The group only rested under the trees for two hours. As soon as dawn touched the sky, they packed their bags again and prepared to continue on their way. Liang Shu hadn’t spoken since they left Xiaozhao Village until he asked Liu Xian’an presently: “Can you still hold on?”

Liu Xian’an nodded.

He didn’t want to delay the team’s marching speed, but the rest of the people at the scene knew in their hearts that this method of non-stop sleepless rushing was already very difficult for soldiers, not to mention a pampered son of Baihe Mountain Village. And the one in front of them was a famously lazy person who would normally lay down instead of sitting.

But Liu Xian’an was really not too tired. It may be because his medicinal diet was well taken care of in Baihe Mountain Village, or also because he had realized a bit of the heavenly dao and could use the spirit to affect the body. In short, while riding a horse, his whole person was pure and at peace, without desires, in a state of forgetting the inside and outside.

The red sun was scorching but didn’t know the heat, and the pure white ice and snow didn’t know the cold.

This made sense.

Liu Xian’an adjusted the saddle, and had just stepped onto Xuan Jiao when he felt a weight behind him. Liang Shu wrapped one arm around his waist and held the reins with the other to make it easier for him to lie against his chest, saying: “Rest like this for a while on the road.”

Xuan Jiao paced a few steps on the spot. It was born with extraordinary power and could break boulders with one hoof, so it didn’t find it difficult to carry two people. On the contrary, because its master was finally willing to give up the ugly brown horse, it was in a good mood and raised its head to give a series of snorts. Liu Xian’an was a little surprised. He turned around and was about to speak, but Liang Shu had already swung his whip. Like chasing the wind, they continued to move quickly forward into the distance.

A-Ning was left standing where he was. Although he also came from Baihe Mountain Village, he worked hard all year, after all, and could cut a cart of old bark in an afternoon without his hands shaking. His physical strength was enough to handle this journey. Gao Lin only ordered a few guards to keep an eye on the area, and continued to move forward according to the original plan.

Liu Xian’an was held in Liang Shu’s arms, his whole back warm and his fingers tucked into his sleeves. He had slept like this before when he went to Chixia City, so he had experience. Like being in another time and place, he was shielded from the cold mountain wind. Liu Xian’an closed his eyes and obediently took a nap.

Liang Shu leaned down slightly, and the tip of his nose lightly brushed the top of the other’s hair. He could also feel the body heat coming through his clothes, mixed with a faint medicinal fragrance, just enough to warm up the coldness in his bones.

. . . . . .

Going forward, the group encountered a few more soldiers of fortune who waved the banner of the garrison and went out to search for the fat and wealth of the people. Although they weren’t as bad as the beasts in Xiaozhao Village, for the common people, it was not much different from encountering a swarm of locusts. Lu Xiang had sent troops to suppress Huang Wangxiang’s rebels, but it was precisely because of Lu Xiang’s dispatch of troops at this time that more and more desperate and helpless people were pushed to the rebel army. Evil deeds had evil consequences, and with this cycle going on and on, how could the world not be chaotic?

There were three cities occupied by Huang Wangxiang, namely Qianqu, Qingyang, and Sanshui. For the Dayan army, there were no more than two methods of attack —

Gao Lin tapped on the map: “The first method is to attack Sanshui City directly, and capture the king first.” Rooting up the so-called ‘Royal Capital’ in one fell swoop, the two other cities would naturally lose heart, and it would be much easier to take advantage of the victory and pursue them.

“But before Sanshui City, there is still Qingyang City in the way,” another subordinate said. “Currently, Commander Lu has led the army to the Wangguan area. If we want to bypass Qingyang City and go straight to Sanshui City, we have to go this way.” As he spoke, he traced a meandering route on the map with his finger. “At least half a month’s journey will be added climbing up steep mountains.”

Liang Shu said: “Attack Qingyang City first.”

Gao Lin also thought they should attack Qingyang City first, but attacking this city would not be an easy battle. There were high mountains on both sides, with a solitary city in the middle. The army could only go for a frontal attack, and among all combat methods, this was undoubtedly the one with the most casualties – it was equivalent to using flesh and blood, at most adding a layer of armor, to rush head-on against the arrows, stones, and hot oil on the opposite side.

A-Ning was puzzled when he heard this, and asked his young master in a small voice, since it is so difficult, how did Huang Wangxing capture Qingyang City?

Liu Xian’an pressed a finger to his mouth. A-Ning quickly went silent, but Liang Shu had already heard, and looked up at Liu Xian’an: “You also heard the news on the way?”

“No,” Liu Xian’an said. “I guessed.”

A farmer who was compelled to live by hoisting a banner temporarily should not be able to form an excellent army in such a short period of time and enter Qingyang City from the outside. In that case, there was only one other possibility – Qingyang City was breached from the inside. In other words, it was very likely that people in the city spontaneously organized and cooperated with Huang Wangxing’s army inside and outside.

Liu Xian’an considered this matter, thinking that because of the floods, secrets leaked everywhere and the people’s hearts were in turmoil. He felt his head buzzing, and immediately wanted to fly a white crane into the quiet and carefree sky. And if even he himself was worried, how tired must His Royal Highness Xiao Wang be, ah, he who honestly wanted to rush about for the sake of the country. So he pressed the boy’s mouth tightly and told him not to speak, so as not to add worries on top of worries.

“With an unethical government, the people cannot be blamed for trying to survive.” Liang Shu turned and continued to look at the map, trying to choose the best attack route. The night was already very deep at this time, but no one at the scene felt sleepy. The bonfire silently illuminated the century-old temple. The oil paintings on the surrounding walls had long become mottled and peeled, and only blurred images remained. Vajra glowered and Bodhisattva lowered his eyebrows.

Liang Shu and Gao Lin deliberated for a long time before deciding on a final plan. Seeing that they had finished discussing, Liu Xian’an interrupted: “In fact, if you can find fifty to eighty elite soldiers, set off from here.” He picked up a small flag and planted it on the top of the peak west of the city. “Have them climb the tower first and subdue the first wave of rebels, then create chaos in the shortest possible time and open the city gate. In this way, the casualties of the army will be much fewer.”

“It is definitely best to be able to climb the tower, but the question is how.” Gao Lin gestured the distance from the mountain peak to the city gate and casually joked, “Fly over?”

“En.” Liu Xian’an nodded. “Fly over.”

As soon as that remark was made, everyone at the scene fell silent, wondering if Second Young Master Liu was sleepy again and started talking nonsense. Only Liang Shu asked: “You have a solution?”

Liu Xian’an explained: “I once read a dilapidated ancient book called “Sky Work Record,” which recorded many methods of making flying wings, among which there was a small flying wing called the “Mute Condor.” It is not complicated to make, and the wood, fabric, and leather needed are not difficult to find in this area. If the army can finish constructing a batch in September, they can be used to attack the city on the third day of October.”

“Flying wings, ah. We built something similar when we were in the norwest. It really works,” Gao Lin said. “But they can only be used short distances and at low altitudes. This kind of flying from a high and dangerous peak to a distant city……honestly, it doesn’t seem very realistic.”

“That’s why we choose the third day of October. It will be very windy that day,” Liu Xian’an said. “The direction of the wind is in our favor, so we can get twice the result with half the effort.”

“Only relying on the wind to control the direction?”

“There is a steering wheel on the Mute Condor.” Liu Xian’an felt that it was too troublesome to explain, so he simply said, “Why don’t I draw a blueprint first.”

Gao Lin still found it unbelievable, and wanted to ask what kind of divine book “Sky Work Record” was and whether it was reliable or not. Liang Shu waved his sleeve to block him. The guards brought over a worn-down shrine to serve as a table, and took out candles to light them. Liu Xian’an sat cross-legged on the prayer mat, picked up a brush, and quickly outlined the flying wing prototype.

Halfway through the drawing, a gust of wind entered, making the light and shadows jump. Liu Xian’an was about to set down his brush and move the candle, but Liang Shu had already stretched out his hand to protect the weak candle flame for him.

Gao Lin craned his neck to watch. Although he already knew that Second Young Master Liu was hiding something and was in the field of medicine, he had never heard the story of being forty-eight thousand years old and the thousands of volumes of books, so his shock at this moment was no less than beholding a god. How could there be such a person who knew both geography and stratagems and, like a military advisor, could accurately tell what kind of wind would blow in Qingyang City on the third day of October? Hadn’t he never traveled far?

Liu Xian’an handed the finished drawing to Liang Shu, yawning profusely.

“Go to sleep, ba.” Liang Shu straightened his crooked collar. “I’ll take a look first. If there is anything I don’t understand, I’ll ask tomorrow morning.”

“Okay.” Liu Xian’an’s eyes were tired. “The prince should also rest earlier.”

After speaking, he lay back on the straw bed and fell asleep faster than fainting. A-Ning was not surprised by this, and quickly brought over a basin of water, twisting a wet handkerchief to wipe his face and hands. He helped him up again and shouted loudly: “Young Master, rinse your mouth!”

Liu Xian’an took the toothbrush as if sleepwalking, brushed very skillfully, and then fell down afterward, all without opening his eyes.

Gao Lin was very envious when he saw this. If only he could share half his speed at falling asleep, or share ten percent with the prince who suffered from insomnia all year round, ah. Truly, a drought kills, but a flood kills too.

Liang Shu examined the blueprints for most of the night, and didn’t close his eyes until dawn to take a short rest. When Liu Xian’an awoke, the whole team had already set off first. Even A-Ning was not there, and only His Royal Highness Xiao Wang was standing guard by the embers of the fire. Thus his first reaction was, did I sleep so hard that a thunderbolt or thieves couldn’t wake me up?

Seeing that he only opened his eyes but did not speak, Liang Shu stretched out a hand and tapped on his forehead: “Come out.”

“Already out.” Liu Xian’an returned to his senses. “Where are the others?”

“Let’s go first, Xuan Jiao has fast feet, it won’t be a problem to catch up to them,” Liang Shu said. “I saw that you were sleeping soundly and couldn’t bear to disturb you. It doesn’t matter if we leave later.”

As for how sweetly,^[1] his body was curled up sideways, the sound of his breathing soft. His eyelashes drooped and cast a crescent-shaped shadow beneath his eyes, and his red lips were a little moist. When touched with a finger, it was like touching the nose of a kitten in the royal gardens.

Thus, all others were driven out of the temple by His Royal Highness Xiao Wang.

Liu Xian’an didn’t dream at all. He stretched vigorously and got up to wring out a handkerchief and wash his face, asking: “That blueprint —”

“I read it and understood,” Liang Shu said. “We’ll make a batch and try it out first.”

Liu Xian’an nodded: “Okay.”

After that “okay,” he proceeded to rinse his mouth silently, calm and unflustered, without a word of unnecessary nonsense. It really served as a foil for Lieutenant General Gao’s unsophistication – in the morning, the man had stared with two big, surprised eyes and repeated almost a dozen times, “Do you really understand or are you faking it?” and another dozen times, “How can the prince understand this delicate work?” He was like a noisy fool. If not for the urgent need for manpower due to the military’s situation, this person might have been dispatched by His Royal Highness Xiao Wang to dig coal in Jinzhou.

The group of people traveled day and night, and finally caught up with Lu Xiang’s large army at dusk one day.

Xuan Jiao stopped on a boulder on top of the mountain. 

Liang Shu tightened the reins. Liu Xian’an awoke from his dreams and looked down in a daze with him. Under mist and clouds, a huge contingent wound forward through the mountains. Although they had seen all of Lu Xiang’s “great achievements” along the way, there was nothing wrong with the contingent itself. They were lined up neatly, and their speed is not slow. 

“A rotten ship still has three catties of nails, and it cannot be said that the majority of the army is trash. Lu Xiang more or less has to be worried about the emperor,” Liang Shu said. “As for those jackals we met along the way, the reason why everyone ate so robustly was because nine and a half out of ten of them had backing and connections. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be able to scoop up the cushy job of collecting army rations.”

It was only that this time, the target was squarely hit. They were all picked up in a bunch, and the good times came to an end.

Down the mountain, Lu Xiang asked: “How far is the distance to Sanshui City?”

“Answering the commander, it will take another month and a half,” the adjutant said. “If we speed up —”

“What speed up, it’s fast enough now.” Lu Xiang wiped the sweat from his forehead. “What if we get to Sanshui City and the prince hasn’t arrived yet, wouldn’t this battle require you and me to fight it ourselves? So the journey must be rushed, but not too rushed, do you understand?”

“Yes, understood.” The adjutant tried again, “But at the moment, there is one more thing. Few of the teams sent to seize rations have returned, and those who came back didn’t bring much food. Do we need to send more people to expand the scope of collection?”

“Did they really seize rations, or did they just not bring them all back?” Lu Xiang looked to the side. “Why, which of your relatives is seeking a job?”

The adjutant’s scheme was pointed out, so he could only chuckle and smile. Lu Xiang usually didn’t care about these trivial matters, but today perhaps he was tired from the journey, or impatient because he knew the prince was coming. In short, he suddenly cared about it and scolded: “You brat, how much did you take this opportunity to eat? Even eight generations of relatives have to be stuffed into the fort, but that’s still not enough?”

“No, no, that’s really not it.” The adjutant hurriedly admitted his mistake, and Lu Xiang reprimanded him again. After venting the anger in his heart, he was about to move on, but the result was that an outrider came to report that the road ahead was blocked.

Lu Xiang hurriedly asked: “The rebel army?”

“Doesn’t seem like it,” the outrider said. “There are only about twenty people.”

“What damned bastards dare to stop the army?” Lu Xiang breathed a sigh of relief, but the adjutant was a little nervous, wondering if some poor people had been levied for food and were indignant, so they came here to cast blame! Therefore, the adjutant volunteered to lead others to investigate.

Liu Xian’an looked at the small contingent galloping through the white mist and said: “That doesn’t seem to be Lu Xiang.”

Liang Shu asked: “You can also calculate this?”

“It’s not calculation, it’s the clothes,” Liu Xian’an explained. “You can also look at their appearance.”

Robust and prosperous, with glossy faces, they looked exactly the same as those soldiers who were collecting rations. The design couldn’t be printed more neatly.

---

[1] The word 香甜 can mean “sleeping soundly” or “sweet.” ⮐

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

“…….”

An uneasy silence spread around.

The attendant felt cold sweat dripping from his forehead, and even breathing became difficult under the influence of his unconscious fear. “Little Young Master Pei, I am just a mere waiter helping to run errands. This is r-really none of my business!”

“But you’ve gotten into trouble now.” Pei Yi narrowed his eyes, and said one word at a time, “Speak clearly!”

The attendant knew that he couldn’t afford to offend any wealthy guest, so after struggling with his thoughts several times, he still confessed everything. “It wasn’t the Second Young Master, but Mr. Pei who told me to bring you here.”

“He told me to watch in a corner of the banquet hall, and when you were alone, to go to you in the name of Second Young Master Bo and coax you to the guest room upstairs.

Pei Yi scoffed inaudibly.

Pei Huan?

Sure enough, he was connected to this business!

It was likely that he had discussed it with Bo Guancheng, and as for Minister Zheng who came later, he should have become a pawn who was “used” without knowing it.

Pei Yi’s grip relaxed a little, and he continued to ask, “Who is in the guest room?”

The attendant swallowed his saliva nervously and became more forthcoming, “It, it should be the chairman who was by his side.”

Half an hour ago, when he was called to the VIP lounge by Pei Huan, the chairman of the German Chamber of Commerce named Sun Yelong was sitting on the sofa. His eyes were full of malice and anticipation, and he took out a room card and tossed it to him.

Although the attendant was not very old, he was accustomed to seeing all kinds of guests in the hotel—

Have him take Pei Yi to the hotel room alone? The sinister intentions in this were self-evident!

The attendant’s first reaction was to refuse, but he was quickly intimidated by Pei Huan.

“If you don’t do this, there will be others willing to do it.”

“Either you do it obediently and receive a reward of five thousand yuan after the task is completed, or you can wait for the hotel manager to fire you personally.”

Under the double pressure of work and money, that shallow bit of conscience struggled and disappeared.

Pei Yi’s face had darkened completely.

In addition to the disgusting pimp-like activities of Pei Huan and others, he also thought of the brief description in the original text — after the original owner participated in the banquet, he became more and more withdrawn and began to hide in the room all day, unwilling to go out.

The storyline of the book was written around the protagonist, Pei Huan, but who could guarantee what happened to other people during that time period outside the text?

“…….”

The waiter felt the low air pressure coming from behind, and regretted until his intestines were green. “Little Young Master, just let me go this time! I don’t have a good education, and the salary at this hotel is the best. My dad was sick and hospitalized some time ago, and I haven’t even paid for the surgery……”

“If I didn’t agree, I would have lost my job!”

“Stop selling misery here!”

Pei Yi did not accept his rhetoric. “If I didn’t know better, I would think you were secretly happy to take the money right now! Or did you think that if something happened to me, you wouldn’t need to take legal responsibility?”

“Did it never occur to you that you are the scapegoat who will be pushed forward by them if something happens?”

“…….”

The waiter got stuck, and his cheeks changed from red to white.

After Pei Yi’s reminder, he realized that he was basically being used by Pei Huan and others!

Pei Yi couldn’t be bothered with the attendant’s feelings, and simply pushed him away after removing his name tag. The attendant’s center of gravity was unstable, and he fell on the stairs above. Before the pain could even show on his face, Pei Yi read out the name tag, “Zhao Wancheng?”

“Just as Pei Huan did, I will give you two choices now.”

“W-what?”

Zhao Wancheng turned around to meet Pei Yi’s sharp eyes, and his heart skipped a beat.

“Option one: you can continue to choose to stand on Pei Huan’s side and wait for this matter to blow up, and they will push you out as a scapegoat.”

“Option two: you listen to me. I’m not sure if you can keep this job, but I can at least promise not to send you to the police station.”

After all, the attendant was at best an accomplice who did not complete the “work.” There was someone else who should settle accounts.

The attendant looked into Pei Yi’s eyes that were cold even as he smiled, and that expression and deep aura were completely the opposite of his “fair and soft” face.

The person instinctively succumbed to a more powerful superior and a better choice, not to mention that it was clear at a glance what was wrong and what was right.

The waiter suppressed his initial fear. “I choose option two.”

“Very good.”

Pei Yi took no notice of the attendant’s easy defection, and made arrangements, gesturing to him. “Which room is Chairman Sun staying in? Lend me your cell phone.”

At this point, the attendant didn’t dare go against Pei Yi’s arrangements.

He honestly took out his cell phone and unlocked it, and also handed over the room card in his pocket along with it. “2108.”

Pei Yi only took the cell phone and sent a “Help” text message in the tone of the attendant, “You keep the room card. The time starts from the moment I enter the room. If I don’t come out within ten minutes, you use it to open the door, and if I come out or someone else comes in, you can go.”

Pei Yi pressed the phone back into the attendant’s hand, saying lightly, “Of course, if you can’t figure it out, you can choose to escape now.”

The attendant subconsciously tightened his grip on the phone and shook his head vigorously. “I, I’ll listen to you, Little Young Master!”

Pei Yi smiled and warned, “By the way, no third person should know about this conversation between you and me. There is no surveillance here, and I’m not smart, understood?”

The last sentence was more like a kind of self-indulgence.

The waiter was stunned for several seconds, then hastily responded, “Understood.”

He didn’t dare to get involved in the grievances and resentments of these rich and powerful people anymore!

No matter why Pei Yi was pretending to be a fool, it was not his place to ask or spread it. If the other party turned his face and became hostile, he would be the one to suffer in the end.

En, sometimes it was also rather good to be transparent and mute!

. . . . . .

Inside hotel suite 2108.

After showering, Sun Yelong came out of the bathroom and immediately reached into the inner pocket of his suit. Shortly, he took out a small white box from inside and twisted the lid off, taking out three small pills.

These were his pick-me-up treasures.

Sun Yelong swallowed two pills with water first, and then tossed one into the red wine beside him. After a while, the white pill melted and disappeared into the dark red wine.

Thinking of the prey that was about to arrive, Sun Yelong rubbed his hands excitedly.

He was a person who most liked to play with tenderness, and did not shun women nor men.

And it was best for them to be the type that looked like an innocent white rabbit. Once toyed with hard, their eyes would turn red and start to cry, not to mention how exciting it was!

As soon as he entered the banquet hall today, his attention was drawn by Pei Yi.

