Day: January 21, 2025

Chapter 86

January 21, 2025 / / 0 Comments

       After Chen Youyou left, Zhan Weiyang asked Pei Qing, “Where are we going to have dinner?”

       Pei Qing raised his hand to wrap it around his shoulder, and the two left from the school gate.

       “What do you want to eat?” Pei Qing asked.

       Zhan Weiyang replied, “Anything is fine!” As long as he was with Pei Qing, Zhan Weiyang felt happy to eat anything; even if he were asked to go for a seafood noodle meal, he would think it was delicious!

       Pei Qing said, “How about we buy some to take home and eat?”

       “Take home and eat?” Zhan Weiyang thought that since Pei Qing said taking it home, it meant home with Grandma and Auntie Luo. However, he wanted to have a meal with Pei Qing, just the two of them.

       Pei Qing said, “Go back to my place.”

       Zhan Weiyang looked at him strangely. Pei Qing came here in the morning and rented a flat first. He didn’t have the confidence to say that he would definitely pass the interview, but he also sent his resume to other local companies. Whether he passed the interview this time or not, he planned to stay.

       He wanted to live here. He couldn’t continue to live in the Zhan family, so he had to rent a house first.

       Pei Jingrong was very angry about his choice and threatened to cut off his source of livelihood.

       Pei Qing thought it was fine. He should have been independent and should not continue to spend the family’s money. It was just that he had no income for a while, and the rent was the living expenses he had saved before. He told Pei Jingrong that he would try to find a way to return the money to Pei Jingrong after his job was stable. Pei Jingrong was furious again but was persuaded by Zhan Yingfei.

       Later, Zhan Yingfei privately told Pei Qing she would transfer some money. Pei Qing thanked her and refused. He came here today to pay the deposit and three months’ rent, and now he really didn’t have much money.

       He rented a one-bedroom flat with only one bedroom, an open kitchen and a small dining table, which was only almost enough for two people to sit face to face.

       Pei Qing put the bought dishes on the dining table and sat down to eat with Zhan Weiyang.

       Zhan Weiyang ate a little carelessly and kept staring at Pei Qing.

       Pei Qing said, “Why are you looking at me if you don’t eat well?”

       Zhan Weiyang said, “I’ve been thinking about you for a long time. I have to take a good look at you today.”

       Pei Qing picked up a piece of beef for him, “Then you can take your time to look at me. Anyway, I won’t leave in the future.”

       “Huh?” Zhan Weiyang suddenly realised something, “You won’t leave in the future?”

       Pei Qing nodded.

       Zhan Weiyang said, “If I get into C University, won’t we be separated again?”

       Pei Qing put down her chopsticks, as if thinking seriously, and said to him, “Yes.”

       Zhan Weiyang showed a panicked expression.

       This semester, he studied very hard with the goal of getting into C University. Although his grades did not improve enough to allow him to enter C University after a semester, he made a lot of progress compared to before.

       Even the homeroom teacher invited Zhan Pengcheng to the school to talk, saying that Zhan Weiyang had made great progress. If he had worked harder in the last year, he might have been able to get into university.

       When Zhan Weiyang heard that Pei Qing was not going back, he panicked for a while, then reacted and said, “Then I won’t apply to C University.”

       Pei Qing asked him, “What school does Yangyang want to apply to?”

       Zhan Weiyang said, “I need to think about it.”

       Pei Qing nodded, “It’s okay, think about it slowly.”

       After dinner, Zhan Weiyang toured the small apartment Pei Qing had rented. As he walked around the place, he noticed that the new bedding Pei Qing had bought was still lying on the bed in the bedroom, not yet put in place.

       Zhan Weiyang took the initiative to help Pei Qing make the bed.

       The clean and soft plain new sheets were spread out neatly on the mattress. Zhan Weiyang couldn’t help but lie on his back and look at the bedroom.

       The furniture in the room looked very simple. In addition to the bed, there were only bedside tables and wardrobes. The ceiling above was pure white, and a simple round small lamp in the middle was on, and the light was dazzling yellow.

       Zhan Weiyang didn’t know why he liked this place very much. He lay on the bed and was reluctant to get up.

       Until Pei Qing stretched out a hand to him.

       Pei Qing asked, “Won’t you get up?”

       Zhan Weiyang shook his head, “I won’t get up.”

       Pei Qing asked him, “Going to sleep here today?”

       Zhan Weiyang was very happy, “Is it okay?”

       Pei Qing said, “No. Your father and grandmother will be worried.”

       Zhan Weiyang was very disappointed.

       Pei Qing stretched out her hand in front of him, “Come on, get up, Yangyang.”

       Zhan Weiyang slowly stretched out his hand and held Pei Qing’s hand, but he didn’t really get up; instead, he pulled Pei Qing hard.

       Pei Qing was originally bending over the bed, and at this time, his center of gravity was unstable. He fell forward, almost falling on Zhan Weiyang. He supported his body with his hands on both sides of Zhan Weiyang’s head with his arms.

       Zhan Weiyang looked at him with a smile, raised his hands to hug his neck, and said, “I want you to kiss me.”

       Pei Qing heard this, lowered her head and kissed him lightly on the lips.

       Zhan Weiyang said, “It’s not like that.”

       Pei Qing teased him, “Like what?”

       Zhan Weiyang didn’t know what to say, so he could only say, “Kiss again, not so fast.”

       Pei Qing then lowered his head and kissed Zhan Weiyang on the lips again, but this time he didn’t leave immediately.

       Zhan Weiyang tried to deepen the kiss by imitating the way Pei Qing kissed him before.

