his eyes.

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

“Pst, pst, pst.”

At first, Mu Nanqiao thought he had heard wrong.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mu Nanqiao’s heart sank a little bit.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The shaking made him even more dizzy.

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

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Chapter Thirteen << Table of Contents >> Chapter Fifteen

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

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It wasn’t possible to go home.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mu Nanqiao: “No.”

Lu Qi: ……

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

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

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

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

He couldn’t help but let out a wow.

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

Mu Nanqiao heard his exclamation and turned back in puzzlement.

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

As he spoke, he leaned against Mu Nanqiao.

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

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

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

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

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

Chauffeur Mu-shifu: ……

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mu Nanqiao frowned.

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

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

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

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

As expected, Mu Nanqiao said nothing.

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

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

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

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

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

. . . . . . .

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lu Qi: ……

What on earth do you understand, ah?!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mu Nanqiao: “It’s nothing.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The caption: All must die!

The assistant: [Understood]

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Chapter Twelve << Table of Contents >> Chapter Fourteen

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

After speaking, he gave Mu Nanqiao a hesitant look.

Mu Nanqiao raised his eyebrows: “What?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mu Nanqiao laughed in spite of himself.

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

. . . . . .

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

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

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

Only…..

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

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

After much deliberation, he decided to forget it.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

. . . . . . .

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

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

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

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

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

Mu Nanqiao pinched his brow.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hmm, the work clothes actually looked expensive.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lu Qi felt a little embarrassed under his gaze.

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

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

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

---

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Chapter Eleven << Table of Contents >> Chapter Thirteen

“……”

Can’t give birth?

Did Er-ge like men?

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

“You understand?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How much wine did he drink?

Wasn’t he usually pretty good at drinking?

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

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

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

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

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

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

“……”

No, he didn’t see it, ah?

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

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

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

. . . . . . .

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

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

“……”

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

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

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

“……Ai!”

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

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

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

“Okay.”

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

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

“……Wu.”

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

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

“Ah? I’ll sleep, ba.”

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

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

“……”

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

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

What he wanted would come soon enough.

. . . . . . 

Another week.

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

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

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

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

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

The simple address brought with it a hint of coquettishness.

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

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

“……”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“En.”

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

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

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

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

“En.”

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

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

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

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

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

And he stuck to him as time went on.

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

Er-ge and Father Yan were different.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“……”

His heart felt empty?

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

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

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

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

“……”

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

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

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

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

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

“If it changed, then it changed.”

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

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

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

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

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

“En?”

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

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

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

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

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

Pei Yi nodded curiously. “En?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“En!”

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

“Okay.”

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

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

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

—En!

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

Thinking seriously, he typed out something cute:

How should I confess my love to Er-ge?

Time? Location? Plan?

---

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

The cafeteria of the School of Economics and Business.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Little friend?”

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

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

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

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

“…….”

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

“Great!”

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

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

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

“Ah?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“It’s for the little friend at home.”

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

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

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

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

“Er-ge, over here!”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pei Yi nodded. “En.”

. . . . . . .

One month later.

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

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

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

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

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

Pei Yi nodded. “Yes.”

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

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

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

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

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

“……”

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

Gelan Wine Concert, Saturday, 7:30 pm.

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

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

The implication was very clear.

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

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

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

“……”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

. . . . . . . .

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

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

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

“……”

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

“Your brother? B-Bo Yueming?”

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

Helping someone else in love!

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

Pei Yi said firmly and simply, “No.”

“No?”

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

“……”

A brother-con?

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

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

—Shua!

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

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

The moment he entered the question, the answer came.

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

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

“……”

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

Buzz.

The phone vibrated.

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

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

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

. . . . . . .

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

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

“I, I…..”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“……”

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

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

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

“Don’t!”

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

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

“En. Thank you, Uncle Kai.”

. . . . . . .

Bo Yueming returned later than expected.

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

Their eyes met.

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

“Pei Yi?”

“……”

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

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

Bo Yueming was taken aback. “What?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

“……”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“…..No.”

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

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

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

“……”

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

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

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

“……”

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

“Let me see.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

---

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