Good-looking and clean, innocent and pure, he looked at first glance like a young fledgling who had never experienced this sort of thing, and immediately made him get bad ideas!

So what if the other party was a fool? Maybe he would be better to coax and deal with!

As for the troubles that may arise afterwards, that was for Pei Huan and Bo Guancheng to deal with. After all, there was a big contract worth 1.5 billion involved, and the important thing was to make him happy.

His chest was hot and buoyant.

Sun Yelong glanced at the time on the phone and frowned, muttering, “Why hasn’t he come? Could something have gone wrong?”

As soon as he spoke, there was a light knock on the door.

Sun Yelong quickly came to his senses. “Come in.”

The door opened. 

Pei Yi stood alone at the door of the room. Seeing his not-so-familiar old face, his already dazed eyes became even more confused. “Huh?”

Sun Yelong was overjoyed. Then he scanned the two ends of the corridor and found no one else, feeling that something was wrong. “Little Young Master Pei, you’re alone?”

What about the waiter he met earlier?

There wouldn’t be any problems midway, right?

Pei Yi ignored his question, and only lowered his head while taking half a step back in fear. “Where is Er-ge? I’m looking for Er-ge.”

“Er-ge?”

Sun Yelong reacted quickly. “Oh, Second Young Master Bo just left the room and will be right back.”

As he spoke, he scanned Pei Yi greedily.

From the other party’s soft lips, to that superior neck, to the fair skin hidden beneath the suit, everything made him want to move!

The medicine he just swallowed seemed to be working.

Sun Yelong took an eager step forward and tried to reach out to pull Pei Yi. “Come, Little Young Master, come in with me first to wait!”

Pei Yi dodged his ugly, fat hand and hesitated for a moment, as if cowering. “Er-ge, not here, won’t go in.”

Sun Yelong coaxed with a smile on his face, “Second Young Master Bo will be back soon! If you don’t believe me, I’ll call him as soon as we’re in the room!”

“……”

Pei Yi raised his eyes and looked at Sun Yelong cautiously.

It wasn’t until the other party put on a thick-skinned face and tried harder to please him with a smile that he responded softly, “Okay.”

As he said that, he avoided contact with Sun Yelong and walked in.

At the moment they brushed shoulders, the timidity and ignorance in Pei Yi’s eyes quickly receded. He quickly scanned the layout of the suite until he heard the sound of the door closing behind him with a ‘click,’ and then returned to the appearance of a little milk cat.

“Call Er-ge.”

Sun Yelong heard this urging and objected from the bottom of his heart.

He kept his nice guy mask and walked to the tea bar in the small living room. After picking up his phone, he looked surprised. “Aiyo, look at my brain. The phone is out of battery and turned off.”

“…….”

“I’ll charge it up and make a call as soon as it turns on.”

Sun Yelong pretended to charge the cell phone, then picked up the red wine that he had prepared earlier. “Little Young Master, are you thirsty? Sit down and have a little drink?”

Pei Yi stared at the glass of red wine, suppressed the disdain in his heart, and shook his head.

This Sun Yelong looked like a man with many tricks. Maybe he would add some messy things to the wine to make him submissive and obedient.

“Er-ge won’t let me drink.”

“This is juice.”

Sun Yelong’s lies just kept coming.

He stuffed the wine glass into Pei Yi’s hand and took the opportunity to touch his fingers. Smooth, delicate, like they were half soaked in milk. It seemed that you could taste that sweet flavor with one bite.

Pei Yi retracted his hand instantly, disgusted. “Don’t touch me!”

But this brief touch was like a primer, igniting Sun Yelong’s long-standing dirty thoughts. He saw Pei Yi’s resistance and became increasingly excited. 

“Little Young Master, don’t be afraid, ah! How boring is it to just wait, ah?” Sun Yelong squinted his eyes, rubbed his hands, and went to touch the little face of the person in front of him. “How about we play a game? It feels very good.”

—Splash!

Pei Yi flung the glass of wine into his face, and then took the opportunity to quickly retreat to a corner.

“…….”

The slightly cold wine entered Sun Yelong’s eyes and nose, choking his thoughts to a standstill for two seconds.

“Yo, you still have a little temper?”

Sun Yelong wiped the alcohol off his face, looked at Pei Yi hiding in a corner, and the anger in his body danced wildly. He swallowed a large amount of saliva secreted in his excitement. “If you won’t drink it, you won’t drink it, ba. Think I can’t handle an inexperienced little brat like you?”

The effects of those two pills had fully begun.

Hot sweat oozed from Sun Yelong’s forehead, and an unnatural blush appeared on his cheeks. His whole body looked greasy. As he walked, he untied the belt of his bathrobe as if wanting to show his majesty.

“Pei Yi, right? Let me see where else you can hide.”

Sun Yelong approached Pei Yi, who had no way to retreat, with unconcealed confidence and arrogance on his face. “What’s the use of being stubborn now? When you get in bed later, you still have to……”

Pei Yi couldn’t endure it anymore. He picked up the iron figurine placed in the recessed wall next to him and slammed it hard onto Sun Yelong’s head. “Scram!”

—Bang!

Sun Yelong only felt the heat suddenly rush to his head, and the blood in his whole body seemed to coagulate. He could only let the severe pain drive him to fall backwards and crash to the ground.

Pei Yi looked at Sun Yelan’s bloodied head with a touch of insouciance at the ends of his eyes. “Trash like you wants to make a pass at me?”

From the moment he entered the room, he was already on guard and observing the layout.

In this corner, there were tools suitable for picking up and smashing people in self-defense, and it was also the easiest place to create a “no escape” trap to make Sun Yelong relax his vigilance.

“…….”

Sun Yelong’s head was buzzing, and he couldn’t hear what Pei Yi said at all. He reacted a few beats later and covered his bleeding head, and only then did he realize that the other party had hurt him!

He wanted to have fun but failed, and actually got wounded in action?

He had lived most of his life, and no one had ever dared to treat him like this!

A kind of frustrated fury emanated from Sun Yelong due to the enormous pain. With strength that was perhaps from the effects of the medicine, he forced himself to stand up, furiously wanting to teach the disobedient Pei Yi a lesson.

Pei Yi had already anticipated his movements, and decisively kicked him.

“—Ah!”

There was a short, hoarse shout of pain.

Looking at Sun Yelong lying on the ground, Pei Yi just walked neatly around him, not intending to remain in the same room with this trash.

Before he could get near to the closed door, there was a rush of footsteps outside.

Beep-beep.

There was the sound of an electronic lock.

The person waiting outside the room seemed to be in a hurry, and kicked hard.

—Bang!

Pei Yi was startled by the loud crash against the door.

He looked up in surprise, and his field of vision was completely occupied by several figures outside the room.

“…….”

“…….” In addition to Uncle Kai and Bo Yueming, there was also a very tall man with short-cropped hair standing at the door of the room.

The other’s sharp, narrow eyes were glowering with malice at this moment, and there was also a thin scar at the corner of his eye, which made him look dangerous and oppressive.

Different from Bo Yueming’s noble and proud aura, Pei Yi felt that the short-cropped young man was more like a sharp weapon honed in a sea of swords and blood.

He and Bo Yueming occupied the positions at the door, one on the left and the other on the right. The cold aura emanating from the two at the same time scared the hotel manager who had opened the door with his head down like a quail, and he was so frightened that he didn’t even dare to breathe.

“Pei Yi!”

“Xiao Yi!”

Bo Yueming and the short-cropped man shouted simultaneously.

Pei Yi broke free from his astonished scrutiny and realized that he had forgotten to manage his expression just now! He quickly averted his gaze and started to prepare the right mood. “I, I didn’t……”

Before he could finish quibbling, the short-cropped man approached him on long legs, enveloping him within his range of protection. “Is there any injury?”

“…….”

Pei Yi looked at the man who was practically holding him in his arms, and along with what he had called Pei Yi, the identity of the other party was immediately confirmed—

Qin Yishun.

An important male supporting role in the original text.

The old Pei couple had ‘one daughter and two sons’ under their knees. Qin Yishun was born to the eldest daughter, Pei Lin, and was also the grandson of Old Father Pei. In terms of seniority, he was the older cousin of the original owner.

Bo Yueming felt the momentum of the person beside him rushing into the room, and his gaze froze.

For some reason, the frustration due to his inconvenient eyes, which hadn’t appeared for a long time, surged up again. However, he quickly suppressed his emotions and walked in. “Pei Yi.”

Uncle Kai beside him was also worried. “Little Sir, what is going on? Don’t be afraid, speak slowly. We will handle everything for you.”

Just six or seven minutes ago, Uncle Kai suddenly received a text message from an unfamiliar number, saying that Pei Huan called someone to take Pei Yi to room 2108, and there might be danger.

After learning this, Uncle Kai immediately informed Bo Yueming. The latter realized the danger and left Minister Zheng with a disregard for etiquette for the first time, and rushed over immediately.

As for Qin Yishun, they met by accident in the elevator hall.

The other party should have come to find Pei Yi after sniffing out the news today. Hearing that the latter might have had an accident, they went upstairs together.

Sun Yelong, who had fallen to the ground, was still cursing and crying out in pain intermittently.

Pei Yi knew that he couldn’t avoid being investigated afterwards, so he took the opportunity to perform. He threw the bloody iron figurine to the ground fearfully, and within a few seconds, grievances welled up in his eyes.

“He, he made me play games with him.”

Pei Yi said the words “play games” extremely innocently, when they fell into the ears of Bo Yueming, Qin Yishun, and the others, they clearly understood another deeper meaning.

What games?

Sun Yelong, that wicked old bastard!

Bo Yueming’s eyes hidden under his glasses promptly became colder, and Qin Yishun’s face turned ashen at once.

Pei Yi knew that they were all clever people, so he simply added, “I don’t know him, I don’t want to play, I’m s-scared.”

Bo Yueming took the lead this time. “Pei Yi, come here.”

Pei Yi covertly glanced at Qin Yishun, whom he was “meeting for the first time,” but chose to hide beside the more familiar Bo Yueming. “Er-ge.”

It was still that soft voice, sounding like a kitten seeking shelter. Bo Yueming sensed Pei Yi’s dependence and nearness, and the coldness in his expression disappeared together with the suppressed frustration in his heart. He raised his hand according to the height he remembered, and gently squeezed the nape of Pei Yi’s neck. “Don’t be afraid.”

“Wu.”

Pei Yi shrank his neck sensitively and let out a nasal hum.

Qin Yishun at the side saw his cousin leave him and get close to Bo Yueming. A hint of subtle sourness emerged on his already livid complexion, but he was afraid of scaring Pei Yi, so he chose to maintain, “You did nothing wrong.”

As he spoke, he bent down and picked up the iron figurine, then solemnly lied through his teeth.

“I struck this person, it has nothing to do with you.”

“…….”

Pei Yi was taken aback for a moment, and sighed inwardly.

No wonder the original text used ‘double-standard protective madman’ to describe Qin Yishun. This fact was even more exaggerated than the description in the book, ah!

Uncle Kai glanced at Sun Yelong, who was lying on the ground in disgrace, and said with disgust and lingering fear, “Second Young Master, this Sun Yelong should have been invited by Bo Guancheng. After entering the banquet hall, he stayed with Young Mr. Pei the whole time. This matter must have something to do with them!”

“Young Mister Pei?”

Qin Yishun reacted slightly with a frown. “Is that Pei Huan?”

As soon as he spoke, Sun Yelan struggled to get up behind him and stared at the group of them. “Who allowed you to break in without authorization? Hotel manager! S-security!”

The hotel manager who was huddled by the door was in a cold sweat.

He knew Sun Yelong’s identity, and also understood that he couldn’t afford to offend Bo Yueming and the others, so he opened the door with one hand and tipped off Pei Huan and Bo Guancheng with the other. Unfortunately, the latter two didn’t come after a long time.

Sun Yelong covered his bleeding forehead with one hand, pointing at Pei Yi with the other and scolding, “You still haven’t gotten out!”

His bathrobe was loose on him, his cheeks and neck were flushed the color of pig liver, and his oily head and belly were as ugly as could be.

Hearing Sun Yelong’s clamoring, Bo Yueming couldn’t help but protect Pei Yi behind him. 

Qin Yishun took two steps closer to Sun Yelong and examined him from top to bottom with a terrifying gaze. He saw that the other party was still unsightly due to the medicine, and a burst of ruthlessness broke over his face.

He simply twisted the wrist of Sun Yelong’s pointing hand, turned him around, and then raised his foot and kicked him in the lower back. The entire series of movements contained no superfluous gimmicks, and it was just like he was handling a small chicken.

Sun Yelong was kicked rather far by him, and by coincidence, he bumped into the corner of a table that was about half his height.

“—Ah!”

The pig-like squeal echoed through the suite.

Sun Yelong’s liver-colored face paled in an instant, and he completely fainted to the ground.

Pei Huan, who had come over after hearing the news, heard the scream and felt that something was wrong. He quickly entered the door, but before he had time to check the situation, he was shocked to a standstill by the scene before him—

Bo Yueming and Qin Yishun were protecting Pei Yi on the right and left, their faces turning cold one by one.

Pei Yi, who was protected in the middle, seemed completely unaware of the oppression on both sides. The flush at the corners of his eyes had not dissipated, and he greeted him with a soft smile.

“Cousin is here too~”

---

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

Bo Guancheng came and went, and other than making people feel disgusted, it really didn’t have any effect on morale.

Bo Yueming and Assistant Lin Zhong entered the study on the first floor, presumably to discuss work matters. Uncle Kai unpacked the luggage properly and went to the kitchen to supervise the servants preparing dinner.

Pei Yi was by himself with nothing to do, so he brought Inspector back to the room, locked the door, and turned on the computer.

As soon as he logged on to the “Youtu” forum, tens of thousands of notifications popped up. Pei Yi was a little surprised, and immediately checked his background data—

The two game concepts uploaded a week ago had gained 50,000+ popularity. Pei Yi’s newly created vest,^[1] “Will,” had also attracted the attention of thousands of gaming fans.

His personal private messages were filled with large and small game companies, studios, and even individual game bloggers.

“Youtu” was the largest game forum website in China, and the fermented heat was far better than Pei Yi had imagined. Of course, Pei Yi attributed all of this to his own game creation.

The two single-player games he had constructed this time had completely different styles.

The first title was “Cheerful Spirit.” It was a decryption game with different national styles and spirits. The content of each dungeon instance was different, and single players must find the answers and exits within a specified amount of time.

In each dungeon, there would be a certain Chinese instrument, and at the specific point in time when the instrument sounded, different spiritual crises would be triggered, which may lead to the failure of breaking through the level.

Of course, as one of the highlights of this game, the background music needed to be written carefully for each time the instruments sounded. Each trilling sound must be engraved into the player’s bones and blood, making their hair stand on end when they heard it.

The second one was called “Cloud Realm,” which was a therapeutic collection game, more suitable for working people during their commutes. Players only needed to record the clouds in real life, and then use the selected avatar to upload daily.

Different cloud formations and even atmospheric phenomena would correspond to different integrals, and uploading could also get the corresponding cloud painting card, or even a customized chibi version. Of course, player leaderboards were essential.

The current popularity was exciting, and from the data of the two games, the popularity of “Cheerful Spirit” was higher.

However, the imitability of mini-games was too strong, and it would not be easy for such a creative version to receive higher bids the longer it was delayed.

Considering the timing, Pei Yi looked at the parties who were interested in cooperating one by one – finally, two reliable parties with high bids were chosen to sign with online.

Pei Yi sold “Cloud Realm” at full price and sent it to a new small studio, and as for “Cheerful Spirit,” he chose a reliable older game company.

Pei Yi and the latter Party A stipulated that he would provide the script for the first ten levels of “Cheerful Spirit,” divided into two handovers before and after. Then the other company would process the coding, the menu, and so on, and a signature was required for the copy to go online.

The most important thing for such a mystery-oriented mini-game was content creativity.

The game “Cheerful Spirit” had been successfully tested in the real world. Before Pei Yi transmigrated, there were nearly twenty levels to it, all of which were constructed by Pei Yi.

With just ten levels, Pei Yi could completely copy his previous ideas, which was not difficult. For him, the most important thing was to rely on this established company to open up his popularity in the circle.

It took nearly two and a half hours to complete the online signing of these two mini-games.

Pei Yi breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the deposit approval process that was already running in the background. But he didn’t stop there. He found a familiar ID in the private message interface – Pear Garden [pear logo].

The other party was the first person who sent a private message to seek cooperation after the game was uploaded.

Pei Yi looked at the green “online” dot on Pear Garden’s profile picture, clicked on his personal homepage, and browsed it quickly. Then he clicked on the Baidu search engine and swiftly entered a few keywords to investigate.

It didn’t take long before he understood clearly.

When Pei Yi returned to the private message page of Youtu, that “Pear Garden” had already sent him a message a minute ago as if he had read his mind: “Hello, the game copyright of “Cloud Realm” has been sold?”

“You really took the initiative to come to the door?”

Pei Yi chuckled, eyebrows raised as he typed, “How did you know?”

“There was a notification.”

Pear Garden sent a screenshot. On the game display interface of Pei Yi’s homepage, both games had been stamped with the words “Partnered for Sale.”

Pear Garden on the other side of the screen asked again, “If I’m not wrong, I should have been the first person to send you a cooperation message. May I ask why you don’t want to cooperate with me?”

Pei Yi stared at the message from Pear Garden and replied without hesitation, “Dawn Games, Mr. Li Yuan? It’s you, right?”

The ‘typing’ on the other side vanished in an instant, and such a pause confirmed Pei Yi’s question.

In fact, the last time when they met by chance in a coffee shop, this speculation had already passed through his mind—

Pear Garden, Li Yuan.^[2] He really couldn’t hide the name of his vest at all. It was even worse than him, who was a naming waste.

After waiting for a while, Li Yuan, who had his vest exposed, admitted, “Yes, how did you guess?”

Pei Yi explained, “It was very simple. The cooperation assessments on your profile are not hidden. I clicked on the homepages of those partners to confirm the game type, then found the same type on the official ‘Dawn Games’ website and confirmed them after a bit of comparison.”

Li Yuan was silent for a few more seconds, then asked with some stubbornness, “So, Mr. Will, you feel that the current condition and ability of ‘Dawn’ is incapable of perfecting your game settings, so you worried about selling the copyright to me?”

Pei Yi narrowed his eyes in surprise, but could understand the reasons for his lack of confidence.

In the plot of the original novel, before the “true and false” young masters being switched at birth was revealed, Li Yuan announced the complete closure of Dawn Games because of the lack of investment and a quarterly deficit.

Upon estimating the time, that should happen within three months.

At this moment, Li Yuan was like a fish struggling on the shore, its scales worn to the point of being bloodstained, and in the end, it could not return to the glorious sea with the dawn.

Pei Yi sighed and replied, “I just thought that such a small stand-alone game is only suitable for companies that are in a long-term profitable state to increase their income in the short term, not for “Dawn,” which has been on the verge of bankruptcy for a long time.”

Pei Yi had browsed “Dawn’s” public data. In the past two years, it had relied on the popularity of small games to maintain short-term profits, and once they encountered a small game investment failure, or the game fell out of popularity too soon, they would certainly be at a deficit.

“Mr. Li, the current “Dawn Games” is more like an empty shell, and lacks opportunities for internal growth. If you want stable, long-term profitability, at least one trump card project in the gaming circle is needed.”

Just like the three well-known game companies now, which one did not have its own sustainable development of large-scale games? As for the other mini-games, they could be regarded as icing on the cake at best.

“Mr. Will is right.” Li Yuan’s reply was full of helplessness. “A good game project, where is it so easy to have?” Project idea, investment, design, technical staff……all were indispensable. It wasn’t that Li Yuan didn’t think about such things, but the first two items were enough to keep him stuck.

Pei Yi clicked on the file transfer and sent a document named “The Last Fog 1.0,” clearly expressing his attitude.

“Mr. Li, although the two mini-games I just sold were carefully constructed by me, they were not a major project for me like this one.”

“You take a look. Are you interested in working with me?”

The brief lines of information on the screen caused Li Yuan to unconsciously straighten up. He tied a wolf tail on the back of his head indiscriminately and opened the file from Will with a little nervousness.

The nearly ten thousand character text setting of the game foundation made Li Yuan’s breathing stall. “The Last Fog 1.0” was a doomsday escape-oriented game, and the plot concept was as followed —

In the year 3033, dozens of countries on earth were simultaneously hit by unknown meteorites, and the ensuing breakout of viruses and fog instantly dyed the earth into a hellscape.