       Pei Qing knelt on the bed with one leg, reached out to hug Zhan Weiyang’s back, picked him up and sat on his legs, kissing him.

       Zhan Weiyang thought it was very interesting, and hugged Pei Qing’s neck tightly, and was reluctant to let go for a long time.

       Later, he leaned close to Pei Qing’s ear and whispered, “I will be eighteen next month.”

       Pei Qing nodded and asked him, “What birthday gift do you want?”

       Zhan Weiyang was a little anxious, “That’s not what I meant.”

       Pei Qing smiled lightly and said, “What what do you mean?”

       Zhan Weiyang said, “You said that you can have sex at the age of eighteen!”

       Pei Qing said, “I said so.”

       Zhan Weiyang looked at him with great interest.

       Pei Qing let go of his hand, let him sit down on the bed, and said to him, “Being eighteen is acceptable, but there are other necessary conditions as well. It’s not something that can just be done on a whim.”

       Zhan Weiyang thought about it and was a little worried, “Will you not be interested in me?”

       Pei Qing looked at him for a while, “I really don’t know how to answer your question.”

       Zhan Weiyang became nervous; he stood up from the bed, raised his hand and started to take off his clothes.

       Pei Qing quickly stood up and hugged him to stop him, smiling, “What are you doing?”

       Zhan Weiyang said, “Don’t you want to take a look? What if you are very interested?”

       Pei Qing said, “I am already very interested.” After that, Pei Qing suddenly felt a little worried, “Don’t take off your clothes in front of others in the future. Do you hear me?”

       Zhan Weiyang said, “I won’t take off my clothes in front of others.”

       Pei Qing didn’t let Zhan Weiyang stay too late. He didn’t have a car now, and he didn’t have much money to take a taxi at will. He accompanied Zhan Weiyang to take the bus to send him home.

       When waiting for the bus at the bus stop, Pei Qing suddenly felt a little emotional. He asked Zhan Weiyang, “If I am very poor in the future, will you feel wronged following me?”

       Zhan Weiyang asked him, “How poor?”

       Pei Qing couldn’t help but laugh and said, “I can’t afford meat, and I can’t afford a car.”

       Zhan Weiyang was surprised and said, “We can’t even afford meat?”

       Pei Qing nodded seriously.

       Zhan Weiyang raised his hand and touched his head nervously. After a while, he comforted Pei Qing and said, “It’s okay, I can lose weight.”

       After that, he grabbed Pei Qing’s hand nervously, “I will eat very little, please don’t abandon me.”

       Pei Qing smiled and said, “Okay, I will definitely not abandon you, and I will try my best to buy you meat, okay?”

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Chapter 28

January 21, 2025 / / 0 Comments

       Qian Xiaoke thought Jiang Tongyan was a bit amusing.

       “You’re not my boss, so how do you know my boss will pay?” Qian Xiaoke said. “If I were Chairman Cheng, I wouldn’t be friends with you.”

       Jiang Tongyan wasn’t in the mood to bicker with Qian Xiaoke about trivial matters. Right now, he felt like he had stirred up a hornet’s nest.  

       “This is just unbelievable,” Jiang Tongyan said. “We’re all neighbours living here, can’t those young couples behave a bit?”

       “Young couples?” Qian Xiaoke said, sitting there with a perfectly calm demeanour. “Not at all. The tenant of that room is a guy, and he brings back a different person every day.”

       “…Then we really have to move!” Jiang Tongyan was about to explode. “What’s wrong with you, Qian Xiaoke? No, what’s wrong with all of you?”

       “What? Who’s all of us?”

       “He’s behaving like that, and none of you neighbours are calling him out?” Jiang Tongyan felt like he was turning into a walking of thousands of whys. He looked at Qian Xiaoke, his head full of question marks. “Hasn’t anyone talked to him? No one’s doing anything?”

       “We have, but it’s useless,” Qian Xiaoke said. “Everyone living here is like an unwanted stepchild. The landlord’s nowhere to be found, and the agent’s unreachable. What can we do?”

       If there was a way out, who wouldn’t want to leave this place?

       Besides, calling the police wasn’t an option either. Did they have any evidence that the guy was engaged in something improper? No. Plus, if they really did call the police, once the authorities saw the state of this place, that’d be it. No one would be able to stay here, and they’d probably lose their rent money, too. In the end, they’d be the ones who suffered.

       Qian Xiaoke said, “We poor people have a lot of things we’re helpless about.”

       The noise outside was giving Jiang Tongyan a headache. “How are you so calm?”

       “I’ve gotten used to it.” Qian Xiaoke opened a drawer and pulled out a small plastic bag full of earplugs. “Want to try, Chairman Jiang? They work great.”

       Irritated by the noise, Jiang Tongyan took the earplugs and, under Qian Xiaoke’s patient guidance, put them on.

       The world suddenly became quiet, and even Qian Xiaoke in front of him seemed more endearing.  

       Sure enough, if Qian Xiaoke were mute, he’d be an adorable, likable little guy.  

       What a pity…

       With the earplugs on, Jiang Tongyan felt the world was a much better place. He could finally calmly inspect Qian Xiaoke’s ‘bedroom’.

       This ‘bedroom’ was really nothing to write home about.

       The room was quite spacious for Qian Xiaoke, but for Jiang Tongyan, it was so small he could barely stretch his legs.

       The window was tiny—Jiang Tongyan guessed even sunlight had to struggle to squeeze through.

       The desk by the window was the kind of old, rickety wooden school desk he’d only seen in vintage TV dramas. The paint was peeling, and it wobbled with the slightest touch.