From insect mutation to animal infection, and then to human transmission, everyone was caught off guard and helpless.

Due to the heavy losses, countries had to jointly launch emergency measures, from the underground cities built by digging deep, to protective ships in the deep sea and sky castles made of special steel.

These limited the scope of activities for able-bodied human beings and became the only bases that humans could protect.

As for the previous residential buildings, they had long since been abandoned to the point of being uninhabitable.

The amnesiac “protagonist” wakes up in an abandoned residential building with only a few tools (cards) left in his backpack. In addition, there is a an unsigned mission sheet—

“Please arrive at Chinese Underground City No. 1 on June 16.”

Ten days in an unknown end-times environment, with lost memory fragments and limited materials and tools. In order to survive, there is no other choice.

If it was said that the background outline of the story had some commonalities with other doomsday games, then the document also contained the environmental settings of several regional towns along the way, along with the settings of various mutated organisms…….

These were the most important innovation structures!

The doomsday games in China were almost all foreign copyrights, and most of them focused on fighting zombies or machines, but the conceptual structure of this game—

As long as you discovered the right hunting and domestication methods, those mutated creatures could be tamed and even acknowledge an owner. Once the owner was successfully acknowledged, the “pet” would become a unique killing device.

Li Yuan breathed heavily, and fell unknowingly into the doomsday background set by the other party.

When he returned to his senses, “Will” on the other side of the screen had sent another long text: “Version 1.0 exists as a mini-game or single-player exploration. When the game concept is promoted and developed, the follow-up 2.0 or even 3.0 can be mobile or large-scale games, with endgame supplementary content, and you can also develop more complex PVP, PVE, and other modes.”

“…….”

Li Yuan received this huge amount of information and couldn’t help but light himself a cigarette, taking two puffs before he could just barely restrain his shock and excitement.

But when he thought about it again, he found it incredible—

How could the other party dare leak such a nearly perfect conceptual framework to him? Could there be such a good thing as a pie falling from the sky?

“Mr. Will, you just sent it to me. Aren’t you afraid that I will block you and take it for my own use?”

Seeing this line of inquiry on the screen, Pei Yi chuckled as if he had been expecting it. “Chat records can be used as evidence, not to mention that you have admitted your identity from the very beginning.”

“Also, if you dared to steal, do you have the funds to implement it?”

Li Yuan was silent on the other end for a long time, then sent a series of ellipses, clearly heartbroken by the fact in the second half of the sentence.

Pei Yi pursed his lips. He had already made up his mind—

The reason he chose to believe in Li Yuan was on the one hand because of all the five-star evaluations of him from other Youtu games, and another aspect was because of his own subjective cognition.

Even though Li Yuan became a vicious supporting role in the later stages of the novel and was “hated by everyone,” Pei Yi always felt that—

A person who had no background at the banquet but was willing to stand up to defend a “little fool,” a person who changed his profession after his father’s death and desperately maintained the family business, how could Li Yuan’s true character be bad?

Just like Bo Yueming’s blackening had traces to follow, maybe Li Yuan’s blackening was due to helplessness? It was still early now. He could take the initiative to contact him and try.

Pei Yi had set himself a very clear goal of making money. Apart from relying on small games to accumulate funds, he also must own a game company that could let him make his own decisions.

It was too difficult and slow to build an entire company on his own, and it was easy to suffer losses when looking for large companies that had already perfected their systems. Right now, Li Yuan was the best choice of ally.

What did it matter that the game company was on the verge of bankruptcy? As long as its strength was great enough, it could still make a comeback!

Li Yuan asked carefully on the screen again, “What are the specific requirements? Since Mr. Will is willing to frankly reveal the truth to me, it can’t be just for the sake of ‘helping others,’ right?”

Pei Yi liked to talk with straightforward people, so he didn’t beat around the bush at all. “The structure of the series ‘The Last Fog’ is all in my mind. What I showed Mr. Li was just the tip of the iceberg.”

“If Xiao Li is willing to cooperate, I am willing to be the chief producer of “The Last Fog” starting from the initial development. I will personally handle all of the designs and narratives online, and my working hours are free.”

“However, from the initial investment to the cost consumption, I won’t have a hand in personnel recruitment, technical support, or follow-up operations and publicity.”

“By the way, if the project fails later, I will take the initiative to pay half of the loss.”

“Conversely, if the future release to 2.0 is successful, first, the copyright cannot be resold without my consent. Second, if I want to become a shareholder in this project, the equity can only be more and not less. The details can be discussed later.”

Use your own hard work to open up the market for others for free, and wait until the later stages to reap the harvest. Of course, there was also the possibility of Li Yuan reneging on the project halfway—

The essence of this partnership was a big gamble. Pei Yi firmly believed that he had the strength to win and the courage to lose.

It was getting dark.

Li Yuan stared at this large paragraph of clear and ambitious cooperation requirements, and didn’t move for a long time, until the cigarette burned his fingers and he suddenly hissed.

God.

Where was this a normal partnership?

The other party clearly wanted to rely on the project of “The Last Fog” to take a stake in their “Dawn Games” and occupy a position.

Li Yuan was more aware of the feasibility of this game project than anyone else. He stroked his reddened fingertips, and after a long silence, typed a single line—

“Let me think about it.”

“Within a week, I won’t wait longer.”

Pei Yi had expected that Li Yuan would not just agree like this, and after quickly leaving a deadline, he got up and stretched his muscles, then opened the door and went downstairs.

The air was filled with the aroma of food. Bo Yueming and Lin Zhong, who had finished their business affairs, had already taken their seats in the dining room. The latter noticed his figure. “Little Sir, come quickly.”

Uncle Kai, who had originally planned to go upstairs to call a certain person, smiled. “Our Little Sir, ah, he came down after smelling the aromas.”

Pei Yi felt his stomach’s protest and pretended to approach obediently. “…….So hungry.”

Bo Yueming’s eyes flickered slightly. “Sit down and eat.”

At the corner of the table was the golden invitation letter from Bo Guancheng. Pei Yi quickly glanced at the address and time of the banquet, and in the next second, Uncle Kai put it away in disgust.

“Second Young Master, do you want to keep the invitation letter?”

Bo Yueming lowered his eyes and took a slow sip of soup. “Throw it away.”

Uncle Kai directly kneaded it into a ball and threw it into the trash can next to him. What invitation letter could he need? Who would dare to stop the Second Young Master, who had handled the project himself?

Assistant Lin Zhong was taken aback. “Mr. Bo, you can’t be going?”

“I’m going.”

This project had taken him seven or eight months of painstaking effort, and he couldn’t let that “good guy” Bo Guancheng do it alone.

“Mm”

Pei Yi concentrated on scooping up a spoonful of custard.

Hearing this sound, Bo Yueming raised his eyes and asked, “Pei Yi, do you want to come with me? Or do you still want to stay at home?”

Pei Yi didn’t expect that Bo Yueming would suddenly ask about his wishes, so he slowly set down the spoon and began to recall the plot—

The original plot did not focus much on this celebration banquet. Because Bo and Pei had reached a business partnership, Pei Huan was also invited to attend the banquet. He managed to snag a chairman from the chamber of commerce with a lot of background, which led to a big partnership.

In addition, he also helped Bo Yueming when he was suffering from the inconvenience of his eyes, and gained a bit of favor from the latter.

As for the foolish and timid original owner, the scenes before and after could only be summed up in one sentence — he followed Bo Yueming to the celebration banquet in a cutscene, and after he came back, he hid in the bathroom all day long, refusing to easily go out.

“Little Sir? Second Young Master asked you something.” Uncle Kai scooped up a bowl of hibiscus soup for Pei Yi and reminded him softly, “Why don’t you just stay at home and rest?”

The experience of Pei Yi almost being bullied at the last banquet had left Uncle Kai with lingering fears.

Pei Yi intended to respect the trajectory of the original work, and shook his head. “I’ll go.”

Bo Yueming agreed. “Go if you want, ba.”

Pei Yi nodded, and suddenly had a new idea. “Your, your friend……will he go?”

“Friend?”

Bo Yueming came to his senses. “You mean Yan Cen?”

Pei Yi gave a hum.

“The invitation letter for the celebration hosted by Bo Guancheng couldn’t reach him.” Bo Yueming took a calm sip of soup and asked, “What are you asking about Yan Cen for?”

“…….”

Pei Yi remembered that Yan Cen was not included in the plot description of this celebration banquet, and that was why he wanted the other party to participate through Bo Yueming’s invitation.

Faced with Bo Yueming’s questioning, Pei Yi couldn’t directly explain the reason. After a few seconds of hesitation, he gave a superficial but reasonable excuse for a fool.

“He’s very good-looking.”

“…….”

Bo Yueming’s right hand that was holding the spoon clenched and then loosened. The spoon fell and hit the bowl with a bang, and soup splashed all over.

Uncle Kai quickly handed over the napkins. “Second Young Master, were you burned?”

Bo Yueming slowly wiped the liquid from his hands, lowered his eyes, and gave a smile that was not a smile. “Very good-looking? So you want to see him more?”

Uncle Kai and Lin Zhong exchanged glances and tacitly chose to be mute. Having been with Bo Yueming for a long time, they had already noticed an unusual subtlety.

Pei Yi pondered Bo Yueming’s question and suddenly came to a realization, but the realization was wrong—

Oh, I got it!

He had used those same words to sincerely praise Bo Yueming. For men, no matter how good their relationship was with a friend in peacetime, there would more or less be a little desire to compete. What’s more, in the original text, weren’t the male protagonist and the villain equal in every respect?

Pei Yi quickly pretended to be well-behaved and made up for it, “Er-ge is better-looking.”

“…….”

Er-ge was spoken softly, and it sounded sincere.

Bo Yueming managed to suppress his slightly out of tune emotions, and smashed his expectations. “Yan Cen went to another province two days ago and can’t come back.”

Pei Yi let out an “Oh” and didn’t force it.

No wonder the protagonist Yan Cen was not included in this part of the original text. So he was really delayed by something?

In fact, he had wanted to take the opportunity to bring Li Yuan and Yan Cen together to meet. It just so happened that the former’s company lacked investment, and the latter and Bo Yueming had private investment companies. If the project for “The Last Fog” was suitable, they could build a bridge in terms of early capital.

However, Li Yuan hadn’t agreed yet, so there was no rush to raise funds for the time being.

Bo Yueming didn’t know that so much was going through Pei Yi’s mind, and quickly changed the topic. “All right, let’s eat.”

Hearing this, Lin Zhong on the side silently lowered his head—

Like hell!

No way!

Where did Boss Yan need to travel?

Mr. Bo must be jealous, so he was deliberately tricking the little fool!

. . . . . .

In the blink of an eye, it was Sunday.

Just like the birthday banquet, this time the celebration was arranged at the same hotel. Guided by an attendant, Bo Yueming and his party went straight into the banquet hall on the thirteenth floor.

Compared to the magnificence of the last birthday banquet, this time the layout was more simple and elegant, and most of the people invited to participate were the staff who had worked hard on the “Yuandi” project team.

When everyone saw Bo Yueming, whom they hadn’t seen for a long time, their gazes were surprised and also a little regretful—

Although Bo Yueming was ruthlessly strict in his work in the past, every time he pointed out a problem, he hit the nail on the head. On the entire project team, there was no member who didn’t recognize him as the leader.

Later, the when project was preparing to reach its final stage, Bo Yueming had a sudden accident and the rights to the project were transferred into Bo Guancheng’s hands without any delay.

The members of the project team weren’t aware of the twists and turns inside the Bo family, but everyone felt that Bo Guancheng had picked it up through a loophole and was now taking credit for other people’s contributions.

The surrounding eyes hovered, and Bo Guancheng, who was dressed in a fancy outfit and wore an exquisite hairstyle, walked over with the attitude of a ‘host.’’ “Yueming, you’re finally here.”

With that said, he glanced at Pei Yi’s face again, a little surprised. “I didn’t expect the Little Young Master to follow. Coincidentally, Pei Huan is also here today.”

The marriage between Bo Yueming and Pei Yi had built a bridge between the Bo and Pei families, and both Bo Guancheng and Pei Huan became the leaders of the long-term cooperation under the arrangement of their parents.

Speak of the devil and he will arrive.

Pei Huan brought a middle-aged man in a suit and leather shoes into the banquet hall, and after meeting Bo Guancheng’s eyes, he immediately walked over with the person next to him. “Chairman Sun, let me introduce you—”

“This is Bo Guancheng, the current general manager of the Bo group, the Yuandi project was led by him.”

As soon as the second half of that sentence was uttered, the expressions of the knowledgeable people around shifted.

Bo Guancheng glanced at Bo Yueming with a smile and stretched out a hand. “Chairman Sun, hello. I have been looking forward to meeting you.”

Sun Yelong was the chairman of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Germany. Because he was abroad all year round, he was not very clear about the changes in the top management of the Bo Group, but when he heard the government-sponsored Yuandi project mentioned, he still attached importance to Bo Guancheng.

“Boss Bo is young and promising.”

“Chairman Sun praises me too much.” Bo Guancheng pretended to be self-effacing, and his words contained other meanings, “If there is a chance, Mr. Pei and I are also looking forward to cooperating with you.”

In fact, they had quietly reached an intention to cooperate for the first phase of a project, and even the initial funding was put in place. However, the second phase of the project was the more profitable part, and had not yet been fully negotiated.

Sun Yelong, who was an old fox, smiled without responding.

Suddenly, he seemed to notice something out of the corner of his eye, and his attention quickly shifted away from Bo Yueming’s face. “Who are these two?”

“Chairman Sun, this is my cousin, Bo Yueming. Due to the inconvenience of his eye injury, he has basically stayed at home to recuperate during this period of time.”

Bo Guancheng smiled as he finished the introduction on behalf of Bo Yueming, without mentioning the other party’s position and achievements in the group.

Sun Yelong nodded slightly and stared unblinkingly at Pei Yi, who had a fair face and a well-behaved expression. “Then who is this?”

Bo Guancheng said, “This is Boss Pei’s cousin, Pei Yi, who is also Yueming’s partner…..”

“Married?”

Sun Yelong’s gave them a subtle, meaningful glance. “I see that the two gentlemen are both young, which is really surprising.”

Pei Yi very much disliked the slightly greasy pot bellied man in front of him, and felt that there was something wrong with the scrutiny in his eyes, so he quietly hid behind Bo Yueming—

Although after transmigrating, Pei Yi was not very satisfied with his height of 1.78 meters, Bo Yueming’s height of 1.9 meters was sufficient, and at least the height difference between the two made it easy to hide.

Keenly aware of Pei Yi’s retreat, Bo Yueming thought he was afraid of meeting a stranger. “It seems that there is an important cooperation between Dage and Chairman Sun? Then we will not bother you.”

After speaking, he turned around and held Pei Yi’s wrist tightly. “Okay, let’s go.”

Pei Yi looked down at the cool hand wrapped around his wrist. Witnessing Bo Guancheng’s duplicitous attitude again, he still intended to vent his anger on Bo Yueming’s behalf. 

Thus, he adjusted his original review, “A really ugly thief.”

This sentence fell into the ears of people in the know and became the most straightforward ridicule. The team members who were secretly watching this scene were surprised, and held back their laughter. They didn’t expect that Pei Yi at Bo Yueming’s side would dare to criticize him to his face.

The wording was rude, but the message was not unfounded. Compared to Bo Yueming, who was outstanding in appearance and ability, Bo Guancheng was indeed much worse.

“…….”

Over and over, again and again!

Bo Guancheng was so angered by Pei Yi’s rudeness that his heart hurt terribly, and he could barely retain his bright demeanor.

Bo Yueming sensed the embarrassment and stagnation in the air, and that bit of gloom in his heart miraculously disappeared.

The corners of his mouth curled up at the trace of protectiveness in the other party’s targeting. “Dage knows about Pei Yi’s situation. Since we are all family members now, I hope you will forgive him and not take it to heart.”

At the time they were forced to marry, the other party used these words to suppress him, and now he was being treated in the same way.

Bo Guancheng’s back molars were almost crushed, but he had personally invited Bo Yueming to the celebration banquet. Even this marriage was his handiwork, so he couldn’t drive this person out in full view, right?

At this thought, Bo Guancheng could only swallow his anger. “Naturally.”

. . . . . .

Bo Yueming and Pei Yi walked to the rest area together. Pei Huan, who had remained silent the entire time, looked at their enjoined hands and felt an unprecedented emotion rise in his heart.

When they met at the the banquet last time, was the relationship between these two people so close? 

With Bo Yueming’s outstanding ability and great pride, how could he appreciate Pei Yi, who had been a fool since childhood?

To the side, Bo Guancheng braced himself and said, “Chairman Sun, excuse me, the celebration banquet is about to start and I must check on the situation.”

Sun Yelong said, “Mr. Bo, do as you please.”

Pei Huan came back to his senses. “En, Chairman Sun, I’ll accompany you.”

The import project with the German Chamber of Commerce would be the first big cooperation between Bo and Pei, and both Bo Guancheng and Pei Huan needed to be one hundred percent dedicated.

The first thing was naturally to hold onto and curry favor with Sun Yelong, the chairman of the German Chamber of Commerce.

Bo Guancheng met Pei Huan’s eyes and took the lead to depart.

Pei Huan summoned a waiter and took two glasses of white wine. “Chairman Sun, may I drink with you?”

Sun Yelong took it with a smile, and while toasting and drinking, he still covertly glanced at the rest area. After a few seconds, he probed, “Mr. Pei, is your cousin……”

Pei Huan was taken aback for a moment, and then answered apologetically, “Yes, something happened to Xiao Yi when he was ten years old, so his mind is lacking. He was talking nonsense just now, I apologize.”

“It’s a pity, Little Young Master Pei looks so well-behaved and comely.”

Sun Yelong shook his wine glass slightly, and something flickered in his eyes. “I don’t feel that Second Young Master Bo seems like someone who would accept such a marriage partner. The Bo and Pei families are married? How long has it been?”

Pei Huan vaguely felt that something wasn’t right. “It really can’t be kept from Chairman Sun’s eyes. This marriage was agreed on by the elders of the two families, and the two have been together for less than a month.”

“Less than a month?”

Sun Yelong reflected on this time and smiled meaningfully. “Young Mr. Pei, our cooperation can be set in stone as long as…….”

He leaned close to Pei Huan’s ear and spoke for a moment.

Pei Huan’s expression changed when he heard these words, and he subconsciously thought to refuse. Then Sun Yelong looked at him and said, “On the basis of the original cooperation funds, I can guarantee an additional 1.5 points of profit for the second phase of the project, which is a good deal.”

“…….”

Pei Huan’s words of refusal came to his lips, and he swallowed them down. His eyes flickered for a few seconds. He said, “Chairman Sun, I must discuss this matter with Mr. Bo.”

Sun Yelong clinked their wine glasses together and said nothing.

. . . . . .

Bo Guancheng wanted to use the celebration banquet to upset Bo Yueming, but in the end, not only did he fail to achieve his goal, he also lost face to Pei Yi.

Not only that, but some employees on the project team thought about Bo Yueming’s ability and went one after another to toast with him. 

The banquet was halfway over.

Bo Guancheng, who had shelved his anger, walked up again, followed by a man who looked very official. “Minister Zheng, even if Bo Yueming hides in the rest area, he must be the focus of attention.”

As he said that, his eyes that were like needles hidden in cotton swept over the team members who came to toast one by one.

Everyone immediately stepped back, not daring to stay in the rest area.

Even if they admired Bo Yueming’s ability, the other party was already a former boss, so they couldn’t make the current boss dissatisfied.

Pei Yi ate the last bite of his cake and resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

If you asked him, Bo Guancheng’s spirit still lingered on, and after being scolded by him three times, he still had the cheek to come here?

Bo Yueming handed over a wine glass, and Uncle Kai took it and put it down. Only then did he stand and face the source of a voice. “Minister Zheng?”

The other party had cooperated with Bo on two occasions, which were connected to Bo Yueming himself, breaking away from official commercial cooperation. The two had also made several golfing appointments in secret, and were golfing friends.

“Yueming, as soon as I came here, I heard Boss Bo say that you were also present tonight.”

Minister Zheng took the initiative to speak out, and his face was full of the interest of meeting an acquaintance. “I haven’t seen you since your accident. Are you free now? Shall we find a quieter place to talk?”

Bo Guancheng was the first to answer, “How about I ask an attendant to open a quieter tea room box and we all sit together?”

Minister Zheng nodded in agreement, and immediately consulted, “Yueming, what do you think?”

Bo Yueming’s eyes narrowed slightly. “That is fine.”

He deeply believed in Minister Zheng’s character, and the other party was unlikely to reach an agreement with Bo Guancheng in a short period of time. This invitation to chat should be a temporary idea. 

As soon as those words were spoken, Bo Guancheng proposed, “Uncle Kai will stay with Little Young Master Pei, right? There are many things to eat and drink in the banquet hall, and there will be small performances later, so it won’t be boring.”

When Uncle Kai heard this, he anxiously refused. “That won’t work, Second Young Master’s eyesight is inconvenient, I must follow him.”

If the car accident was really man-made, then Bo Guangcheng was the one they were most on guard against. How could Uncle Kai rest assured?

Bo Yueming was also wary of Bo Guancheng, and could only ask, “Pei Yi, you……”

“I won’t go.”

Pei Yi shook his head and took the opportunity to look at the wine tower nearby. After enduring for a few days, his craving had reappeared, and he secretly guessed in his heart—

This chat should take at least half an hour, right?

Now that the opportunity arose, of course he would sneak a small drink!

Bo Yueming’s words got stuck in his throat before he could finish, and he had no choice but to follow his wishes. “Then wait for me to come back and don’t run around.”

Pei Yi responded with a low sound.

He had the ability to judge right from wrong, so he naturally wouldn’t cause trouble easily, and it also wouldn’t be easy for someone to cause trouble in public.

After confirming that Bo Yueming’s figure had left the banquet hall, Pei Yi immediately picked up a glass of champagne. Having learned his lesson after getting drunk last time, he didn’t intend to overdo it, and just sipped it slowly.

After less than half a glass, an attendant suddenly called out behind him, “Little Young Master Pei.”

“…….”

Pei Yi turned around apprehensively, and after realizing that there was only the attendant and no Bo Yueming, his tense expression relaxed.

The waiter didn’t care about the champagne in Pei Yi’s hand, and only explained to him slowly, “Little Young Master, the Second Young Master is still worried about you being here alone, so he specially asked me to take you there.”

Worried?

What was there to be worried about?

Pei Yi glanced around the banquet hall, and his seemingly innocent eyes fell back on the waiter’s face. “Go where?”

The waiter stooped down slightly and beckoned, “Follow me.”

Pei Yi’s eyes flickered slightly. He set the unfinished glass of champagne heavily on the table and followed.

The two left the banquet hall one after another and took the elevator upstairs.

The number of floors increased as they went, until the elevator opened with a mechanical sound—

“Ding-dong! You have arrived at the twenty-first floor!”

The waiter turned and looked at Pei Yi, and after confirming that the other party was still obediently well-behaved, he deliberately widened the arc of his smile. “Little Young Master, we will be there soon.”

“En.”

The smile evoked a touch of clarity, and Pei Yi followed.

The high-class corridor was very quiet. Dangerously so.

When passing the access door in the middle section, Pei Yi, who was following behind, suddenly changed direction and ran toward it.

The attendant caught a glimpse of this change from the corner of his eye, and hurriedly caught up in order to stop him. “Little Young Master, that’s the wrong way, it’s not this……ah!”

His unfinished words instantly became an exclamation.

Having entered the access corridor first, Pei Yi seized the right moment and clamped the attendant’s neck from behind with his strong right hand, and grasped the other’s wrist with his left for reinforcement, restraining the attendant hard just like that.

—Slam!

Pei Yi exerted all his strength and slammed the attendant’s face into the door panel, completely closing it with the inertia.

The two were about the same in stature and strength, and if it really came to a fight, Pei Yi might not have the advantage, but the momentum must be sufficient!

At this thought, Pei Yi suddenly turned around and changed his position. He leaned against the door panel and took advantage of the object to firmly control the attendant beside him.

“…….”

The attendant was stupefied by Pei Yi’s series of movements, and even his struggling was a few beats behind.

He didn’t understand at all how Pei Yi, who was obedient and well-behaved just now, suddenly changed!

Pei Yi tore off his mask that he had worn for many days, and his questioning voice passed over lightly, “The twenty-first floor is all guest rooms. What are you bringing me there for? Who instructed you?”

The attendant couldn’t break free for a while, and tried to lie, “Little Young Master, it, it was the Second Young Master who asked me to…..”

Pei Yi sneered. “If Bo Yueming wanted me to follow, then he wouldn’t have agreed to let me stay in the banquet hall alone in the first place. Even if he regretted it temporarily, he would have had Uncle Kai come to me.”

Besides, the attendant had already shown his flaws at the beginning.

If it was Bo Yueming or Uncle Kai who gave the order, then he would have been called Little Sir.

“Tell me, was it Bo Guancheng? Or was it Pei Huan?”

Each time Pei Yi uttered a name, the strength of his restraint on his arm tightened a bit. “Was it Chairman Sun?”

It was the clearest interrogation.

Pei Yi was obviously speaking in a soft tone, but the attendant felt goosebumps all over his body when he heard it—-

Wait a minute!

The little young master of the Pei family was supposed to be a fool!

Could it have been a mistake? Did he know from the beginning?

Thinking of this divine possibility, the attendant gulped flusteredly. “Little, Little Young Master?”

“What?”

Pei Yi felt the attendant’s panicked stiffness, and the cold light in his eyes reappeared. “You didn’t really think I was as unaware and foolish as the rumors say, and ready to be slaughtered by others, right?”

---

[1] “Vest” is a term for assuming a different identity/username. ⮐

[2] Both “Pear Garden” (梨园) and Li Yuan (黎于安) are pronounced the same other than the intonation. This connection is a lot more apparent in the Chinese raws. ⮐

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

T/N: Thank you, VC3, for your Kofi donation! Since you bought me two coffees, here are two extra chapters in addition to the regularly scheduled update!

It was nighttime.

Uncle Kai hurried back from the courtyard. He glanced at Bo Yueming, who was sitting firmly on the sofa and stroking the cat, and unconsciously glanced at the master bedroom. “Second Young Master, I’m back.”

“En.”

The movements of Bo Yueming’s hand paused for a moment, and then he continued to smooth the cat’s fur.

Inspector was lying comfortably on his lap, purring contentedly, which was completely different from when it was puffing up its fur earlier.

Uncle Kai stood by the sofa and told the honest situation of his negotiations with the resort, “The woman who broke in this afternoon is named Lin Na, and the information here says that she is twenty-five years old, from Nan County.”

“After the manager heard the news, he immediately sent someone to fetch the surveillance and questioned the staff who lived in the same dormitory as her. The other party said that she was packing her luggage and talking about leaving three days ago. Her phone cannot be contacted, and the last time surveillance captured her was at 3:10 in the afternoon.”

“I didn’t go into that much detail with the manager, and only said that Lin Na went into the room to steal something, but you and Little Sir caught her……”

Uncle Kai paused, then continued to report the current investigation results. “The manager has files complaints for “unlawful entry” and “attempted theft” to the police, and we will be contacted as soon as there is news.”

This was already the best way to go forward without any adverse effects.

“I understand.”

Bo Yueming responded without a change in expression, and moved to a different topic. “Did all the news get out?”

Uncle Kai went with the flow and answered, “Yes, Second Young Master. When you left the hospital yesterday, those people went to enquire about the news. The people arranged by the hospital still followed the original statement and told them that the possibility of your eyes being cured is very low.”

“En.”

Bo Yueming nodded slightly and added, “I asked Professor Lin to come here to get treated in secret, and I will disclose it to them in a matter of time, but I still can’t tell the truth. Just say that even the medical team here has no solution.”

Uncle Kai frowned slightly, hesitating to speak. “Second Young Master, your eyes have clearly improved. Why are you deliberately keeping it a secret?”

Ever since the car accident, hadn’t the second branch couple and Bo Guancheng overtly and covertly stolen things from Bo Yueming? How many times did Bo Wang from the main branch mock him?

In Uncle Kai’s opinion, the family’s Second Young Master should release the news that his eyes were recovering soon in order to kill the power of this group of people and make them fearful again!

There was a hint of hostility in Bo Yueming’s eyes, but he patted Inspectors head twice. “Go to the room, ba.”

“Meow-wu~”

The very human-like Inspector responded, then jumped off the sofa and ran back to the master bedroom, which had the lights on. 

Bo Yueming moved his strong wrist, and pale blue veins appeared on the back of his hand due to the silent force. “Uncle Kai, the car accident that caused me to lose my sight was likely deliberately done by the main branch.”

“What?!”

Uncle Kai lost control and shouted, then immediately restrained his excessively leaking emotions. “Second Young Master, didn’t the police say that the truck driver was driving under the influence of alcohol, which caused the accident?”

“Yes, the police’s judgment in the investigation is correct, and the driver did indeed go to prison.”

Bo Yueming recalled the information that his friend Yan Cen had investigated for him not long ago, and became even colder—

The truck driver’s family had moved twice in just two months. On the surfaced, it looked like the family was still poor, but the son who had just gone to college began to frequent expensive places, and once even let it be known after drinking that his father had connections, and now he had a lot of money on hand.

Uncle Kai understood after a moment, and his expression became more complicated.

“If the driver on my side had reacted a little slower, the accident wouldn’t have been my eyes, but my life.” Bo Yueming had never doubted his judgment and intuition. “Uncle Kai, tell me, if the main branch has a guilty conscience and my eyes are about to recover, what will they do?”

Uncle Kai was filled with apprehension. “Since there was a first time, there will be a second time, and in order to avoid future troubles, won’t they try harder than the first time?”

There was no trace of fear on Bo Yueming’s face. He simply analyzed his current situation very clearly, “Grandma is now bedridden and unconscious, and that old man is completely biased toward the main branch. My eyesight is not yet clear, and it would be only a detriment with no benefits to reveal the situation too early.”

“Conversely, the news of my secret treatment will leak out, along with the news that my eyes have ‘not been getting better.’ Only when there are flaws will it appear to be true, and if there is no threat, they will not think about dealing with me thoroughly.”

If the main branch was in the dark but Bo Yueming was not, then from the day that his eyes were completely restored in secret, this situation would be completely reversed.

Bo Yueming clenched his fist, then released it. “Let them be proud, let them be brazen, and one day, I will get it all back with interest.”

Uncle Kai expressed his support in a low voice.

After all, the behavior of the main branch had really touched the bottom line. Who could let them go easily?

“It’s getting late, go back next door and rest. You need to accompany me to receive treatment tomorrow morning.” Bo Yueming thought of Pei Yi, who was still showering in the master bedroom and didn’t go further into the details.

“All right.”

Uncle Kai responded, and suddenly remembered something. “Second Young Master, you stayed with Little Sir last night, did you not have a good rest?”

“…….”

Bo Yueming was taken aback for a moment, thinking that Uncle Kai had noticed something.

After all, the “intimate” situation last night as something he had never experienced in more than twenty years of life, but after some thought, the other party should just be considering his living habits.

Bo Yueming stifled a cough. “It was fine, why?”

“I inquired with the manager before I returned, and there are vacant rooms in another courtyard nearby, or it could also be convenient to ask the hotel staff to move in another sofa bed. If you and Little Sir cannot get used to it, you can take advantage of this time……”

Before Uncle Kai could finish his proposal, Bo Yueming put a halt to the conversation. “In any case, it’s only a night or two. Don’t bother, we both rested pretty well.”

“…….”

Uncle Kai tried to find a trace of unusual affection from Bo Yueming’s expression, but failed. “Then, I’ll go back to the side room first. Second Young Master can call for me anytime if he needs something.”

“En.”

Uncle Kai sent Bo Yueming back to the door of the room, then turned and left.

. . . . . . 

Pei Yi, who had finished showering, was sitting at the head of the bed and using a disposable pet wipe to give Inspector a bath. Upon seeing Bo Yueming slowly entering the room, he stopped wiping.

“Meow~”

Inspector opened its eyes unsurely, as if still hoping that its master would rub it more.

Pei Yi removed the disposable gloves and threw them in the trash can along with the wipes, calling out tentatively, “Er-ge?”

He was unaccustomed at first, but familiar with it soon enough.

Bo Yueming was used to this address and didn’t stop until his calves touched the edge of the bed. “You’ve finished showering?”

Pei Yi hummed lightly, and after much deliberation, decided to ask a question. “……We, are we still together tonight?”

“What?”

“Where is the bed?” In order to maintain his cover, Pei Yi cherished words like gold. “You said, sleep separately.”

Bo Yueming finally regained his senses and remembered what he said last night: “I will ask the staff to arrange a small bed for you tomorrow.”

It was said that he was “foolish” and not sensible, but he clearly remembered this.

Bo Yueming was silent for a second or two, then said casually, “The other courtyards are full, and there are no extra cots that can be easily moved.”

“……”

Pei Yi frowned slightly upon hearing this.

Really?

How come when he took Inspector for a walk today, there were still several courtyards empty and unoccupied?

Bo Yueming didn’t wait for Pei Yi’s response, and thought he was still sulking because of dissatisfaction. “You are so unwilling to sleep in the same bed with me? Didn’t you sleep well last night?”

Bo Yueming paused for a second, then, with some unspeakable and subtle thoughts, teased him, “Your snoring was louder than Inspector’s.”

“…….”

Pei Yi was stunned, and a thin layer of red appeared on his face due to the surprise.

He snored in his sleep?

Impossible!

It took Pei Yi a long while to digest this ‘fact,’ and he mumbled, “I don’t.”

If they shared a bed, then they shared a bed. Anyway, neither of them would do anything to the other!

Besides, he had slept unexpectedly comfortably and soundly last night. If he really changed to another bed, it might not have the same effect.

Bo Yueming’s lips hooked up briefly, and he explored around to pick up his pajamas. “I’m going to wash up, you go to bed early.”

“Okay.”

When Bo Yueming entered the bathroom, Pei Yi patted his faintly hot cheeks. He moved back to the bed and covered himself with the blanket, then patted the empty space on the outside and whispered, “Inspector, come~”

Inspector looked at Pei Yi, then at the same position it was in last night, and turned around to jump off the bed, going into its cat nest without looking back.

“Meow-wu~”

“…….”

Pei Yi didn’t understand, and muttered, “Why aren’t you willing to sleep with me?”

Bo Yueming had already showered again after being interrupted by Lin Na in the afternoon, and it didn’t take much time to wash up before going to bed. Just like last night, he and Pei Yi each lay on the bed under the air-conditioned blanket.

Pei Yi went ahead and turned off the bedside lamp.

Click.

Once the light in the room vanished, Bo Yueming found that the light spots in his field of vision also went black. It was a good thing to be able to perceive changes in the external environment.

Bo Yueming’s mood became a little more relaxed, and he took the rare initiative to say, “Pei Yi, good night.”

In the darkness, Pei Yi was a little surprised, but politely responded, “Good night, Er-ge.”

The bedroom returned to silence.

Bo Yueming was not in a hurry to sleep tonight. He thought about what he should do if Pei Yi treated him like a pillow again in his sleep.

The slightly breathing of the two people undulated and blended in the dark night.

Then Pei Yi took the first step and fell asleep peacefully, and last night’s situation did not reoccur.

After waiting for an unknown amount of time, Bo Yueming slowly turned to the left. He opened his eyes and gazed into the darkness, and a little disappointment that even he didn’t notice passed through his heart—

This person.

Why was he sleeping so honestly tonight?

. . . . . .

Bo Yueming and his party stayed at the resort for three days in total. As for the follow-up conservative treatment, he could choose to continue it in a private medical institution in the Imperial Capital, and Professor Lin would come forward to help represent him.

Bo Yueming, Pei Yi, and the others had just returned to the small villa by two o’clock in the afternoon, and before everyone could take a breath, an uninvited guest appeared at the door.

“Yueming, where have you been these few days? I’ve been looking forward to having you back.”

Bo Guancheng stepped straight into the main room of the villa. His eyes fell on the light suitcase that Uncle Kai had not yet packed away, and a sneer flashed across his face.

Bo Yueming easily recognized his voice, and calmly said, “Why is Dage looking for me? There was nothing to do at home, so I took Pei Yi out on a whim to relieve boredom.”

“Really?”

Having already inquired about the situation, Bo Guancheng naturally did not believe his words, and said with a chuckle, “I thought Second Brother didn’t trust the diagnosis of Dijing Hospital, so he ran to have another doctor look at his eyes.”

What was the use in finding one?

If they could be cured, why come back in despair after only two or three days?

Pei Yi couldn’t get used to Bo Guancheng’s face, so he raised a middle finger silently in his heart to show his respect.

Bo Yueming let a trace of frustration and powerlessness leak out at just the right time, and “forcibly” cheered up again. “Dage, why did you come to see me?”

“There is an urgent matter.”

Bo Guancheng approached and handed over the invitation letter in his hand. “The government-led project in the Yuandi Commercial District has been successfully won by our Bo family. Grandpa is very satisfied.”

“…….”

With the tone of a leader, Bo Guancheng invited with a smile, “This weekend, I plan to hold a celebration banquet to reward all the staff of this project team, and invite some big names to see if there is any opportunity to expand projects in other fields. Would you like to attend?”

Assistant Lin Zhong, who was standing at the side, changed his expression. He had to suppress it again, however, and could only feel aggrieved for Bo Yueming in his heart.

The project in the Yuandi Commercial District was the top priority of the Imperial Capital circle for the past two years. Bo Yueming was in full charge of the early stages, and even in the first round of bidding, they entered with an absolute advantage.

As a result, not long after Bo Yueming’s eye accident happened, Old Mr. Bo transferred the project to Bo Guancheng.

It was obviously Bo Yueming who had given it his all, but in the end, it was Bo Guancheng who ate up all the dividends and praises. Lin Zhong saw this and was aggrieved!

Bo Guancheng handed the invitation letter to Bo Yueming again, as if he didn’t dare to take credit for it. “Yueming, you have always contributed to this project, and I don’t think this celebration banquet can go on without you.”

He spoke very nicely.

This was just taking out the invitation letter with the attitude of its organizer. Wasn’t this just a way of flaunting it?

Bo Yueming grasped the invitation letter with his fingertips and took it lightly. “Thanking Dage for his concern. I will certainly be there on time for this celebration banquet.”

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

They had to travel with a light cavalry. The horse-drawn carriage could not drive along the winding path, and although Liu Xian’an’s short-legged pony was dexterous and its stamina was not low, it walked very slow, plod, plod, plod, plod, making time stretch to infinity. Therefore, Hua Pingye found a new brown horse for him. Its legs were as long as Xuan Jiao’s, but its personality was a bit arrogant and it would kick up when it saw anyone.

Gao Lin was speechless: “It’s hard for you to sit on this ancestor yourself, but you’ll make Second Young Master Liu ride it?”

Hua Pingye was also surprised: “It won’t work? But Second Young Master Liu can even ride Xuan Jiao, I thought he was a master horse trainer.”

While the two were talking, Liu Xian’an next to them was startled by the brown horse and took two steps back. A dead root hooked his ankle, and he almost fell into the mud.

Liang Shu caught him in time and casually put him on Xuan Jiao: “Sit well, you ride this one.”

Liu Xian’an grabbed the saddle with both hands: “……Okay.”

Liang Shu turned around and mounted the brown horse. He tightened the reins in one hand and angrily reprimanded it in a low voice: “Behave!”

The brown horse took two disobedient steps back. Although it still looked unwilling, it didn’t act like a demon again in the end. It stamped its hooves on the spot without making a sound.

A-Ning fastened his pack tightly and climbed onto a big horse. What he experienced and heard along the way had changed his state of mind a little. He had become more mature and sensible, and had lost some weight. His originally childish face had lost its baby fat, and with the addition of a pointed chin, his whole person looked like a willow in spring, growing more and more.

The group of people galloped away from Cuiqiu City at the break of dawn.

The refugees outside the city gate were awakened by the neighing of the horses, and opened their heavy eyelids one after another. They watched in a daze as the fog-shrouded team disappeared in an instant, as if they were riding the wind.

. . . . . .

There were quite a few refugees gathered along the way when they first left the city, but after traveling for a few days, the number became less and less. After meeting a family of five in ragged clothes, the guards went over to inquire about the situation. The young man said: “It is said that the master of Cuiqiu City won’t open the city gate. It’s useless to go there, and people can only starve to death in the mountains and forests, so everyone went to Sanshui City, where there is food to eat.”