       On the desk was an air conditioner that was supposed to be white but had turned yellow. Jiang Tongyan asked, “Does that AC even work?”

       “It does,” Qian Xiaoke said, “but I don’t use it. Keep your voice down—why are you yelling so late at night?”

       “Huh?” Jiang Tongyan’s ‘huh’ was thunderously loud.

       Frowning, Qian Xiaoke reached over and removed his earplugs. “Dude, lower your voice!”

       Jiang Tongyan had forgotten he was still wearing earplugs.

       “I said, does your AC even work?” Jiang Tongyan tilted his head to look at the filthy, outdated AC unit hanging there. It looked like turning it on would release toxic gas.

       “It works, but I don’t use it much. I only turned it on once or twice during unbearably hot summer days,” Qian Xiaoke said. “It’s too noisy.”

       “Alright, if you can avoid using it, don’t use it.” Jiang Tongyan put the earplugs back on and continued his ‘inspection’.

       Qian Xiaoke’s bed wasn’t great either.

       The bed wasn’t small, but it didn’t look comfortable. Jiang Tongyan couldn’t understand how Qian Xiaoke could live such a rough life.  

       “What’s this?” Jiang Tongyan took out the earplugs and said to Qian Xiaoke, “You don’t even have a properly sized bedsheet?”

       Qian Xiaoke avoided eye contact, looking a bit embarrassed.

       He did live a rough life, but it was all to save money.

       The bed was a double bed that came with a mattress when he rented the place. The mattress was mediocre—so mediocre it even had a few cigarette burns in it. But that wasn’t a big deal. He could make it more comfortable by laying a mat and covering it with a bedsheet. But, of course, he didn’t.

       Qian Xiaoke couldn’t bring himself to spend money on the mattress. Right now, the bed was covered with the single-sized bedding he’d used back in college.

       Back then, he had two thin, single-sized mats to switch between. Even now, he used the same setup: a single mat on one half of the double bed, with the other half piled with clothes and random odds and ends.

       Jiang Tongyan, frustrated, said, “So sloppy!”

       Qian Xiaoke pouted, “A set of bedding is expensive.”

       “Cut back on a few bowls of spicy hot pot, and you’d save enough.”

       “I only eat ten yuan spicy hot pot usually, it’s cheap, don’t lecture me.”

       Jiang Tongyan turned his head, saw Qian Xiaoke looking wronged, and waved his hand, deciding to drop it.

       Jiang Tongyan felt he was truly a good person, too soft-hearted.

       He turned around, intending to compliment the room to make Qian Xiaoke happy, but all he saw was an old, tattered sofa.

       How bad was this sofa?

       It was one of those leather sofas from who-knows-what era, with the surface ruined and the springs sticking out.

       Jiang Tongyan asked, “Why haven’t you thrown this thing away?”

       Qian Xiaoke patiently taught this clueless boss Jiang about the ways of the world, “It’s left by the landlord if you throw it away, they’ll deduct it from your deposit when you move out! Idiot!”

       “…Oh.” Jiang Tongyan learned something new, albeit useless, and didn’t even argue about being called an ‘idiot’.

       “Why don’t you put your clothes in the wardrobe?” There was clearly a wardrobe in the room, albeit small, but not so small as to justify leaving clothes on the bed.

       Qian Xiaoke sat on the edge of the bed, swinging his skinny legs, “Take a look yourself.”

       Jiang Tongyan wasn’t in the habit of rummaging through other people’s things, but with the owner’s permission, he couldn’t refuse.

       He walked over and pulled the door…

       “Damn!” The door fell off.

       Jiang Tongyan jumped, “Why didn’t you tell me it was broken?”

       Qian Xiaoke burst into laughter, falling back onto the bed, “If I told you, it wouldn’t have been funny, hahaha!”

       Jiang Tongyan, with a dark expression, turned to look at Qian Xiaoke, feeling the urge to hire a hitman.

       An eye-roll from Jiang Tongyan made Qian Xiaoke shut up.

       After looking around, there wasn’t a single part of the room that satisfied Jiang Tongyan, with the noise from outside being the most irritating.

       He put his earplugs back in and went to the window to enjoy the breeze.

       The autumn night’s wind was quite pleasant. Although Jiang Tongyan kept complaining about Qian Xiaoke’s place, now that he was full and tired, sitting by the bed to catch a breeze felt pretty good.

       Feeling comfortable, he didn’t know when he fell asleep.

       Qian Xiaoke was originally sitting cross-legged, playing a mobile game. He was about to complete his puzzle game.

       After being tired from playing, he turned around to find Jiang Tongyan asleep, looking quite comfortable.

       Holding his phone, Qian Xiaoke quietly called out, “Jiang Tongyan!”

       The sleeping figure didn’t move, like a dead pig.

       Qian Xiaoke stared at him for a while, then clicked his tongue.

       Jiang Tongyan was really handsome, good-looking, good physique, and rich, but his personality and sexual prowess were lacking.

       Lying beside him, Qian Xiaoke felt pity for him for the umpteenth time.

       An apple bitten by God, what a pity.

       Qian Xiaoke felt a sense of compassion for Jiang Tongyan, sighed, and mumbled, “Life is hard, treasure what you can.”

       The next morning, Jiang Tongyan woke up feeling disoriented. He first looked at the ceiling and then at the person beside him, snoring away.

       Everything seemed off.

       “Shit!” Although Jiang Tongyan was never one for good temper around Qian Xiaoke. His upbringing prevented him from swearing, but he couldn’t help it this morning.