If they didn’t eat, they would die, but if they rebelled, they may not be able to live. When a person was in a desperate situation, when their only extravagant dream was “survive,” it was not easy to think about whether the food in Sanshui City was contaminated by the blood of other people. They didn’t consider whether there were innocent people among the officials and soldiers who were mobbed and besieged by them.

There was chaos not only in the world, but also in peoples’ hearts. Liu Xian’an said to A-Ning: “There is only one family, so it won’t cause looting. Go and give them some food.”

A-Ning took out a stack of dry biscuits from the bag, wrapped them up, and handed them to the young man: “Cuiqiu City will not open its doors again in the short term, and the people in the city also have no rice left to eat. Save some of this food on the way, and you should be able to make it to Wanhe City, where the situation is much better.”

The young man seemed to think he was dreaming, and his wife was also wiping away tears. A-Ning repeatedly urged: “You must hide the food well along the way, and don’t eat it in front of others. Also, don’t be soft-hearted and distribute it to other refugees. Otherwise, not only will you not be able to save others, but you will also be unable to save yourselves.”

The family of five thanked them repeatedly, and continued on to the other side of the mountain road.

Liang Shu asked Liu Xian’an: “You taught him?”

Liu Xian’an shook his head: “I didn’t need to teach him.”

“That’s how it is,” Liang Shu said. “Only in a peaceful and prosperous age can a foolish son be raised. Once you see peoples’ hearts a few times in a troubled world, all your innocence will disappear.”

Liu Xian’an first said: “Then what the prince wants in this life is to let Dayan produce more fools?” Aftering thinking about it again, he said, “But that isn’t a bad thing. As long as they are not treacherous and evil, there will be more foolish and mischievous pampered young masters walking their birds and holding cricket fights all day long. This is also suitable for the words ‘prosperous age.’”

After all, prosperous was prosperous, and people would naturally want to be more leisurely. Liang Shu also felt that after what Liu Xian’an said, the little government officials in Wangcheng seemed to become a little bit cute. Of course, they still had to be beaten up, and after the beating, they would be released as auspicious decorations in a peaceful and prosperous world.

One day, they met a little girl in the mountains. She was filthy all over, like a skinny monkey, and only her eyes were big and bright. A-Ning wiped her face and gave her some food. At first, he thought the child was abandoned by the refugees, and was worrying about what to do with her when a woman hurried out of the woods. She dragged the little girl back to her side and ran, pulling her by the wrist.

“Auntie, please slow down, we are not bad people!” A-Ning said hastily, “Your daughter’s foot is sprained.”

A guard flew over to stop them, and the woman looked terrified, constantly trembling. A-Ning coaxed her nicely for a long time before her soul returned to her. The woman stammered that she was from Xiaozhao Village. A few days ago, a group of soldiers broke into the village and said that they wanted to collect military rations. Many people were killed, so the remaining villagers had to hide in the mountains.

Gao Lin inwardly cursed. This bastard.

There were nothing more than two possibilities —

The first was that the refugees pretended to be from the garrison to burn, kill, and loot, which was considered a dereliction of duty by Lu Xiang.

The second was that the garrison was really so arrogant, and took advantage of the instability of the world to massacre the people and fill their own pockets, which was even more a dereliction of duty by Lu Xiang.

According to what the woman said, the group of soldiers did not leave after stealing things. Instead, they lived in Xiaozhao Village openly and blatantly. A while ago, a brave young man went down to look and found that they were still there.

Liu Xian’an said: “Go further down this mountain bend, and we should be at Xiaozhao Village before midnight.”

“Let’s go.” Liang Shu turned his horse’s head. “We’ll see where the beasts came from.”

A-Ning covertly glanced at the prince’s expression and felt……that group of ruffians might only live until midnight.

He bandaged the little girl’s injury and hurriedly followed.

Liu Xian’an and A-Ning’s riding skills had been practiced very well so far, and they did not hinder the progress of the army. When the night was dark, everyone smoothly arrived at Xiaozhao Village and saw a waving flag at the village entrance with the pattern of Dayan’s garrison painted on it. Several soldiers were patrolling back and forth, guarding a bright campfire, and there was wine and meat on the table to keep the cold at bay. One person moved a chair over and sat down, pulling over a bone casually. He ate a couple of bites, likely thought it didn’t taste good, and threw it to a mad dog next to him.

The mad dog yanked the iron chain, scattering the campfire, and a burning log rolled along the ground, illuminating a new area. Liu Xian’an’s pupils shrank slightly. Only then did he realize that there was a person tied up on the other side of the chain. He was lying motionless on the ground, his hair disheveled, and there were many dark brown marks on his body, like dried blood.

Perhaps smelling the scent of meat, he raised his head just barely and looked at the mad dog. The soldiers laughed loudly and deliberately threw another piece of meat to the dog. Stepping on his back, they pulled his hair and forced him to fight the dog for food.

“Are you going to eat or not? Aren’t you hungry? Eat, ah!” The soldiers continued to mock and humiliate him, and pulled out a whip to lash him. Just as one raised it, there was a crack from his arm, and his whole body fell back. He screamed where he lay on the ground.

“Not even as good as beasts.” Gao Lin released his hand and looked at the group of scum in front of him. “I didn’t know Dayan still had soldiers like you.”

“Who are you?” The soldiers touched their swords vigilantly. Perhaps seeing that this group of people were well-dressed and unlike ordinary people, they did not act rashly, and only warned, “We are the Yongzi Battalion under Jiang-daren’s command, and we were ordered to raise military rations here. I advise you not to meddle in our business.”

“Jiang-daren, which Jiang-daren, Jiang Tao or Jiang Zhongqi?”

“Neither…..it’s Jiang-daren Jiang Wei.”

“A low-level official, not even qualified for the prince to know his name, but you have raised a group of trash to bully the common people.” Gao Lin grew angry when he heard this and motioned for his subordinates to rescue the young man first. A-Ning saw that he seemed to be starving so he tore off a piece of meat left on the table, but the young man kept his mouth shut, refusing to eat it. He said: “This…..is my dog, which was killed by them.”

A-Ning’s hands froze. Unable to bear it, he hurriedly removed the meat and went to the carriage to procure some food.

Liu Xian’an fed the young man a few sips of water. At the other end, Gao Lin had already kicked the group of soldiers to pieces, clearing a path. When Liang Shu stepped into the village, the movement and screams at the village entrance had awakened many people. They ran out dazed from sleep, and before they could figure out what was going on, they were all captured by the guards of Xiao Wang Palace. There were a total of thirty-six people, with official documents and approvals, four squares and a big, bright red seal. They really were Dayan’s official garrison.

Therefore, it was even more hateful than refugees pretending. Refugees would commit evil due to their lives being on the line. This group of people, with salaries from the empire, bullied the common people of the Imperial court and truly deserved to die.

There were still some imprisoned villagers in the village, mostly young women. It could be seen that this group of bastards were half a point evil and didn’t intend to improve. The young man was the son of the village chief, named A-Yong. Before, he had shielded many people fleeing for their lives along the small road and stayed behind himself, thinking of dying with the culprits, but in the end, he was weak and alone, and suffered many humiliations these few days.

Gao Lin kicked a groaning man on the ground: “How many teams like yours have been dispatched in total?”

“We – we only know that Jiang-daren sent a total of three teams, and the rest of the battalions are almost the same. If you want to fight a war, the first thing you must do is collect rations, and you have to be fast, so someone else doesn’t get to them first.”

Two levels above Jiang Wei’s head was Jiang Tao, another level up was Jiang Zhongqi, and another level up was Lu Xiang. Even Jiang Wei, whose name was never heard of, could send out three teams. If the entire garrison was released, wouldn’t the common people in a hundred li radius be so disturbed that they would not be safe for a day?

And the garrison should not be short of food at all. No one knew this better than Liang Shu, so no one was angrier than him. The rescued young women were still weeping, and the young man’s legs and feet had been tortured until his bones were exposed. Liang Shu closed his eyes tightly and said: “Throw them all to feed the wolves.”

“Yes!”

Guards dragged these soldiers on the ground and walked toward the outside of the village. The screams and pleas for mercy gradually vanished into the depths of the night. Gao Lin said to A-Yong: “Little brother, you did well, but we must hurry. We can’t stay to protect this village. There may be similar thieves in the future, so you must decide whether you want to take the rest of the people into the mountains or stay here.”

“I know.” The young man panted hoarsely. “I’ll discuss it with Grandpa.”

“Good,” Gao Lin said. “Take care.”

“Big brother!” The young man stopped him and hesitantly looked out of the courtyard. “I just heard you say Xiao……”

Gao Lin patted him on the shoulder: “You rest assured, the prince will definitely get justice for the common people.”

---

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

Because Zhao Xuan was still in a coma, morning court was temporarily suspended, and the two of them stayed in bed until noon.

After Yan Mingting finished his meal, Zhao Yelan dragged him to find a doctor. From the Imperial physicians in the palace to the barefoot doctors among the common people, he questioned them one by one, and the more he questioned, the more hopeless he became.

Zhao Yelan grew angry at the sight of them shaking their heads and sighing, and smashed up several shops. Yan Mingting followed behind and spoke well of compensation.

“They’re all rubbish! Quack doctors!” Zhao Yelan walked back in a fury.

Yan Mingting coaxed him with a few words, but to no avail. He tugged Zhao Yelan’s sleeve, pointed to the small stall next to them, and said: “Mengting, I want to eat that rice cake.”

Zhao Yelan stopped and bought him two rice cakes: “What else do you want to eat?”

“I want to eat roasted peanuts!”

The two went to the shop to buy roasted peanuts, and when they got home, they ate a big bag of them, somewhat overwhelmed. Zhao Yelan woke up thirsty in the middle of the night and found that Yan Mingting was not in the room, so he looked around in a panic and saw a light on in the kitchen. As soon as he walked to the door, he was choked by a cloud of thick smoke.

“Why are you up?” Yan Mingting asked.

“What are you doing?” Zhao Yelan walked in while covering his mouth and nose, and pulled him away from the stove.

“I wanted to make some stuffed steamed buns for you. I just don’t believe it won’t be successful. It’s only that this smoke…..is too choking, cough cough cough cough!” Yan Mingting quickly ran out and coughed a few times before returning to see that Zhao Yelan was holding the tongs, taking a few pieces of firewood out and burying them in the pile of ashes next to him.

“You don’t light it like this, some space should be left in the middle. If you add too much firewood, it will definitely not ignite.”

The smoke became thinner and gradually dissipated, and the fire began to ignite. Yan Mingting looked at him in surprise: “You can light cooking fires?”

“What’s so difficult about it? I lit them every day when I was a child.” Zhao Yelan raised his head as he spoke.

Yan Mingting stared intently at his face smeared with black and his eyes still red from the smoke, and couldn’t help laughing: “Hahahaha!”

Zhao Yelan’s expression darkened, and after setting up the firewood, he went to wash his face. Then he went to take a look at Yan Mingting kneading the dough.

“Can you do this too?” Yan Mingting asked.

“No, kneading the dough was my father’s job.”

“I can do it, hehe,” Yan Mingting said proudly. Intending to show off his kneading skills, he kneaded vigorously a few times and the cutting board flew out.

“……”

“……”

“I’m beginning to wonder if you picked up those buns off the floor that I ate before?”

“How is that possible! This time was just a small mistake!”

“Is the filling ready?”

“Not yet, ba.”

“Let me do it.”

“Aiya, ancestor! You be careful with that knife. Let me do it, you leave it alone.”

After working for a long time, the dough and fillings were ready. Yan Mingting moved over two small benches and said, “Let’s do the filling.”

The two sat at the small table in the kitchen, and Yan Mingting taught him step by step how to make the little pouches. Zhao Yelan looked at that pair of hands accustomed to holding a sword awkwardly cradling the bun, a very serious expression on his face, and the corners of his mouth curled up subconsciously.

When the rooster crowed, a few servants got up and came to the kitchen to prepare breakfast. Seeing the two masters standing by the stove, staring at the pot in a daze, they couldn’t help asking, “My Lord, General, what are you doing?”

“Hush,” Yang Mingting said seriously. “Keep it down.”

The servant automatically covered his mouth, walked in lightly, and then heard Zhao Yelan say as he turned his head to stare at the oven: “It’s time, hurry up.”

Yan Mingting quickly and nimbly lifted the tray, and a gust of hot air rushed toward his face.

The servant went over to take a look, and saw about twenty buns steaming in the pot.

“……” That’s it?!

“I’ll taste it first.” Yan Mingting reached in directly and took one. It was a little hot, and he tossed it in the air a few times. Only then did he hold it firmly and take a bite. His eyes lit up, and he boasted: “It’s even better than my previous ones! You try it.”

“Really?” Zhao Yelan lowered his head and took a bite. The taste was indeed better, but it was still far inferior to Mingji’s buns. “Not bad, this time it was a success.”

“That’s great.” Yan Mingting found a food box and packed the twenty or so buns, leading Zhao Yelan back to the room excitedly. “Let’s go eat buns.”

The servants: “…….”

In the morning, Kan Chuan came to the mansion. This was not only to discuss the emperor’s critical illness with Zhao Yelan, but also for the sake of Yan Mingting’s body. Everyone knew about such a big event, and spared no effort to help search all over the country for a good doctor. 

The two talked in a room for more than half an hour, when Zhao Yelan suddenly saw a red string hanging against his chest and asked, “What is that?”

“A safety talisman. Li Niang asked for it for me at Lingyun Temple.” Kan Chuan said, “Didn’t she also ask for one for you?”

Zhao Yelan nodded: “Does it work?”

“It’s only for peace of mind. This thing is all about faith. A few days ago, the child was crying all the time, and I also had a small physical problem, so she went to ask for amulets for the whole family. As a result, both my child and I got better. She insisted that it was because of the safety talismans, so I went along with her. After all, it was her good intentions.” Kan Chuan said with a smile, “She just asked for them from the bottom of the mountain, so they won’t be so useful.”

Zhao Yelan was silent for a moment, then asked again: “What’s wrong with getting them from the bottom of the mountain? Are they not effective?”

“They aren’t bad, it’s just that I’ve heard if you go up the mountain to ask, it will be more effective due to the difficulty of the road, and the nine gods and Buddhas will bless them.”

After the afternoon meal, Yan Mingting passed out again unexpectedly, and Yao Muze administered acupuncture in the room. Zhao Yelan looked on for a while, then called Xiao Gao to go out.

Lingyun Temple was not located in the capital, but in the neighboring county, where incense flourished and there were many believers. A great many people came to the foot of the mountain to seek marriage and safety. Zhao Yelan asked someone to inquire, and many people said that they were effective here, especially if you could walk up the mountain and enter the temple. The gods and Buddha would see your sincerity, and your wishes would be more easily realized.

But so many people remained at the bottom of the mountain because the temple was very high. There were three thousand steps, and the terrain was steep and rugged. Ordinary people would lose half their lives just climbing up.

The monks guarding the foot of the mountain said that the road should not be abandoned halfway, and there was no turning back. If you were not sincere, you would be blamed by the gods and Buddha, so most people were satisfied to worship at the temple at the foot of the mountain.

Xiao Gao looked up at the steep mountain road and said worriedly: “My Lord, you really want to go up? How about I go for you?”

However, as soon as he spoke, Zhao Yelan had already taken the first step.

Wasn’t it just three thousand steps? What was there to fear?

Xiao Gao had followed him and served him for many years, and knew his lord’s physical fitness best. Even Yan Mingting only dared to make him run five laps at the most when he took him out to exercise. These three thousand steps would kill his lord.

However, he couldn’t stop him, and was unable to do anything but watch his lord climb up slowly and stubbornly.

Halfway through the journey, Zhao Yelan’s vision was a little blurred and he stumbled on the ground, but was fortunate to catch himself on the tree next to him and avoid falling down, giving Xiao Gao a fright.

He gazed up the stairway whose end still could not be seen. The sky had already darkened, so he continued to move as if he could no longer feel the pain, just climbing numbly and relying on only one belief to keep him moving on.

As night fell, the two of them climbed in the dark for an unknown amount of time. Xiao Gao called: “My Lord, let’s take a break and eat something.”

Zhao Yelan didn’t dare to stop. He feared that if he stopped, his body would never get up again, and he was even more afraid of wasting time. After being out for so long, he didn’t know if Yan Mingting had woken up. He must have been very worried when he found out he was not at home. He had to return sooner.

Xiao Gao couldn’t persuade him, so he just continued to climb along with him. To be honest, even he, who was adept in martial arts, felt very tired now.

When climbing the last leg, Zhao Yelan was already a little delirious. Rubbing his hands on the steps, he murmured that he was almost there, that he would be able to go back to see Yan Mingting immediately.

When reaching the last step, Xiao Gao cried, sobbing loudly: “Wuwuwuwu My Lord, we’re here! We’re finally here!”

The corners of Zhao Yelan’s mouth twitched, and as soon as he took a step forward, his knees gave way weakly and he fell directly to the ground.

“My Lord!”

“Quickly……take me in quickly,” Zhao Yelan said in a hoarse voice.

Xiao Gao helped him walk into the temple, and felt that the other’s legs seemed almost unable to walk at all. He practically dragged him in.

It was almost midnight now, and there were still monks chanting scriptures in the temple. Seeing them coming, they asked, “Why did the benefactors come so late at night?”

“I want to seek safety for one person,” Zhao Yelan said.

“Follow me this way, please.” A monk led them into the main hall in the rear. The Buddha statue was majestic and silent, but it seemed they could hear the chanting and prayers of the monks outside.

Zhao Yelan knelt down before the statue, slowly raised his eyes, and clasped his hands together, saying piously: “Before, I didn’t believe in gods or Buddha, and never paid homage to you because you never gave me faith. People in the world say heaven has eyes, and that good and evil are rewarded. I did all of the wicked things, so why should the people around me be hurt? I’m not defending or praying for myself, I just beg you to see Yan Mingting.”

“He has never done anything evil in his life, ah.”

“His Yan family has been loyal and good for generations, and he has risked his life for the people of this country. Living on the battlefield for half his life, he has never shown the slightest selfishness. He, Yan Mingting, defeated Mongolia in the north and conquered Nanjiang in the south. One sword brought order to the land. Is it because he is too good, so you all are jealous of a talent?”

“If you can rescue him, I will definitely do more good deeds and worship you more in the future. But if not, I will trample you gods down. Good and evil will be rewarded, what kind of scrap metal gods and Buddhas can’t open their eyes!”

“Benefactor, be careful!” The monk hastily stopped him, and was about to take him away when a figure suddenly appeared beside him.

“Mengting.”

Hearing the voice, Zhao Yelan was startled and quickly turned his head to look over. Yan Mingting stepped forward and bent down to embrace him.

After feeling that warm embrace, Zhao Yelan smiled: “You’re awake.”

“En, when I woke up, I found that you were gone. Uncle Qin said you were here,” Yan Mingting said.

“Are you dizzy?” Zhao Yelan looked up and patted his head.

“Not dizzy.” Yan Mingting looked into his eyes and thought of him climbing here himself, and his eyes turned red uncontrollably. When he was outside the door and heard what he said, his chest was boiling hot. He bowed his head to kiss the other’s lips: “Mengting, heaven is not jealous of talents, I just love you too much. They are jealous that I can be loved by you, so they want to take me away.”

Seeing the two kissing in front of the Buddha statue, the monk went pale in shock, and was about to stop them when Xiao Gao covered his mouth and took him out.

Originally, benefactors who came to the temple to worship Buddha sincerely would be prepared a meal, but the monk felt that they were not sincere, so he canceled their meal.

When the presiding monk heard that it was General Yan, he scolded him for his ignorance, then personally led a group of monks to the main hall and saw that they were still kissing. He hurriedly covered his eyes and retreated, ordering the others in embarrassment: “Go and prepare the vegetarian meal, and remind them later.”

“Yes.”

After the two had eaten, the presiding monk approached and asked if they needed to stay for the night before leaving. Zhao Yelan’s original plan was to go back and see Yan Mingting after worshiping, but since Yan Mingting had come after him, it didn’t matter if he returned or not.

“All right, we’ll go tomorrow.” Yan Mingting took Zhao Yelan’s body into consideration, and after they rested, he massaged him. Zhao Yelan complained of pain wherever he touched, but couldn’t walk at all in the end.

“It seems you must carry me down the mountain,” Zhao Yelan said.

“All right, I’m willing to carry you all my life.” Yan Mingting bowed and kissed him. It got out of control again, but the other was in pain all over his body, so they just continued to kiss.

The next day, the three set off down the mountain. Yan Mingting descended with him on his back and walked very slowly, spending most of the time admiring the scenery along the way.

They couldn’t go outside the city to enjoy the flowers this spring, so they made up for it here. Whenever Yan Mingting saw any flowers or plants, he would ask him what they were. Zhao Yelan explained them to him tirelessly, and when he encountered something he didn’t know, he would say it was a red flower, green leaves, or a big tree.

Xiao Gao laughed heartily when he heard this from behind, and after laughing, he couldn’t help falling into long-term worries — if only they could stay like this forever.

Halfway down the mountain, the three of them sat down to rest for a while. Yan Mingting went to the side to pick a large bouquet of wildflowers. He inserted the most beautiful one into Zhao Yelan’s hair, and gave the rest to him.

Zhao Yelan held the flowers in one hand, with one hand around his neck, laying carefully on his back. He looked down the mountain and said: “You slow down a little, I’m afraid.”

“You won’t be afraid if you call for your husband.”

“…….”

When they returned to the capital, it was already dusk. After the three of them descended the mountain, they hired a carriage to return to the General’s Mansion. Yan Mingting carried him off the carriage and crouched down in front of him again. 

“It’s such a short distance, just help me inside,” Zhao Yelan said.

Yan Mingting insisted on carrying him in, so Zhao Yelan had no choice but to obey him and lie against his back.

However, just a few steps away, he heard someone shouting in the distance: “General, General Yan, Zhao-daren!”

Yan Mingting turned and saw Yao Muze running over in a hurry, followed by a panting old man.

“What is the matter?”

“You’re back!” Yao Muze panted heavily, pointed to the old man behind him, and said, “General, you are saved! Haven’t you been sending people to search for Master’s traces? They found him, this is my master!”

Yan Mingting and Zhao Yelan looked at the old man following him in simultaneous surprise.

“Master went to Nanjiang two years ago, so he lost contact all this time. He also met a very powerful witch doctor in Nanjiang who has thoroughly studied the poisons there! What’s more, that witch doctor just happened to come to Beijing with him this time, and he can detoxify you!” Yao Muze said excitedly.

Yan Mingting’s pupils slowly dilated, and he subconsciously went to hug Zhao Yelan. He turned around in place, overjoyed: “Mengting! Where is Mengting? Where did you go?”

“……On your back.” Zhao Yelan was about to be dizzy because of him.

---

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

Looking at the simple compound, there was modern testing equipment all over it. This convalescent resort had always had always focused on recuperation and recovery after illness, and the medical team currently in the room was hired by Bo Yueming from abroad with a great deal of money.

A thin-looking expert held the newly released brain CT and eye examination results, and was a little surprised. “Mr. Bo, your situation is different from what I expected.”

Uncle Kai, who had accompanied Bo Yueming to the examination, panicked. “Professor Lin, what do you mean by that?”

“Uncle Kai.”

Bo Yueming stopped him in a low voice, then took a shallow breath and asked unobtrusively, “Professor Lin, whether it’s good or bad, you can speak up.”

Professor Lin flicked the test results and analyzed: “It’s like this, the reason Mr. Bo suffers from visual impairment and blindness is because the car accident caused a cerebral hemorrhage, and the resulting blood clot compressed the visual center…..”

“Because the position of the blood clot is more remote, it is difficult to remove surgically.”

Bo Yueming was silent. He had been aware of this conclusion at the beginning, otherwise, it would be impossible for him to spend manpower and material resources to invite experts from abroad.

To put it bluntly, he hoped that the experienced Professor Lin and his team could perform the surgery.

“I have seen the images of Mr. Bo’s previous examinations and compared them with the results of the examination just now, and the blood clot has visibly decreased in size.”

“…….”

Bo Yueming’s thin lips were tightly pursed. “You mean, the blood clot will be absorbed and eliminated by itself?”

“From the current examination results, this appears to be the case.” Professor Lin paused, then continued to speak, “Compared with the high-risk surgery, would Mr. Bo consider continuing conservative treatment?”

“As for whether the blood clot will disappear completely and if your vision will recover after its disappearance, I cannot make a guarantee for the time being. We can only make a conclusion based on the follow-up treatment.”

Following the doctor’s words, Uncle Kai’s expression changed from worry to joy.

Bo Yueming was not in a hurry to express his opinion. He silently perceived the spots of light that had appeared in his vision—

It was like turning into a butterfly flapping its wings. At last, a crack had opened up in the atrium that had been clouded over for months, and the miasma of depression scrambled to escape and dissipate through it.

Professor Lin was awaiting his reply. “Mr. Bo?”

“We won’t do the surgery for now.”

Bo Yueming took a breath, confident and determined. “Let’s continue conservative treatment, plus regular checkups.”

Professor Lin respected Bo Yueming’s primary opinion as the patient, and nodded. “However, I still recommend that you use the external help of the instruments and wait for two days for observation.”

“All right.”

. . . . . . 

When bidding farewell to the medical team and walking out of the hall, Uncle Kai revealed his true emotions. “Second Young Master, have you really thought about it?”

Although the operation was dangerous, Professor Lin’s success rate was very high. Otherwise, they would not have spent so much money to invite this medical team in the first place.

“Uncle Kai, don’t worry. I know what I’m doing.” Bo Yueming put a stop to his unmentioned worries. “In fact, I noticed a few days ago that my eyes are improving, but I didn’t say anything.”

Uncle Kai had always trusted Bo Yueming, and hearing that he had made up his mind, he breathed a sigh of relief.

The two of them walked some distance away, and Uncle Kai suddenly recalled something. “Aiyo, Second Young Master, wait a moment! Look at my mind, I’m getting more and more confused. Your guide glasses are on still on the table.”

Bo Yueming paused in his footsteps and didn’t blame him. “Go, I’ll wait here for you.”

Uncle Kai smiled and made an affirmative hum, then hurriedly turned back.

Bo Yueming stood quietly on the spot, and unconsciously, everything that happened when he went to bed last night appeared in his mind—

Pei Yi in his arms clung to him with both hands and feet like a cat. The exposed skin was delicate and warm, and soft hair brushed indiscriminately against his lips, carrying a soft after-shower scent.

Light and sweet.

Before marriage, Bo Yueming never paid attention to the existence of “Little Young Master Pei,” not to mention remembering what the other person looked like. But after getting along for this period of time, he could already imagine Pei Yi’s appearance. Innocent and ignorant, but inadvertently revealing his own cunning.

Shouldn’t he be……even more than the little white cat he raised before……cute?

In an instant, a panicked female voice sounded.

“—Ah!”

Bo Yueming felt a sudden weight in his arms. Immersed in his imagination, he was unprepared, and could only take two steps back under the force of the impact before barely managing to stand still.

Someone had fallen into his arms!

In just a few seconds, Bo Yueming’s nose was filled with a strong citrus scent, so sweet that he couldn’t get used to it.

Bo Yueming quickly took the initiative to retreat, frowning as he kept away from this unknown visitor. “Who is it?”

“A-apologies.”

A delicate female voice sounded, shy and embarrassed. “I’m wearing high heels and suddenly couldn’t stand upright.”

Bo Yueming’s eyes shifted slightly, and he didn’t respond directly.

In the next second, Uncle Kai jogged back. “Second Young Master, what is the matter? Is this lady……”

“I don’t know her, let’s go.”

Bo Yueming interrupted neatly, walking away with Uncle Kai’s guidance.

The long-haired woman who was ignored froze in place. She stared at Bo Yueming’s departing back and murmured in surprise, “He’s so good-looking, but I didn’t expect that he would be blind?”

In the blink of an eye, all the shyness and surprise on her face dissipated, to be replaced by calculation—

That’s right, who among the rich people who came here had nothing wrong with them?

But it is better to be blind, ah, so that it was convenient for her to make a move!

. . . . . .

Bo Yueming and Uncle Kai returned to the main house of the independent villa. In the tidy living room, there was only Lin Zhong handling his work with his computer in his lap.

“Mr. Bo, you’re back? How are the test results?”

“They’re fine,” Bo Yueming said conservatively. He looked around and asked, “Where is Little Sir? Is he still in the bedroom?”

Lin Zhong shook his head and reported to Bo Yueming, “ Little Sir had lunch with me and Driver Fu. He insisted that it is pleasantly cool in the mountains and wanted to take the cat out for a walk.”

Bo Yueming was mystified. “A walk?”

Uncle Kai followed with a smile. “Does Little Sir treat Inspector as a dog?”

Lin Zhong laughed and then coughed, continuing, “This resort is built in the cool mountains, and we dared not stop Little Sir, so we could only let him go. But Lao Fu feared that something might happen to him alone, so he followed quietly behind. It’s only been about ten minutes since he went out, so I suppose he might want to play for a while.”

Bo Yueming let out a breath, saying with a half smile, “He is rather happy to be idle.”

He had enough sleep last night and ate lunch at noon, and now he knew how to take the cat out for a walk.

Uncle Kai and Lin Zhong glanced at each other, unable to grasp the meaning of Bo Yueming’s words for a while. “Second Young Master? You didn’t eat much at noon, shall we send someone to bring over food?”

“No need. You both go back to the side room and rest. I’ll take a shower and sleep in a while.”

He hated the smell of strong perfume, and if he got some on him, he had to change his clothes and take a shower. Not to mention, he was troubled by Pei Yi last night and was very sleepy now.

“Okay, then call for us directly if you need anything.”

Uncle Kai sent Bo Yueming to the door of the main room and took out a change of clothes for him. After making these arrangements, he was willing to leave.

Bo Yueming had long become accustomed to being blind and was able to take care of himself the best he could. He took a quick shower, put on his clothes, and lay back on the bed.

The soft air-conditioning blanket still carried a faint scent, which should have come from Pei Yi’s body. Bo Yueming didn’t dislike it, and it was enough for him to forget that sweet and cloying smell.

There were the occasional crisp notes of birdsong outside the courtyard, accompanied by the rustling of trees.

Perhaps because his eyes were gradually improving, Bo Yueming lost his vigilance for a rare moment, and after lying down, he fell asleep inadvertently.

After an unknown amount of time, the door opened slightly.

The drowsy Bo Yueming thought it was Pei Yi who had returned from his walk, and did not wake up immediately to respond.

“……”

Until the air was once again filled with that nauseatingly sweet citrus smell. The neckline of his bathrobe was pulled open, and Bo Yueming’s delayed vigilance promptly returned. Noticing the strange movements, he raised his eyes in a firm, swift manner—

Pa!

Bo Yueming’s intentionally wayward wrist was frighteningly cold, “What are you doing?”

“Ah…..”

The woman who snuck in was caught in his gaze, and was so frightened that her heart beat out of control. She reacted a little slowly, and explained, “S-sir, I’m an employee of the resort. I, I thought there was nobody in the room and came to clean it.”

How could Bo Yueming believe her nonsense? The cold light in his eyes flickered slightly. “So you just came in?”

“I’m really sorry, I’ve disturbed your rest.” While responding in a sweet voice, the woman approached Bo Yueming, attempting to push her exquisite figure into his arms. Her eyes were full of confidence that she was about to succeed.

Lin Na had gone out to start making a living a long time ago.

Three months past, she learned about the existence of this health resort from a friend. It was said that those who came here to recuperate were rich people, and as long as she was clever and enough to their tastes, it would definitely not be difficult to find the right time to seize some riches.

Her friend had fallen into the eyes of a wealthy businessman, and she didn’t have to worry about anything in terms of food and clothing.

Seeing this, Lin Na, who was even more beautiful, was jealous and ready to give it a try. So she gained access to this convalescent resort to do volunteer work, but it was a pity that her wish was not fulfilled—

Since coming here, she had been able to meet some rich old men and ladies every day, but these old people were used to a good life, and each of them were fastidious and cunning. Not only that, but she hadn’t seen many men under the age of forty!

After a long time, Lin Na was so angry that she wanted to give up and leave!

Today, she had managed to catch such a top-quality Bo Yueming. Even if it was just a short-term pastime, it was likely that she could get a lot of benefits afterwards. At that time, even if she was fired or ran away, it wouldn’t be a big deal.

Thinking of this, Lin Na stuck to him more forcefully.

She couldn’t believe it!

How many men in the world could resist this kind of temptation?

. . . . . .

Leading Inspector on a leash, Pei Yi walked slowly around the pedestrian greenway at the outermost periphery of the convalescent resort. He knew that the driver, Lao Fu, had been sneaking along behind, but pretended not to notice. They wandered around for nearly forty minutes, one person and one cat, before returning to the main house where they resided.

As soon as he stepped through the door, Pei Yi heard a woman’s delicate voice coming from the master bedroom.

“……”

Was it the wrong house? It shouldn’t be!

Pei Yi’s eyes revealed his surprise. After confirming that he hadn’t gone to the wrong place, he walked closer and found that the door was actually locked?

This was wrong.

Bo Yueming had bad eyesight. He never locked the door, and furthermore, how could he share a room with a woman without reason?

Pei Yi quickly entered from the balcony area in the backyard, and as soon as he neared the bedroom, he heard Bo Yueming’s angry rejection—

“Scram!”

Through the glass sliding door of the balcony, Pei Yi saw a woman in a black silk sundress being pushed to the ground. There was clearly not much pain on her face, but she still quickly opened her mouth and let out an artificial cry.

“Meow-wu!”

Crouching at his feet, Inspector probably sensed the strange scent and suddenly let out a low growl, swishing along the gap left in the sliding door and rushing in. “Meow-wu-wu!”

Pei Yi was startled. “Inspector!”

At the same time, just as she was about to get up, Lin Na was frightened by the black shape that suddenly jumped out, and fell back down again. “—Ah! What is that thing!”

It had already become like this. Pei Yi could only open the door and enter from the balcony. He could only see the man’s back at first, and didn’t realize until he entered the room and got closer—

Bo Yueming’s complexion had never been worse. The neckline of the dark blue silk nightgown was slightly opened, and a thin layer of angry red was apparent on his neck and chest.

Pei Yi instantly understood what was going on without questioning this unknown woman on behalf of Bo Yueming.

Lin Na, the intruder, hit back first in a thick-skinned manner. “Who are you? How can you break into someone’s bedroom?”

Bo Yueming said with ample coldness and ruthlessness: “I should be asking you this!”

As soon as these words fell, Pei Yi, who had figured out the situation, picked up the soft pillow at the end of the bed and threw it over, asking in a haughty manner, “Who are you, ah? Don’t bully my husband!”

“……”

The coldness in Bo Yueming’s eyes cracked, and a moment of subtlety passed through his fury.

“……”

Lin Na was stunned by the soft pillow.

She never expected that Bo Yueming would get married at such a young age. And his partner, who was actually a man, “didn’t seem normal?”

Pei Yi quickly walked up to Bo Yueming, turned around, and said, “Get out immediately! Inspector!”

“Meow-wu!”

Inspector immediately got out from under the bed. It arched its body and puffed up its fur, its ears up and its tail rhythmically thrashing. Step by step, it approached Lin Na, making a whining sound in warning, as if it would leap up and scratch her face in the next second!

Lin Na was most afraid of such aggressive cats and dogs. Her face turned from red to white, and she stepped back one foot at a time.

Bo Yueming, who was sitting on the bed, had woken up with a black face and resisted, and within half a minute, there was a Pei Yi. Seeing that the plan had fallen through, Lin Na promptly turned around and rushed out the door, fearing that things were about to become serious!

Pei Yi looked at the fleeing Lin Na, but before he could chase her out, he heard Bo Yueming calling his name.

“Pei Yi, don’t go out.”

He would naturally let Uncle Kai handle this matter.

“Oh.”

Pei Yi picked up Inspector and smoothed its fur, then gave it a can of pet milk pudding as a reward.

He secretly glanced at Bo Yueming, who had yet to shake off his lingering anger. It was somewhat excessive, so he once again restrained himself and moved in front of the other party. “……Er-ge?”

Bo Yueming reacted, taking a deep breath. 

With a strong thirst for knowledge, Pei Yi asked earnestly, “Did she kiss you?”

In other words, to what extent did the woman bend her head before she was pushed down just now? 

“……”

Bo Yueming’s breath caught in his throat, and he clenched his back molars. “No.”

For some reason, the image of a curious cat staring with wide eyes popped up in his mind, cute and annoying.

When Bo Yueming realized that it was a strange woman entering the room, he was already on guard. The first time the other party tried to force herself into his arms, he had already pushed her away forcefully. Naturally, nothing had happened!

Then Inspector rushed into the room, and Pei Yi came back with it.

“Oh~”

Pei Yi responded, dragging the word out a bit.

“Are you disappointed?” Bo Yueming didn’t know whether to laugh or get angry, and brought up old matters again. “You are the only person in this world who dares to take advantage of my unpreparedness to steal a kiss!”

“……”

Pei Yi recalled his bold behavior when they first met, and groaned softly with a rare guilty conscience.

Sure enough, he was the big villain in the original book, and “small grievances must be repaid.” It was just a sneak kiss on the corner of the mouth when they first met, why did he remember it until now?

---

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

The terrain of Cuiqiu City was relatively high. Even if the Bai River flooded, most of the fertile land could still be preserved. It could be regarded as one of the safest cities in the river basin, but this safety had brought many new troubles to Hua Pingye and the city’s people.

The carriage traveled on the road for a few days and came upon more and more refugees. They crouched on the side of the road with their families, and seeing a rich man’s carriage pass by, they begged loudly for food. The road was blocked, and the speed of the convoy also slowed down. A-Ning lowered the carriage curtain and asked Liu Xian’an in a low voice: “Young Master, shall we give them something to eat?”

Liu Xian’an shook his head: “We can’t.”

A-Ning didn’t understand: “Why?”

Liu Xian’an said: “There are too many people outside. If you give it to one, ten more will come to beg. If you give it to ten, there will be hundreds or thousands.”

A-Ning looked out through the gap in the carriage window again, and there were a few little children in the crowd who were so hungry that they could barely hold on, so he did not give up, saying: “Young Master, maybe I can secretly give that woman a little snack without being noticed by others.”

Liu Xian’an sighed: “You can give it a try.”

A-Ning picked up a big piece of pastry from the plate, wrapped it in a handkerchief, and put it in his robes before nimbly leaving the carriage. When he and the woman met eyes, he smiled a little and jumped out of the carriage to run over, but the woman had already stood abruptly, dragging her two thin legs as she stumbled toward him.

There were also many other refugees who noticed that A-Ning was with her. The hungry people saw this fair and healthy boy, and  like wolves seeing raw meat, they got up and flocked to him.

“Young Master, give me something to eat!”

They screamed loudly, and some fell to the ground, but there was no one to help them. People stepped on freshly dead bodies and continued to rush forward, completely ignoring the muddy flesh and blood beneath their feet. They were like a group of ragged puppets, numb and senseless. A-Ning was frightened and stayed where he was. Seeing that seven or eight dirty hands were about to pull him into the crowd, a guard swooped in to carry him back to the carriage. He drew his sword out of its sheath and turned his head, saying fiercely: “Get back!”

Its cold light glared, and the refugees stopped in their tracks. There was a moment of hesitation and uncertainty. Taking advantage of this time, the coachman swung his whip vigorously and drove the carriage away with haste.

Screams, begging, crying, and desperate, vicious curses continued outside, terrifying to hear. A-Ning sat at the side of the carriage while holding the broken piece of pasty in his arms, keeping silent. He was used to hearing the Second Young Master speak about the dao of heaven and floating in the void. This was the first time he had faced naked human nature. Just now, at least three people were shoved down and trampled. There was a high probability that they would die, no, they were definitely dead, and it was all caused by his own recklessness and ignorance.

Liu Xian’an said: “Don’t cry.”

A-Ning continued to hang his head.

Liu Xian’an hugged him into his arms, patted him on the back, and comforted: “Doctors can only heal people, they can’t heal the world, so you don’t need to blame yourself too much.”

A-Ning asked in a nasally voice: “Then who can heal the world?”

Who can heal the world. Liu Xian’an didn’t answer, but turned his head to the carriage window to look at the tall, sword-bearing figure riding a horse outside the translucent gauze curtain.

. . . . . .