       Qian Xiaoke was startled awake, jumping up from the bed.

       “Huh? What?” Qian Xiaoke was still groggy, his world not yet awake.

       Jiang Tongyan looked at him, “What’s going on?”

       Qian Xiaoke, still sleepy, continued to doze off sitting on the bed.

       Jiang Tongyan grabbed his shoulders, shaking him melodramatically, “Wake up!”

       It was no use.

       Unless it was time for work, nothing could wake Qian Xiaoke up.

       “Qian Xiaoke!” Seeing no response, Jiang Tongyan got an idea, “There’s a thief in your house!”

       Qian Xiaoke shuddered, “Where?”

       He reached under his pillow and pulled out a kitchen knife, which scared Jiang Tongyan stiff.

       “…Qian Xiaoke, let’s talk this out, what are you doing with that?”

       Qian Xiaoke, holding his knife, looked around, not seeing any thief, only Jiang Tongyan cowering in the corner.

       “Where’s the thief?” Qian Xiaoke asked.

       Jiang Tongyan took a deep breath and took the knife from him.

       “You sleep with that under your pillow?”

       “Of course,” Qian Xiaoke said, “We pretty boys are in danger; if someone breaks in to rob or worse, I need something to defend myself.”

       Jiang Tongyan wanted to mock his ‘pretty boy’ comment. ‘Pretty boy’ my foot, ‘madman’ would be more fitting.

       But seeing the rickety door that looked like it would fall apart with a kick, having a knife for self-defence seemed reasonable.

       “There’s no thief,” Jiang Tongyan said, “Why am I here?”

       “…Did you lose your memory?” Qian Xiaoke said, “You fell asleep here last night.”

       Jiang Tongyan hadn’t lost his memory, “I’m asking why you didn’t let me sleep on the bedding!”

       Why was Qian Xiaoke on the bedding while he was lying on a pile of clothes?

       Who knew if they were even clean?

       Qian Xiaoke pretended not to understand, got off the bed, and stretched.

       “Chairman Jiang, pay up.”

       “Huh?”

       “You stayed here last night, I need to charge you,” Qian Xiaoke said, “My place isn’t comparable to your five-star hotel, so I’ll give you a discount. How much is a night at your place?”

       “3688.”

       Qian Xiaoke raised his hand, digging in his ear, “How much?”

       “3688,” Jiang Tongyan said, “What’s wrong?”

       Qian Xiaoke took a deep breath, reminding himself he wasn’t anti-rich.

       “Okay, since we’re good friends, you stayed here last night, so 368 yuan will do.”

       “I’ll give you nothing!” Jiang Tongyan stood up abruptly, only to bump his waist on the table corner.

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Chapter 57 – Have I ever slept with my brother? 

January 21, 2025 / / 1 Comment

Chapter 57 – Have I ever slept with my brother? 

Hearing what He Changzhou said, Zhao Qi felt suffocated.

 

Indeed, there were only four people who had been to the Yonghua Palace that night: excluding Rong Tang and He Changzhou, the remaining candidates were Li Chisu and Xiao Shiqing.

 

Li Chisu was notoriously flirtatious and enjoyed making advances. For him, sleeping with someone was as common as eating a meal. Coupled with his ambiguous attitude toward Zhao Qi, it was quite possible that the dragon egg really belonged to him.

 

As for Xiao Shiqing… Zhao Qi had spent almost all his time with Xiao Shiqing and did not notice anything unusual about him. Furthermore, Xiao Shiqing had no interest in either men or women and was proud of his aloofness. Zhao Qi was confident that Xiao Shiqing would not be interested in him.

 

In summary, Li Chisu’s probability was much higher than Xiao Shiqing’s.

 

“The dragon egg is yours; I don’t want it, let alone Li Chisu!” Zhao Qi swore to the heavens, “I, Zhao Qi, would rather be childless than have him father a child!”

 

“Shh,” He Changzhou placed his finger on Zhao Qi’s lips, “Your Majesty, keep your voice down. Fu Zi is still lurking in the dark; be careful not to let him overhear.”

 

Zhao Qi puffed out his cheeks, losing interest in strolling and eating noodles. “Let’s go back.”

 

Meanwhile, after Xiao Shiqing had taken care of his tasks, he went to the outskirts of Cangzhou.

 

Outside the Rong residence’s annex, two guards saw Xiao Shiqing and knelt in greeting, “Greetings, Prime Minister.”

 

Xiao Shiqing looked at the newly planted peach blossoms in the courtyard and asked, “What has Rong Tang been doing these past few days?”

 

The guards replied, “Young Master Rong spends his time either sleeping or tending to the peach trees in the courtyard. When tired, he rests and reads books.”

 

Xiao Shiqing narrowed his eyes and walked into the courtyard.

 

Rong Tang was watering and fertilizing the peach trees. Despite the dirty work, he remained pristine and clean.

 

Hearing the footsteps, he looked up and saw the visitor’s eyes glimmer with a hint of disappointment. He said calmly, “Prime Minister, what brings you here?”

 

Xiao Shiqing touched the tender green leaves on a branch and said nonchalantly, “We will set out tomorrow.”

 

Rong Tang’s eyes hardened, and he cleared his throat softly a few times.

 

Tomorrow, that person would be leaving.

 

In fact, whether he left or stayed made little difference to Rong Tang. Even if they were in the same city, they would likely never meet again in this lifetime.

 

He knew this well, but as long as he could think of being in the same city, looking at the same sky, and drinking the same water as that person, his heart still had a semblance of life.