The square gates of Cuiqiu City were closed tightly, and a large notice was pasted up, saying that the city had successively accepted a large number of disaster victims, and there was really not room for one more person. But even so, there were still many refugees waiting outside, each of them sitting in the shade. When they saw the guard officers opening the city gates for a carriage, they rushed over once more.

Liu Xian’an covered A-Ning’s ears, blocking the cursing and pleading for him along the way. There were similar voices almost everywhere. Although A-Ning was a doctor, he was still young, after all. He hadn’t been able to extract himself from the shadow of that stampede, and was at a loss for words.

Officers and soldiers escorted the carriage into the city, and once the tall gate was closed, two completely different worlds were separated.

Outside the gate was a hellish world proliferated by hunger, while inside the gate, the city still retained its proper appearance. Hua Pingye said: “Your Highness, apart from the food that is distributed to the people in the city according to their needs, Cuiqiu City really cannot find another extra grain of rice. And the corpses outside the gate are growing in number day after day, it is really……”

Like this, there was no need for Huang Wangxiang to know any sorcery or Gu skills. As long as he raised the banner and claimed that they could have enough food in the future, he would draw thousands of people to follow him.

“This group of people first stole the food allocated by the court, and then robbed two or three towns,” Hua Pingye said. “When they see an official, they kill him and hang his head at the entrance of Gaoliang Mountain as a demonstration. Rumor is, Huang Wangxiang once said that if you take the head of a dog official, you can exchange it for two baskets of grain.”

If they stole the food allocated by the Imperial court, the people who were waiting for the life-saving food would starve to death. If they went to rob the towns, what would the people in the towns do? In troubled times, the people had no way to make a living. People first became victims, and then the victims became the perpetrators. In turn, more victims were created, and the cycle would repeat itself. Things could go from bad to worse until the dynasty collapsed.

Liu Xian’an had seen too many similar occurrences in the long river of history.

Hua Pingye prepared guest rooms for everyone. Liang Shu sent Liu Xian’an back to his residence, saying: “I heard from Gao Lin that you want to buy medicine for some common summer heat illnesses?”

“A-Ning proposed the idea. With refugees and hot weather, it is too easy for a plague to breed.” Liu Xian’an said, “As for those corpses outside the city, it is also best to find a place to bury them if at all possible, and sprinkle it with lime.”

“You don’t have to worry about that. Hua Pingye will send officers and soldiers in heavy armor every day to dispose of corpses.” As for why they wore heavy armor, firstly as a deterrence, secondly to avoid being trampled, and thirdly……The more bloody and cruel reality, Liang Shu was reluctant to mention to him. For some ravenous people, fresh corpses were also food, and in order to snatch this “food” from the officers and soldiers, they would frantically bite like wild animals.

Liang Shu’s lips were chapped. Lifting the lid of the teapot on the table to take a look, Liu Xian’an found some thick branches and leaves soaking in it. The color was dark, and it must be extremely bitter, so he turned around and took a porcelain bottle from the cabinet, pouring some powder from it to dissolve in warm water: “Your Highness, drink some water.”

Liang Shu glanced at the pink water in the cup and asked: “You doctors are so upfront when you poison people?”

Liu Xian’an smiled: “It’s dried wild plums ground into powder. I added some sweet plums, which can stimulate the appetite, and some silver pill to refresh the mind. Adding these things together is unlikely to poison anyone.”

Liang Shu drank a cup. It was sweet and sour, and a burst of coolness directly jumped from the tip of his tongue to the top of his head, extremely effective.

Liu Xian’an handed him the porcelain bottle: “There’s still a lot left, would the prince like to keep it for himself?”

Liang Shu didn’t know how to respond: “That won’t work.”

It was normal for a member of royalty, a son of a noble family, to not pour water into his own cup.

Thus, when he wanted to drink, it had to be mixed by the doctor himself.

Liu Xian’an put the bottle back into the cabinet.

Liang Shu sat on the couch and watched him busy himself, and only in this moment was relieved of the heavy burden weighing on his mind. Although he had long been accustomed to life and death, this was very different. The deaths of hundreds, thousands, or tens of thousands of soldiers on the battlefield were exchanged for the lives of hundreds of thousands, millions, or even tens of millions of common people, so even if their bones were buried beneath yellow sand, it was considered a worthy death. But what about the deaths of the people in the Bai River Basin at this moment?

The deaths of the common people did not have half that glory, only endless humiliation and despair, along with bloody and tearful accusations of incompetence toward their ruler.

In the face of an entire era, the power of one person or a group of people was truly insignificant. Liang Shu closed his eyes, and was just about to clear his mind, when a cool sensation appeared at his temple. Liu Xian’an was bent down with a box of ointment in his hand, and was slowly massaging him with a small jade rod.

Liang Shu said: “Do you not greet patients before treating them?”

“My dad also treated me the same way,” Liu Xian’an said. “For a while, I had a bad spleen and stomach and had to recuperate. I often fell asleep and was woken up by needles.” He moved a chair and sat down. “Only Imperial physicians in the palace require many rules, we……don’t move!”

Liang Shu took a deep breath: “Why can’t I move, can you not see for yourself how big that needle in your hand is?” And why was this thing brought out all of a sudden?

“It’s not thick, the thickest needles are with my dad, and he never lets others touch them,” Liu Xian’an said. “This one is pretty thin. I told you not to move, or it will be crooked.”

His Royal Highness Xiao Wang sat stiffly on the chair, trying to figure out how to send him to his room, but was stabbed in the head with a needle for no reason. From a cup of sweet medicine, to cooling ointment, and then to this astonishing thick demonic thing, it was just like feeling him out. He also knew to divert attention by talking about this and that. In the art of war, it would be called feigning one thing to do another, loosening the reins only to grasp them better, fishing in troubled waters, hiding behind the mask of a fool.

He said: “You did it on purpose.”

Liu Xian’an denied it – no.

Liang Shu: “Gao Lin told you.”

Liu Xian’an continued to deny, he didn’t, ah.

Liang Shu said: “He wants to die…..”

Wearing a tense expression, Liu Xian’an said: “Okay, sit properly.”

It was indeed Gao Lin who came to see Liu Xian’an, saying that the prince had been suffering from headaches recently and had trouble sleeping. But at the same time, he also suggested that it was best not to use acupuncture or bitter medicines, or any kind of treatment that involved lying down. His Royal Highness Xiao Wang had so many faults, and touching his inverse scale may cause him to become angry. Many Imperial doctors had already suffered because of this.

It was fine not to take bitter medicine, and fine not to lie down for a while, but acupuncture was still needed. Second Young Master Liu pressed Liang Shu’s shoulder with one hand and slowly rotated the needle with the other, thinking, this was not difficult, I just went step by step and took advantage of his unpreparedness. Could it be that none of the doctors at the Imperial Hospital could do this?

Liang Shu said: “It hurts.”

Lu Xian’an: “That’s normal.”

“Pain is normal?”

“How much can a few needles hurt? Okay, don’t move. I will have A-Ning decoct the medicine.”

As soon as Liang Shu heard the word “decoct,” his brain began to hurt again: “Why do I still need to take medicine?”

“Of course you have to take medicine when you’re sick.” Liu Xian’an put away the pack of needles. “But the prince need not worry, the medicine isn’t too bitter.”

Liang Shu asked unhappily: “You think this lord is afraid of bitterness?”

Liu Xian’an thought to himself, isn’t that the case? Lieutenant General Gao emphasized it three times to me. However, he still gave the prince face: “Not at all.”

His Royal Highness Xiao Wang forced out a dignified “En” to show his approval.

Liu Xian’an looked at him for a while and then pursed his lips solemnly: “Since the prince is not afraid of bitterness, then I will add a few more herbs to the previous prescription, so that the nerve-calming effect will be stronger.”

While talking, he ground the ink and picked up a brush, and picked up a new sheet of paper to write the prescription on. There was half a catty of goldthread, which made Liang Shu’s temples twitch. Was this dosage for decocting medicine or for bathing? He stared into the other’s eyes, trying to find some joke in them, but there was nothing. Not only did Liu Xian’an wear an extremely serious expression, but his handwriting was thin and elegant. When neatly arranged together, this prescription appeared particularly authoritative and reliable. Even if two catties of pork legs were mixed in, the patient would probably feel that it should be taken like this.

And so, His Royal Highness Xiao Wang was bluffed. Of course, part of the reason was that he knew Liu Xian’an had been forty-eight thousand years old since he could read, young and mature, and saw everyone as ants. He never bothered to joke with any mortal, and had no reason to target him alone.

Liu Xian’an finished writing the prescription, put it in his sleeve, and walked away like an immortal.

Liang Shu, who was left with his precious face, exhaled and leaned against the table, thinking, the medicine can be decocted, but that doesn’t mean I have to drink it.

In the end, A-Ning was unable to bear it. After dinner, when everyone gathered in the study to discuss matters, the servants picked up the food box containing the medicine and knocked firmly on the door.

Liang Shu: “……”

The medicine bowl was so large that one could eat noodles out of it, and when it was revealed, the visual effect was amazing. Hua Pingye was shocked at the sight. He had been in the military camp for many years, and had the impression that even if the prince was seriously injured, he could only sip medicine grudgingly, for fear that one more sip would cause him to suffer a loss. Now that it was replaced by a very big bowl full to the brim, he thought he must be seriously ill, and hurried to raise his rough voice in concern: “Nobody talk yet, let the prince drink the medicine while it’s hot.”

The bowl was full of a brown-black substance, and Liang Shu’s brain flinched when he saw it. Seeing that everyone in the room was staring at him, he had no choice but to pick up the bowl without a change in expression.

He drank it in one gulp, but it was not bitter. It was at most astringent, with a slight sour-sweet taste.

He looked toward the door.

Liu Xian’an folded his hands and couldn’t hide the smile in his eyes.

Not bitter. I was teasing you.

It was stuffy in the study room. Although the windows were open, it was not very cool, and the candlelight was blown by the wind. The room was full of people discussing a few very troublesome things, and the environment was truly not good. Liang Shu had originally been in an irritable mood, but now, because of this bowl of medicine and a smile, he became much more relaxed.

Gao Lin nudged A-Ning with his elbow. What kind of magical medicine is this to make the prince happy, bring me a bowl tomorrow.

“The young master has added a lot of sweet root to it,” A-Ning whispered. “Lieutenant General Gao wants to drink it, but I’m afraid he cannot. The young master said that the medicine is not easy to buy and must be saved, so all the sweet root and hawthorn will be reserved for the prince in the future.”

The two of them were still whispering as Hua Pingye reopened the map. Gaoliang Mountain was a very high and dangerous peak with stretches of ravines, easy to defend but difficult to attack. Liang Shu asked: “How many rebels are there now?”

Hua Pingye said: “At a rough estimate, at least 50,000, but not exactly. Now that Huang Wangxiang’s reputation has grown, many people use his banner to recruit soldiers and horses here and there. It’s really hard for people to distinguish between true and false.”

“Whether it is true or false, they are all rebels.” Liang Shu looked at Liu Xian’an. “What do you think?”

“Can our army pretend to be refugees, mix in with the rebels, and break through from the inside?”

“It wouldn’t be difficult to pretend, but getting in is not easy,” Hua Pingye explained. “It is said that ordinary refugees will only be assigned to the subordinates of the lowest-ranking boss when they first seek refuge, and must follow them to grab food and money or kill a few officials to be eligible to see Huang Wangxiang, and he is not in Gaoliang Mountain now.”

“Where is the main force of the rebel army now?”

As soon as this question was asked, someone sent a new military bulletin, which included one useful paragraph among the complaints and nonsense. It said that Huang Wangxiang led the rebels to break through three cities in a row and ascended the throne in Sanshui City.

Gao Lin’s face paled when he saw it, for no other reason than the trash level of the troops stationed there. Even if they put out a few stakes and stood on the city wall, they should easily sweep away a few rebels, right? It had only been a few days since Hua Pingye heard the news. How come Huang Wangxiang had gone from leading a mob all the way to the dragon chair? On the first day that the Dayan coach arrived in Cuiqiu City, this kind of ghastly news was sent, as if it had been calculated with precise timing.

Liang Shu asked: “How many troops are stationed in the area?”

“Also 50,000,” Gao Lin said. “Lu Xiang is in charge. The prince should remember that he is Lu-daren’s nephew.”

All the civil and military officials in the dynasty knew that Lu-daren would go to the emperor every now and then to remonstrate with the prince. From the Northwest Military Camp to Xiao Wang Palace, trivial problems had to be singled out and written as a 18,000 – word criticism. Even the Son of Heaven himself experienced a great headache. Also, because of the other’s status as an elder of three dynasties, it was not easy to refute him to his face, lest one day he really clashed with him in the hall and had to bear the extra charge of “infuriated a loyal minister” out of thin air. The root cause of Liang Shu’s dialogue about old, white-bearded men pretty much originated here.

The leaders of the garrisons in various part of Dayan were either from the Northwest Military Camp or the Northeast Miltary Camp, with the exception of Lu Xiang. He was born to a noble family and served in the Imperial Guard for two years. Later, due to the instability in the world, there was a shortage of soldiers in the garrisons all over, and the late emperor set an example by reducing the group of cronies around him. It was also at that time that Lu Xiang went to work for the local government as a matter of course.

In short, he was a rich young master who had never suffered much.

“Lu-daren is honest and frugal in court, but his nephew knows how to swallow large sums of military expenses outside.” Gao Lin read the military bulletin again. It said at the end that Commander Lu had led his troops to Sanshui City overnight to encircle and suppress them, plus a lot of nonsense about “viewing death as a return home.” There was no telling if he was sobered up by Huang Wangxiang’s ascension to the throne, or because he heard the news that His Royal Highness Xiao Wang was coming, but he performed his duty overnight.

Liang Shu didn’t mind letting this trash return to his hometown, but Lu Xiang still had 50,000 of Dayan’s soldiers behind him.

He said: “Prepare the horses.”

Liu Xian’an stood: “I will go with the prince as well.”

---

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

Stay together?

Hearing this question, Pei Yi shook his head wildly inside.

He already had trouble sleeping in a bed other than his own, and also wasn’t accustomed to sleeping in the same bed with others. Lying down and sleeping with Bo Yueming? He probably wouldn’t be able to sleep all night.

Due to his identity, Pei Yi could only hope that Bo Yueming would refuse. After all, in his impression, the other party had a strong sense of personal domain, so he shouldn’t allow such a thing to happen.

As expected, Bo Yueming’s brow was slightly furrowed.

This courtyard was pre-booked, and it was true that Pei Yi was not included at the time.

Uncle Kai knew best how to read words and expressions, so he took the initiative to speak, “Second Young Master, why doesn’t Little Sir stay in my room? I’ll make do with the sofa.”

The driver continued, “Or we could put two beds together, and the three of us can sleep together. If that doesn’t work, I can sleep on the floor.”

Bo Yueming frowned.

He couldn’t imagine Pei Yi huddled in the same room with his assistant and his driver, and felt that something wasn’t right. What’s more, Uncle Kai was the oldest among them, so how could he sleep on the sofa?

“No.”

“No.”

Bo Yueming and Pei Yi spoke at the same time, emphasizing their attitude of refusal.

For Pei Yi, if two people slept in the same bedroom, he was almost unable to sleep, not to mention three people squeezing together.

He heard Bo Yueming’s almost simultaneous answer and was just about to say that the would “sleep on the sofa by himself,” but Bo Yueming responded unexpectedly, “The arrangements for you three remain unchanged. Pei Yi and I will sleep in the master bedroom.”

“……”

What?!

Pei Yi looked over in disbelief, almost suspecting he had heard wrong.

Hearing this, the person in charge smiled and swallowed back the proposal of ‘another vacant room can be arranged.’ “All right, Mr. Bo. Then shall I ask the kitchen to bring up the pre-ordered dinner?”

Bo Yueming responded in a light voice, “En.”

The matter of accommodations was settled, and everyone took their light luggage to the house to unpack.

Pei Yi digested the consternation in his heart, and moved as slow as a tortoise toward Bo Yueming, who was drinking water. “I think…..it’s not good.”

Bo Yueming oriented himself in his direction, his eyes tranquil. “What isn’t good?”

Pei Yi put it simply, “Sleeping together, not good.”

“How is it not good?”

Bo Yueming’s expression changed slightly. He didn’t expect that he held back that bit of displeasure himself, but Pei Yi actually showed displeasure first.

Unsure about Bo Yueming’s expression, Pei Yi muttered, “I, I’m dishonest.”^[1]

This was not a lie.

Pei Yi had no sense of security when it came to sleeping. No matter if it was winter or summer, he liked to sleep with a big quilt. When he stayed elsewhere in the past, even if a ‘big quilt’ wasn’t available, he would find a way to fold up a blanket and roll up inside it.

Of course, there was a greater chance of being unable to sleep tonight.

Following these words, Bo Yueming’s tightly pursed thin lips curved. “Okay, I get it.”

“…….”

You get it? And then?

Pei Yi was confused by Bo Yueming’s attitude. It took several beats to realize the possible ambiguity of the word “dishonest,” and his cheeks went slightly hot.

“It’s too late tonight, let’s settle down first.” Bo Yueming’s tone was very calm, as if he was smoothing a kitten’s fur. “I will ask the staff to arrange a small bed for you tomorrow.”

Pei Yi covertly snuck a glance at the big king bed in the master bedroom, and reasonably calculated the possibility of the two of them sticking together. 

Seeing that Pei Yi still didn’t open his mouth, Bo Yueming shook the water glass. “It’s really inconvenient for me to be alone in an unfamiliar environment. Someone needs to stay in the room with me.”

He didn’t show his misery to garner sympathy, but it was enough to make people feel helpless.

When all was said and done, Pei Yi had no choice but to give a reluctant “En.”

. . . . . .

Night fell.

After washing up, Pei Yi leaned against the right side of the bed. Looking at Inspector eating in the corner, along with the small cat nest that belonged to it alone, an inexplicable thought surged into his heart—

It’s better to be a cat.

Eat your fill and sleep. After sleeping and playing, there was also your own exclusive small bed.

The sound of the bathroom door opening interrupted Pei Yi’s unrealistic envy.

He turned his head to look. Bo Yueming emerged wearing a bathrobe and walked with one hand trailing along the wall, cautiously and calmly testing the distance from the bathroom to the bed.

Pei Yi hesitated for two seconds, then got up and walked to his side. “Here.”

“……”

A warm palm touched his wrist, still that familiar sensation.

Bo Yueming’s vigilance in an unfamiliar environment was reduced by a lot. He let Pei Yi lightly and easily lead the way, and sat down on the bed smoothly. “I asked someone to bring an extra blanket. Has it been delivered?”

Pei Yi looked at the two sets of thin air-conditioning quilts, feeling a little anxious. “Yes.”

Bo Yueming groped for the quilt that belonged to him, spread it out, and lay down. “All right, let’s rest.”

For tomorrow’s examination, Bo Yueming planned to go to bed early to adjust his state.

Pei Yi glanced at the silent alarm clock showing ten o’clock. He had no choice but to wrap up in the quilt and lie down, but the completely unfamiliar scent of the quilt could not give him any security in sleep.

With a glance at Bo Yueming, who had closed his eyes, Pei Yi called out in a whisper before turning off the lights, “Inspector.”

“Meow-wu!”

Already lying in its nest, Inspector heard the call and immediately trotted to the bed. It lay in Pei Yi’s arms as usual with its head next to its paws, responding in a very low tone, “Wu~”

There was a bit more of a familiar atmosphere, and Inspector was so cute that Pei Yi snuck out a laugh. “Good night, darling.”

“…….”

Bo Yueming, who hadn’t fallen asleep yet, heard this. His lips silently curled up, and he let one person and one cat interact quietly before going to sleep.

Nights away from the city were always extraordinarily silent.

Pei Yi was afraid of disturbing Bo Yueming’s sleep, so he maintained the position of lying on his side and dozed off next to Inspector. He had originally thought that he would suffer from insomnia until dawn, but perhaps he had experienced too much during the day and was short of energy—

After maintaining this motionless posture for a long time, he actually felt drowsy, and his eyelids became heavier and heavier.

Time passed minute by minute.

Pei Yi only felt that his arm was getting increasingly heavy, being crushed to the point of numbness. A faint sense of heat began to rise, and in his sleep, he was unable to bear it and kicked off the quilt.

—Thump!

There was a dull sound on the floor, followed by a surprised meow. “Meow-wu!”