 

Once he left, Rong Tang would probably be completely resigned. Life would become much more bearable then.

 

Xiao Shiqing removed the new leaf, saying, “Before he left, he asked me to set you free.”

 

Rong Tang gave a light laugh. “Is that so? As expected of him.” He was always hitting with one hand and then giving a piece of candy with the other. He relied on that piece of candy to hold on until now.

 

“I said I need to think about it.”

 

“May I ask, what has the Prime Minister decided?”

 

Xiao Shiqing let go of his hand, and the new leaf slid from his grip, falling into the mud. “As long as you stay far away from him, it’s not impossible.”

 

Rong Tang asked, “How far?”

 

“From east to west, from south to north.”

 

“Understood,” Rong Tang nodded, “The Prime Minister wants me to go to the northern borders.”

 

“To him, you are only of that much use now,” Xiao Shiqing said lazily. “I’ve prepared a pass with the Emperor’s seal. As long as you agree, someone will take the pass to the Huai Wang’s residence in the capital in your name. Considering your past relationship with Huai Wang, gaining their trust won’t be difficult.”

 

Rong Tang’s expression turned serious. “Is this your decision or his?”

 

“Mine.”

 

“And he doesn’t know?”

 

Xiao Shiqing answered calmly, “When the time is right, I will naturally tell him.”

 

“I have a question for the Prime Minister.”

 

“Speak.”

 

“Did the Prime Minister spare my life because the Emperor interceded, or because you intended to use me from the beginning?”

 

Xiao Shiqing glanced at him. “Neither.”

 

“Then what is the reason?”

 

“The reason I spared your life is because…” Xiao Shiqing chuckled softly, “I didn’t want him to be angry with me.”

 

Rong Tang’s fingers clenched in his sleeve, and his chest felt tight. It seemed that only someone like Xiao Shiqing could use the life of a person, or even an entire clan, to exchange for a smile from the Emperor.

 

“You can take your time to consider,” Xiao Shiqing said. “Once you have made a decision, whatever it may be, tell the guards outside the courtyard. They will inform you of the next steps.”

 

After saying this, Xiao Shiqing left. Rong Tang called out, “Prime Minister.”

 

Xiao Shiqing stopped. “What is it?”

 

“Since the Emperor’s health is not well, why did he still insist on traveling south by boat?”

 

“He insisted on doing so, so I naturally followed his wishes.”

 

Rong Tang said, “If I were you, I would not let him suffer during this October, no matter what.”

 

Xiao Shiqing turned around. “October?”

 

Rong Tang noticed the concern in Xiao Shiqing’s eyes, and his heart stirred. He slowly smiled, “So, the Prime Minister still doesn’t know about this matter.”

 

Xiao Shiqing’s expression grew stern. “If you have something to say, say it directly. No need for circumlocution.”

 

Rong Tang replied, “He has his reasons for not speaking, and others are not qualified to speak for him. Farewell, Prime Minister. I won’t see you off.”

 

Xiao Shiqing did not linger. Though he had doubts, he would not be easily manipulated.

 

However, he was increasingly certain that the young Emperor was hiding something from him, and Rong Tang might be aware of it.

 

Feeling restless, Xiao Shiqing went straight to the young Emperor’s quarters upon returning to the palace. His first question was, “Has the Emperor returned?”

 

Jiang Dehai replied, “The Emperor has just returned. Little Jinzi is helping the Emperor change clothes.”

 

Xiao Shiqing entered the inner room. Zhao Qi’s clothes were mostly changed, with only a jade belt remaining. Xiao Shiqing said softly, “Step aside, I’ll do it.”

 

Little Jinzi placed the jade belt aside and bowed out. The young Emperor was lost in thought as he gazed at the bronze mirror, unaware of the change in attendants beside him.

 

Xiao Shiqing approached him from behind, his large palm gently lifting Zhao Qi’s chin. Leaning close to his ear, he asked, “What is the Emperor thinking about?”

 

Zhao Qi jumped in surprise, his gaze forced to the bronze mirror in front of him.

 

In the mirror, he stood in front with Xiao Shiqing behind him; Xiao Shiqing’s hand supported his chin, his lips only inches from Zhao Qi’s ear.

 

Zhao Qi came to his senses and asked, “Brother, are you actually much taller than me?!”

 

Xiao Shiqing laughed and let go, ruffling Zhao Qi’s hair. “Was it fun outside?”

 

Zhao Qi turned around and said, “It wasn’t fun, not as much as half of the capital.”

 

Xiao Shiqing lowered his gaze. “Do you have something on your mind?”

 

Zhao Qi looked back at him, hesitating. “Yes… no.”

 

Xiao Shiqing raised his brows slightly. “Is it yes or no?”

 

Zhao Qi scratched his head with one hand. “I want to ask Brother something.”

 

“Go ahead.”

 

“Has Brother ever, um…” Zhao Qi’s face turned bright red, his voice dropping to a whisper, “ever slept with… me?”

 

Xiao Shiqing didn’t catch the second half of Zhao Qi’s question and frowned, “What?”

 

Summoning his courage, Zhao Qi was about to repeat the question loudly when Jiang Dehai’s voice came from outside, “Your Majesty, Prime Minister, it’s time for the meal.”

 

“Not urgent,” Xiao Shiqing said. “The Emperor should finish what he was saying first.”

 

Finding a father for the dragon egg was as difficult as waging a war—first with enthusiasm, then diminishing, and eventually exhausting. Zhao Qi was already exhausted and almost fled, saying, “I’m hungry, let’s have the meal first!”

 

Xiao Shiqing: “…”

 

Despite claiming to be hungry, Zhao Qi had no appetite during the meal. He barely moved his chopsticks before feeling tired and asked to return to his room to rest.

 

Xiao Shiqing let him go. Once Zhao Qi had left, he summoned Fu Zi.

 

“Have you found any leads on the matter I asked you to investigate?”

 

Fu Zi responded, “Prime Minister, Cheng Boyan is a latecomer to the Imperial Medical Institute, apprenticing under the former head of the Institute, Zhang Taiyi. Before the Emperor’s tour, he once consulted Zhang Taiyi for loss of appetite and nausea. Zhang Taiyi diagnosed the Emperor with damp-heat in the stomach, Qi deficiency, and blood deficiency, and prescribed a medicine. However, the very next day, Zhang Taiyi went into mourning, and Cheng Taiyi took over the Emperor’s diagnosis.”

 

Xiao Shiqing gestured for Fu Zi to continue.

 

“Since then, Cheng Taiyi became the Emperor’s sole designated physician, accompanying the Emperor during his southern tour. All the medicines the Emperor took daily were prepared by him.”

 

Xiao Shiqing asked, “Do you have the prescriptions from Zhang Taiyi and Cheng Boyan?”

 

Fu Zi said, “The formula from Dr. Zhang can be found in the archives of the Imperial Medical Institute. As for Dr. Cheng, he handles everything personally—drying, grinding, and decocting the medicine. The formula is all in his mind and is not written down. I only deduced the formula from the residue of his decoctions.” He took out two notes and handed them to Xiao Shiqing. “Prime Minister, please have a look.”

 

Xiao Shiqing glanced at them and said, “Interesting.”

 

For the same illness, the prescriptions from these two doctors, one old and one young, were completely different.

 

“I asked the doctors, and indeed, Dr. Zhang’s formula is a good remedy for damp-heat in the stomach and intestines, as well as for qi and blood deficiency. However, Dr. Cheng’s formula was unknown to them; they had never heard of it and were unsure of its use.”

 

Xiao Shiqing pondered for a moment and said, “Send someone to Dr. Zhang’s hometown to find out more. Continue investigating Dr. Cheng’s prescription.”

 

Fu Zi clasped his hands and said, “Understood. If the Prime Minister has no other instructions, I will take my leave.”

 

“Hold on,” said Xiao Shiqing.

 

“Yes, Prime Minister?”

 

Xiao Shiqing hesitated for a moment and asked, “What did the Emperor do today?”

 

“Reporting to the Prime Minister, His Majesty…”

 

“Forget it, don’t mention it.”

 

Fu Zi was puzzled. “?”

 

Xiao Shiqing said, “I promised him not to monitor him anymore.”

 

“Well then, may I take my leave?”

 

“Wait.” Xiao Shiqing said, “You should still tell me.”

 

Having served Xiao Shiqing for many years, Fu Zi had never seen the usually decisive Prime Minister so conflicted. He said with a complicated expression, “Today, the Emperor went out with General He. They ate a bowl of Yangchun noodles at an open-air stall. There seemed to be some unpleasantness, and the Emperor even had a dispute with General He. After that, His Majesty’s mood has been quite poor.”

 

Unpleasantness with He Changzhou… Is this what’s troubling the young Emperor?

 

“I see,” Xiao Shiqing said淡淡ly, “Remember, I didn’t ask you anything just now.”

 

Fu Zi responded, “Understood.”

 

The next morning, the dragon boat set sail again.

 

Xiao Shiqing lifted the restrictions on the common people, and many people gathered on the shore, eager to catch a glimpse of the Emperor.

 

Zhao Qi thought for a long time and decided to adopt a majestic demeanor to assert the Emperor’s authority. With a stern face, he led the civil and military officials onto the boat, leaving the shore and standing on the deck, looking at the dense crowd on the shore.

 

The river breeze brushed his face, filling him with boundless pride—Ah, these are all my subjects.

 

Among the hundreds and thousands of people, he spotted that familiar white figure at a glance.

 

Yong Tang’s gaze pierced through the crowd and quietly landed on him.

 

Cold and ethereal, just like before.

 

As the dragon boat moved forward slowly, the white figure in his sight gradually grew smaller until it finally disappeared.

 

“Your Majesty.”

 

A hand patted his shoulder, and Zhao Qi withdrew his gaze to meet He Changzhou’s smiling eyes. “What’s the matter?”

 

He Changzhou asked, “Has Your Majesty decided?”

 

“Decided what?”

 

He Changzhou lightly patted Zhao Qi’s lower abdomen. “The name of the child.”

 

Zhao Qi’s eye twitched. “I don’t need to decide. Thank you.”

 

“Then listen to me and name him Zhao Yun.”

 

“… Are you done?!”

T/N: There is plenty more where that came from, so stay tuned! And stay healthy! Straighten your posture, so some stretches and drink some water before continuing hehe~

If you like my translations, feel free to donate to my ko-fi!

I really, really appreciate all the support from my readers <3 It goes a long way and motivates me lots!

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Also, check out the other series we have on HoH!

If you like cats, check out Revenge of the Garfield

If you like dragons, check out I’m Pregnant with the Hope of the Entire Planet and The Dragon and the ‘Princess’

How about some mystery or showbiz? Check out Morbid Addiction & Perfection

What about the perfect, most non-toxic male lead ever? Laws of Love

How about MC nursing ML back to health? Forced into the Deep

 

 

Chapter 34

January 21, 2025 / / 0 Comments

       In this battle, the second eldest son of the Sheng family, Sheng Guang, and their third eldest son, Sheng Wei, were shot dead, and more than 200 of their men died. The fifth son, Sheng Ming, disappeared without a trace.