Inspector, who had already been sound asleep, lay on the ground with its eyes wide open in the dark. It pricked up its ears, raised its head, and took a few seconds to confirm that it was its master who “threw” it out of bed, then meowed sullenly in protest.

“Inspector, don’t make noise.”

Pei Yi muttered in his sleep in response.

Inspector was obedient, and went back to its own cat nest aggrievedly.

Because of these small movements, the lightly sleeping Bo Yueming woke up. He took a minute to confirm the situation, and intended to fall back to sleep with his remaining drowsiness.

Who knew that in the next second, lying on his left side, Pei Yi would suddenly turn around and lean over.

Most of the quilt on his body had been lifted off, and the heat originally trapped inside wafted out with a faint after-shower scent. As the distance drew closer, Bo Yueming was uncontrollably infected.

“…….”

Bo Yueming’s breathing stalled slightly.

Before he could figure out the situation, the hot, sleeping Pei Yi seemed to have found a target and wrapped his arms and legs around him. “Hmmn.”

There was a clear difference in physique between the two.

Perhaps because he had found a comfortable temperature, Pei Yi hugged him even tighter.

“Pei Yi? Are you awake?”

Bo Yueming’s throat rolled fiercely, and his breathing was unsteady. “Let go! Don’t, don’t hug me to sleep!”

Pei Yi frowned in his sleep and rubbed his head subconsciously, like he was moving in his dreams, or more like he was being coquettish. “Won’t. I’m sleepy, don’t bother me.”

“…….”

Soft hair swept over Bo Yueming’s thin lips, as if he could plant a kiss on that forehead just by bowing his head slightly. He tried twice to push him back, but only got a clingier hug in return.

The person in his arms was like a mobile heater, making Bo Yueming’s body burn all over.

Helpless, he took several deep breaths, barely suppressing the inexplicable wicked fire in his heart. His sleepiness was completely gone, but in the end, he was unwilling to wake up the person in his arms.

On the other hand, the oblivious Pei Yi entered dreamland, and his breathing gradually stabilized.

The breathing and heartbeats of the two people overlapped.

Feeling all of this in the darkness, Bo Yueming was silent for a long time before letting out a helpless sigh. “It’s really true, you’re not honest at all.”

. . . . . .

Treated like a big pillow, Bo Yueming barely slept that night.

It wasn’t until the birds outside in the courtyard sang that the sleeping Pei Yi hugged his quilt and turned over again. He let out a soft snort in his sleep, but showed no signs of waking up.

“……”

Bo Yueming squeezed his numb arm, turning to lie flat and relax. He broke away from his drowsing state and opened his eyes.

His field of vision was still the usual gray swatch, but there was a gradual difference, and countless small particles of light broke through the fog before him.

Sensing the difference, Bo Yueming immediately focused his attention, and after confirming that the ‘spots of light’ in front of him were not an illusion, a sense of relief overflowed from his expression for the first time ever.

Not sleepy at all, he simply got out of bed and fumbled through the door of the room.

“Second Young Master? It’s not even seven o’clock, why are you awake?”

Uncle Kai’s surprised voice came suddenly.

Hearing the sound of footsteps, Bo Yueming asked, “Uncle Kai, why are you here?”

“As I get older, my time asleep is naturally shorter.” Uncle Kai approached and said with sudden worry, “Second Young Master, why are your eyes so red? The corner of your mouth is also a little……”

Bo Yueming touched the itchy corner of his mouth, and his tone changed slightly. “It’s nothing, I didn’t sleep well last night. Maybe I got a little hot.”

“Didn’t sleep well?”

Uncle Kai looked past him to the closed bedroom door. “What about Little Sir, how did he sleep?”

The numbness of his arm had not completely disappeared. Bo Yueming remembered the stickiness of the kitten hugging people last night, and threw out words with no clear meaning.

“Him, ah, very well.”

“Huh?”

Uncle Kai felt that his answer was not quite right, but it was difficult to unravel the secret for now.

Bo Yueming didn’t want to go into detail. “Uncle Kai, bring me the spare toiletries. I’ll change in the bathroom and wash up.”

So as not to make too much noise in the room and wake up the still-sleeping Pei Yi.

“Okay,” Uncle Kai responded.

. . . . . .

Pei Yi slept until nine o’clock. The sunlight outside the room was just right, and Bo Yueming had disappeared from the other side, so it should be time for his checkup.

He hadn’t had such a deep and peaceful sleep in a long time.

After waking up, Pei Yi felt weak in his hands and feet, but his spirit was exceptionally relaxed. “Comfortable~”

Inspector had already gotten out of its cat nest. It heard movement on the bed and immediately jumped back onto it, burrowing into Pei Yi’s arms on its own. “Meow-wu~, wu~, meow~”

It called out continuously in a milky voice, as if wanting to express the grievance of “being thrown out of bed in the middle of the night.”

But Pei Yi, who didn’t understand the language of cats, got the wrong idea. He didn’t even remember what he did in his sleep at all. Picking up his beloved pet, he stroked it for a while, and since no one was around, he kissed its little head and happily coaxed—

“En, en, en. It was thanks to our Inspector that I was able to sleep so well last night.”

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[1] In this context, “dishonest” can mean he is a restless sleeper. ⮐

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Chapter Eighteen <<Table of Contents >> Chapter Twenty

The dungeons were perpetually dark and damp, with a foul and rotten smell in the air. No matter how many times he came here, it always made Zhao Yelan grimace.

Walking slowly to the innermost cell, he heard a low-pitched nursery rhyme that children in the capital would hum when they were young: “Crescent moon, crescent moon, like a mother’s arms……”

The person inside was restrained with heavy shackles on both hands and feet. Hearing movement, she raised her head and sighed when she saw him: “Why didn’t you leave Beijing as planned last year? If you had left, we wouldn’t be meeting here today.”

“Why did you do this?” Zhao Yelan asked.

The corners of Gu Niaoniao’s mouth twitched.

“I searched every corner of the capital, but I never suspected you,” Zhao Yelan said in a heavy voice.

Gu Niaoniao stood and walked slowly to the door with the dull, heavy sound of her shackles dragging on the ground.

The two of them looked at each other for a moment, separated by a cell door, and Gu Niaoniao asked: “Is he dead?”

“Everyone in the Imperial Hospital is trying to save him. He is still unconscious, but his condition has improved a bit. We will wait for him to wake up,” Zhao Yelan said.

On the day of the assassination, everyone in the capital was shocked. Zhao Xuan was already unconscious when he was sent back to the palace, and the people in the Imperial Hospital were busy coming in and out for three days before they managed to pull him back from the gates of hell. However, he still hadn’t woken up yet, and someone was guarding him day and night.

After seeing Zhao Xuan’s injury, Sun Muyun was filled with grief and couldn’t control her emotions for a while. She had unbearable abdominal pain, and gave birth to a prince prematurely. Fortunately, the mother and child were safe, but they also needed to be taken care of by Imperial physicians. The palace was very busy at the moment.

“Ah……not dead yet. I chose the wrong location, right? Clearly, I was aiming at the heart, ah.” Gu Niaoniao smiled helplessly. “It seems like fate.”

“Gu Niaoniao.” Zhao Yelan gritted his teeth as he called out to her. “Why on earth did you do this? Are you not afraid of death?”

“Death?” Gu Niaoniao’s shoulders trembled and she laughed out loud. “I am most afraid of death, I only fear that before I die, I won’t be able to take some people with me. But it’s okay, Zhao Xu went to the underworld before me. It was worth it.”

Zhao Yelan frowned upon hearing this: “Aren’t you on the same side as him?”

“Yes, and also no.” Gua Niaoniao’s lips curled up in a smile. “Years ago, I heard that the Princess of Nanjiang wished to marry Yan Mingting. I wanted to check her details for you, but who knew that I would find out something interesting. She had an affair with the First Prince.”

“So you helped them meet privately?”

“That’s right. I pretended to help him regain the throne and passed on news from the two countries to him, and he believed it like a fool. Believe it or not, no one else in the capital was willing to help him.” Gu Niaoniao smiled contemptuously. “The people who went to the other palace to take him away were killed by Yan Mingting’s subordinates, and I sent someone to rescue him back to Hongxiu House.”

“You didn’t want to help him win the throne at all, otherwise, you wouldn’t have let him carry out the assassination in public.”

“Of course I wouldn’t help that dog. I just reminded him that the Emperor may leave the palace from time to time. He stayed in the secret passage for a long while, and his mind became confused. He could only think of one thing, which was to kill Zhao Xuan and replace him,” Gu Niaoniao said.

“He failed, but gave you a chance to succeed.”

 “Correct. He was just a jester, and I let him go out and jump around a bit first, waiting for a chance when everyone was focused on him.” Gu Niaoniao smiled. “It wasn’t easy to wait for Zhao Xuan to leave the palace. I thought it would take a long time to carry out this plan.”

“So your purpose was to have the brothers kill each other?” Zhao Yelan asked.

Gu Niaoniao raised her chin and said calmly: “That’s right. I want the Zhao family to die a miserable death. Don’t you find it interesting that father and son, brother and brother, can all kill each other?”

Zhao Yelan guessed that this was related to her childhood experiences, and said: “Those things back then were done by the late emperor and had nothing to do with Zhao Xuan. Moreover, he indirectly helped us get vengeance, and now the land has stabilized……”

“It had nothing to do with him?” Gu Niaoniao suddenly laughed out loud. The laugh was a bit hoarse, and she clutched a pillar tightly with her hands, veins protruding. She asked through gritted teeth, “Then those things back then, did they have anything to do with me? With you? Why is it that when killing us, our entire families are implicated, and they would rather kill a thousand by mistake than let one go, but when it is their turn to be a group of murderers, they are separate and have nothing to do with each other?”

Zhao Yelan gazed at her silently. He had seen hatred in her eyes before. He’d thought it was just that the other party couldn’t hide it, but he didn’t expect that the hatred went so deep.

“Gu Niaoniao, your life is on the line.”

“Don’t call me Gu Niaoniao.” 

Zhao Yelan was taken aback.

“Gu Niaoniao died long ago by the executioner’s knife. My surname is Jiang.”

Zhao Yelan gave her a look of shock. Among the people involved in the case of the Marquis of An, there was only one family named Jiang, and that was the Marquis of An’s. 

“You are……”

“I am my father’s youngest daughter.” Gu Niaoniao recalled the distant past. “I had been studying and learning calligraphy since I was a child. My teacher was the current Imperial Grand Tutor, and my previous knowledge was no worse than that of Yin Pinglu. If I studied for a few more years, perhaps I would have been a female top scorer in the Imperial examinations. My father taught me martial arts, saying that his daughter should have the means to protect herself, and it would be even better if she could protect her family and country. It was a pity that I only learned how to hold a sword, and no one taught me further.”

“Zhao Yelan, you watched your parents die with your own eyes, and endured humiliation for so many years. What about me? Hundreds of people in my family were killed by the sword. Have you ever seen an actual river of blood? My infant brother was thrown into a well before he could even speak. What did he have to do with anything? Regardless of age, regardless of distance, there were more than twenty thousand people who had a relationship with our family and were killed or injured. Even innocent people like you were involved and ended up in ruins. You want me to let it go?” 

“I can’t let it go, ah,” Gu Niao cried out with a sob.

Zhao Yelan’s expression was downcast, and he couldn’t recover for a long while.

He had never suspected Gu Niaoniao, because the two of them had experienced the same tragedies and could understand one another’s pain without saying many words. However, he had still underestimated Gu Niaoniao’s determination and forbearance for so many years. She was able to hide everything completely, and even he had never noticed the difference in identity.

But he was likely the only one who could understand Gu Niaoniao’s choice. If it were him before, he would probably be just as desperate.

He handed in a handkerchief. Gu Niaoniao took it, but her hands were bound and her smile was uglier than her crying: “Wipe it off for me, ba.”

Zhao Yelan wiped her face slowly. Gu Niaoniao raised her head and said: “Actually, when I was first locked up in prison, I really didn’t want to live anymore, but every time I saw you, I felt like I could keep going. You didn’t seek death, so why should I do it first?”

Zhao Yelan said: “Your family must have hoped that you could live a good life.”

“I can’t live, I’m really tired of living in this world.” Gu Niaoniao looked up at him. “When you were about to feign death, you probably thought the same way, ba. The great revenge had been accomplished. There was nothing worth remembering in this world, so it was better to leave.”

Zhao Yelan did not deny it.

“But you were lucky, ah, you met Yan Mingting, who made you miss him so much that you couldn’t bear to part with him.” Gu Niaoniao said, “I didn’t have such luck.”

Zhao Yelan silently accompanied her for a while. Visiting time was ending soon. Gu Niaoniao whispered: “All my savings over the years are in the room we used to meet in. You take those silver taels and arrange a good place for the girls, ba. They are all innocent and don’t know anything about me.”

Zhao Yelan: “All right.”

“I left something for you in the building, don’t forget. You are not short of money, so I could only leave some spices and tea leaves for you. The spices are the Western Region incense I personally selected. For so many years, I have always used incense like you, as if it could cover up the filthy smell on my body over time.”

“…….En.” Zhao Yelan lowered his eyes. His throat rolled, and his tone was cryptic. “Is there anything else?”

“You and Yan Mingting should be fine. He treats you well. Don’t let your temper out all day long, and live a peaceful and beautiful life.”

“I’ll accept your good words.” Zhao Yelan lifted the corners of his mouth with difficulty and asked, “Have you ever heard Zhao Xu mention the Nanjiang poison?”

“What poison?”

“It’s nothing.” Zhao Yelan’s expression dimmed.

“There is one last thing you must help me with.”

“What is it?”

“Weren’t you able to kill Yu Junliang directly in prison before?” Gu Niaoniao said, “I would rather die by your hand than that of the executioner, with my head separated. Can you give me my dignity?”

After a long time, Zhao Yelan replied: “All right.”

“Thank you. In my life, the most valuable thing was to know you as a friend,” Gu Niaoniao said with red eyes.

Zhao Yelan asked with a stuffy nose: “What is your name?”

Gu Niaoniao was stunned for a moment, and after ten years, she at last said her name slowly: “Jiang Mu. My name is Jiang Mu.”

“Hello, Jiang Mu.” 

“Zhao Mengting, take care.”

After he emerged from the prison, he glanced around and suddenly wanted to see Yan Mingting. He got into a sedan chair, but thought that the sedan chair was too slow, so he disembarked halfway and ran all the way back to the General’s Mansion and started shouting as soon as he entered the gate: “Yan Mingting, Yan Mingting!”

“I’m here.” Yan Mingting walked out of the bedroom and Zhao Yelan ran up to him, stretched out his arms, and embraced him.

“You saw her?” Yan Mingting asked, lowering his head.

Zhao Yelan nodded.

Yan Mingting rubbed his head and said softly: “Let’s go inside, ba.”

Zhao Yelan let go of his hand, and just as he stepped over the threshold, he suddenly heard a bang. He turned his head in a panic to look at Yan Mingting, and found that he had slammed one tightly clenched hand on the door and fell down in a daze. 

“Yan Mingting!” Zhao Yelan immediately went to help him.

Slipping to the ground, Yan Mingting leaned his back against the door and smiled at him with a pale face: “It’s fine, I’m just a little dizzy. Just take it easy, go to the kitchen and pour me a cup of water.”

“I’m not going, I’m not going anywhere!” Zhao Yelan hugged him. “Don’t you try to find excuses to drive me away.”

Yan Minging leaned into his arms and said with a smile: “But, but I’m a little dizzy now, I want to sleep for a while……”

“Not allowed to sleep!”

“Alright, no sleeping, I won’t sleep.”

“General, my lord, what is the matter with you?” Xiao Gao followed the noise and stood at the door, startled.

“Go and get a cup of water,” Zhao Yelan immediately ordered.

“Coming, coming, water is coming.” 

Xiao Gao went to pour a cup of water and handed it to Yan Mingting. When he lowered his eyes, he found that Yan Mingting’s entire body was tense, his hands holding onto his thighs. “General, why are you pinching yourself?”

Zhao Yelan was taken aback for a moment, and then noticed that he had been secretly torturing himself to stay awake, and a line of hot tears immediately rolled from his eyes: “Why, why do you have to…..”

“Mengting, don’t cry, ah.” Yan Mingting raised his hand and wiped away his tears, saying with a pale face, “Go and find Yao Muze.”

“Okay, I’ll go.” Zhao Yelan handed him off to Xiao Gao, then got up and went out. Walking outside the door, he waited for a moment, and heard Yan Mingting’s restrained groan of pain inside. It was as if his heart was being whipped back and forth, and the pain was so terrible that he almost lost consciousness. 

Almost all the people in the Imperial Hospital were in the palace, so Zhao Yelan went from the hospital to the palace and brought Yao Muze out.

Seeing his expression, Yao Muze knew that the situation was not good. He quickly followed him to the General’s Mansion, and Yan Mingting seemed to have recovered, half reclining in bed and eating melon seeds like a normal person.

“I really troubled you to make a trip,” Yan Mingting said with a smile.

“The General is courteous.” Yao Muze opened the medical box. “This poison occurs intermittently. I will give you acupuncture first, in hopes of relieving your pain during an attack.”

“Thank you for your trouble.” Yan Mingting looked at Zhao Yelan again. “Mengting, go and see if dinner is ready. Let’s have Doctor Yao stay for dinner tonight.”

“I won’t go.” Zhao Yelan sat down at the table calmly and said, “Do the acupuncture. Don’t worry about me.”

One by one, thin needles were inserted into the acupuncture points. Zhao Yelan felt as if he was about to die from pain just looking at them. However, Yan Mingting had yet to close his mouth, and was chatting with Yao Muze: “Doctor Yao, help me see if my wife is secretly wiping away tears now?”

“He’s not,” Yao Muze said.

“That’s good, I’m really afraid that you outsiders will see it. You don’t know, he was born so beautiful, and he’s even more captivating when he cries. Ai, it’s better that no one ever sees him cry, or I’ll be so angry.”

“Zhao-daren doesn’t cry easily.”

“Is that so……Hey, Doctor Yao, do you think there is anyone in this world who is worthy of him except me, a handsome and dashing man?”

“No.”

“I think so too.” Yan Mingting smiled.

Listening to their conversation, Zhao Yelan remained silent, as if he didn’t exist, and just watched Yan Mingting quietly.

At night, Zhao Yelan lay beside him and talked about Gu Niaoniao, and Yan Mingting sighed endlessly.

“Do you know what she said?”

“What did she say?”

Zhao Yelan propped up his upper body and looked at him. “She said, we should live a good life in the future.”

Yan Mingting touched his cheek and whispered: “I’m sorry, I’m sorry……”

He had obviously been paying attention. After entering the southern border, he ordered everyone not to eat food other than military rations, and had people strictly guard those rations. But he didn’t expect that the Eighth Princess herself would use herself as a source of poison. Knowing that he would press to find out the old general’s cause of death, she poisoned him before she died.

And after years of refinement, the poison was more toxic than in the past, with no reaction in the beginning. He was eager to return and see Zhao Yelan, so he rushed back without stopping. It wasn’t until he was about to enter the capital that he had a sudden severe headache and fell off his horse due to weakness in his limbs, and realized that he might have been poisoned.

“I thought I could face it calmly, but I can’t, ah…..” Zhao Yelan even made arrangements for the funeral, and planned to leave together after Yan Mingting departed. But today when he saw Yan Mingting fall to the ground with his own eyes, he realized that he had overestimated his ability to endure. He couldn’t watch the other party die in his arms at all.

“My parents are dead, one friend is unconscious, with his survival uncertain, and another is waiting to die in a dungeon. Even you must leave me……Why can’t I keep anyone I want to keep? I beg you, Yan Fangli, I beg you, can’t you survive?” Zhao Yelan held his hand and pleaded hoarsely. “I will never lose my temper with you again, don’t leave me alone…..”

Yan Mingting’s eyes became hot. He pulled him into his arms and asked, a little choked up: “Mengting, tell me, am I really an evil star? Now it’s fallen on me, and even harmed you…..”

“What nonsense are you talking about!” Zhao Yelan covered his mouth, kissed his eyes, and took his lips again. The two people’s tears mixed together, and they couldn’t tell whose was whose. They only hoped that this night would pause forever, and that tomorrow would never come.

T/N: Um……is anyone else crying?

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Chapter Eighty-Six <<Table of Contents >> Chapter Eighty-Eight