       On the side of J City, military and political leader Old Master Shen suddenly fell ill, and all affairs were handed over to his grandson, Shen Mo, to handle. Sheng Weiyong was arrested for economic crimes involved in smuggling, illegal possession of firearms, and other charges. The eldest son, Sheng Kai, was detained for a murder case. The stock price of Sheng Group plummeted. The Sheng family’s power was on the decline, as if a building was about to collapse, teetering on the edge. 

       The authorities classified this incident as a gang conflict, skillfully avoiding implicating the Chu family, instead announcing that the Chu family was an ‘innocent victim’ who had accidentally become involved in the gang clash.

       In this battle, the Black Eagle Society lost 43 men dead and over 240 injured. The casualties among Chu Qin’s former subordinates who were paying respect at the cemetery were the heaviest. At Qinglan Mansion, besides Aunt Song, the gardener, and a few servants who weren’t there that day, Bai Yang and three bodyguards were severely injured, while Feng Tai, Lan Xin, and others all died.

       Chu Yunhan, who stubbornly insisted on personally visiting the scene, did not speak a word the entire time. He only picked up Feng Tai’s pocket watch and tucked it into his chest pocket, slowly combing Lan Xin’s bloodstained hair, staring at her pale, quiet face for a long time without moving. Finally, he closed his eyes, which were reddened from holding back tears, and had them placed in black body bags and taken to the morgue.

       After returning from the cemetery, he locked himself in his room in the old mansion and hadn’t come out since. The Sheng family still had a lot of fish that might have slipped through the net and could be wandering the city, so Chu Yichen requested that he stay in the old mansion temporarily. But everyone knew the real reason—it was to prevent him from being reminded of the scene at the empty Qinglan Mansion.

       The next afternoon, the door was forced open, and Hei Yu brought a little girl to Chu Yunhan who looked haggard.

       There was finally a flicker of light in his dull eyes. He knelt halfway and said slowly in a hoarse voice, “Yuanyuan, your mother…is gone.”

       “…Where did Mommy go?” There was an uneasiness in the childish voice.

       “…She went to a very, very beautiful place. She wanted to stay there, but she couldn’t stop worrying about you, afraid you’d be lonely…” He did his best to remain composed in front of the child, trying to appear better, “From now on, Uncle will accompany you on her behalf so that she can rest assured, okay?”

       Yuanyuan looked at him and nodded, but tears fell. She was a sensitive and delicate child—her mother hadn’t come back, and neither had Uncle Feng. Many people hadn’t come back. She could read pity and sorrow in the adults’ eyes when they looked at her. She knew her mother wouldn’t return, and from now on, she had no one else to rely on except the man before her.

       Chu Yunhan held her in his arms and comforted her softly, “Don’t cry, don’t cry… Uncle will always be with you and protect you. Are you hungry? Let’s go get something to eat together, okay?”

       He had to pull himself together because someone needed him. He was someone else’s pillar of support. 

 

       This incident was too far-reaching, requiring a great deal of follow-up work. Both the black and white parties have a lot of things to be busy with, including political negotiations, business operations, internal management, tracing the remnants of the party, providing compensation for the deceased, and treating the injured… Additionally, with many people lost, Chu Yichen was swamped with work. Minran couldn’t be in J City to assist, and even the older generation, Chu Yu and Chu Xuan had to get involved. Chu Yunhan actively took over many of the group’s operational matters and became busy himself.

       The funeral of the deceased was held a week later, and tombstones were erected in the Black Eagle Society’s exclusive cemetery. Although some of the ashes had been collected by their families, their names were still engraved here as a permanent memorial.

       It was an extremely grand funeral. A black motorcade, with large white flowers tied to the front of the cars, slowly made its way along the main road of K City, passing in front of the Golden Eagle Group headquarters. Under the gaze of the golden eagle perched atop the building, the deceased were sent to their final resting place. The long procession attracted numerous onlookers, all of whom knew it was the Chu family bidding farewell to their loved ones.

       The officials and high-ranking members of the Black Eagle Society rushed back from all directions, and the entire cemetery was dark and solemn. Chu Yichen, wearing a black suit, stood at the front. Chu Yunhan and others stood behind him, bowing deeply to the tombstone together. Yuanyuan, who was wearing a little black skirt, held his hand tightly and sobbed softly. After the ceremony was over, he took her little hand and went to Lan Xin’s tombstone. Yuanyuan cried and said softly, “Mom, don’t worry, I will listen to Uncle Chu, and I will come to see you often…”

       Seeing this scene, Chu Yunhan felt extremely depressed. He turned his face and met the eyes of the man standing not far away.

       Chu Yichen was looking at him. The two of them were busy with their own affairs during this period. Even though they lived in the old house, they always left early and returned late. It seemed that they had not seen each other for a long time. At this moment, there were many people between them, and they were looking at each other calmly, and no one looked away. It wasn’t until Yuanyuan grabbed Chu Yunhan’s hand again that he lowered his head, picked her up, and left the cemetery first.

 

       When people get busy, they tend to ignore the passage of time. By the time all the matters were dealt with and the situation had stabilised, it had already been a month and a half. After winter set in, a few moderate to heavy rains fell, and the weather grew colder day by day.

       Chu Yunhan, who was woken up by the alarm early in the morning, went downstairs with messy hair and yawned. Since Lan Xin’s death, no matter how busy he was, he made sure to set aside time every day to have breakfast with Yuanyuan and then take her to kindergarten. He sleepily walked to the dining room, and when he saw the people sitting at the round table eating, he paused in surprise, his eyes widening.

       Yuanyuan, wearing a little red sweater, reached for the pastries on the plate, but her short arms couldn’t quite reach. She quietly pulled her hand back. Just then, a large hand extended from the side, moving the plate directly in front of her. The girl softly said thank you, took a small cake, and bit into it, with the jam filling spilling out. The man sitting next to her wiped it off with a napkin and said, “Take your time.”

       This scene was strange yet harmonious, leaving Chu Yunhan dumbfounded, unsure whether to walk over. A while ago, Chu Yichen had gone to J City to expand his network, and they hadn’t seen each other for more than half a month. Now, seeing him sitting at the table felt unreal. When Yuanyuan looked up and saw him, she called out, ‘Uncle Chu’, and immediately, the familiar gaze followed.

       Chu Yunhan felt a slight itch on his face, like being swept by a cat’s tail. He coughed lightly, said vaguely “Good morning, you’re back”, and sat down on the other side of Yuanyuan.

       “Just arrived.”

       He was a little cautious for no reason and said, “Over there… is everything settled?”

       “En.”

       “No need to go?”

       “En.”

       “Minran is still there?”

       “Shen Mo is still settling in; there are some things to take care of.”

       “Oh.”

       The exchange was brief and sparse.

       Chu Yunhan distractedly scooped some porridge into his spoon and brought it to his mouth, only to find it scalding. He was caught between spitting it out and swallowing, looking utterly awkward. He hissed through his teeth while sneaking a glance at the other man.

       The man raised the corner of his mouth, sipping milk from his cup without saying anything. However, Yuanyuan next to him looked at him sympathetically and said, “Uncle, eat slowly, hot.”

       “Okay.” His face turned red, and he stirred the porridge in the bowl with a spoon. He said, “I will take Yuanyuan back in two days.”

       Chu Yichen was silent for a while and replied calmly, “Okay, I’ll let someone arrange it.”

       Chu Yunhan didn’t know why he felt a little unhappy all of a sudden. It was as if there was a sudden and uncomfortable feeling in his heart. He said, “I’ll handle it myself.”

       It was quite a blunt rebuttal. Du Chuan, who was standing aside, glanced at the person sitting in the main seat.

       The man’s expression remained unchanged. He slowly took a sip of the milk in the cup and said, “Okay.”

       It was his own suggestion at first, but now that the other person agreed, he felt upset. What was going on? Even he thought he was being unreasonable.

       It was probably because he had been holding back too much lately, and he was a bit emotionally disturbed…

       That must be the case…

       Chu Yunhan felt sullen and had no appetite left. After Yuanyuan finished eating, he said, “I’ll take her to kindergarten,” and left.

       He was in a bad mood the entire way. It wasn’t until Yuanyuan, who was sitting in the back seat, asked timidly, “Is Uncle upset?” did he realised that he had been scowling the whole time and said with some shame, “No, it’s just that the road is a bit congested. I asked Aunt Jing to come after school in the afternoon to pick you up, okay? Uncle has a meeting that might run late.”

       “Okay.” The little girl was always very well-behaved.

       After dropping Yuanyuan off at kindergarten, Chu Yunhan realised that he had been absent-minded and had forgotten a whole folder of materials at home.

       He had originally planned to call Du Chuan to have someone bring them to the office, but since the folder contained confidential business documents, he decided to return them and get them himself.

       He walked into the traditional Chinese-style building with white walls and black tiles, his gaze passing over the study on the second floor. He paused, then turned back.

       Sunlight streamed through the wooden lattice window, casting patterns of shadows on the floor. The tall bookshelf was neatly stacked with books, forming a layered, pixelated 3D image. Amid this, a figure was slouched on the wide sofa, his head tilted to one side. His hand, holding a fountain pen, was limp against the armrest, and the pen had rolled onto the carpet.

       His eyes were tightly closed, and his thick black lashes cast a small shadow beneath his eyes.

       Chu Yichen had just… fallen asleep.

       Chu Yunhan stood quietly for a moment, letting out a soft sigh. This was the first time he had observed Chu Yichen’s sleeping face up close. He had always remembered Chu Yichen as strong and cold after reaching adulthood, like a machine, constantly alert and calm. Sometimes, he even forgot that this person was an ordinary human who needed rest.

       His gaze fell on the thick stack of materials on the side table, and he frowned.

       It must take a lot of effort to mediate among the powerful people in J City. This man caught a late-night flight, skipped a good night’s sleep, and was now handling a pile of matters. It’s really…

       He realised that this morning, the man had probably only had a cup of milk.

       He looked at the tired sleeping face of the other party, and somewhere in his heart, a soft, sour, green plum-like emotion welled up, slowly swelling, filling his heart to the fullest. He quickly went to a nearby room and took a soft thin blanket, gently draping it over Chu Yichen. After quietly closing the study door behind him, he turned to see Du Chuan holding a cup of tea and Hei Yu with the materials standing behind him. Chu Yunhan raised an eyebrow and said, “What’s so urgent that it couldn’t wait? Can’t you let him sleep for a bit?”

       This was the first time the young master had interfered with Chu Yichen’s matters, and both Du Chuan and Hei Yu were taken aback, exchanging glances. Hei Yu lowered his head and said, “I’ll report in half an hour.”

       He took a few steps, turned back, and whispered to Du Chuan, “Don’t mention that I came back.”

       “Understood.” The butler responded.

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