Ye Jun finally settled down, and Zhongli Zixi’s mood improved considerably. Even the sight of Ze Que lurking stealthily atop the wall no longer seemed so grating.
Zhongli Zixi was currently staying at Fourth Master Fang’s estate under the alias Yan Xi to expel gu-poison. Ze Que, unable to set his mind at ease, came to the gates every day to request an audience. At the time, Zixi had been preoccupied with Ye Jun’s situation and had no patience for Ze Que, so he had refused him every time. After several days of being denied, Ze Que began to fear the worst, imagining that Yan Xi had been imprisoned by Fourth Master Fang. He started sneaking in to investigate. Seeing that Yan Xi was indeed unharmed, he was somewhat relieved, yet his doubts remained. Thus, he took to crouching on the wall every day.
At noon, Zhongli Zixi brought the fever-reducing medicine. Ye Jun obediently allowed himself to be fed, though his gaze constantly drifted toward the window.
Zixi naturally knew what he was looking at. Ye Jun’s five senses were far sharper than his own; he surely found Ze Que’s presence even more of an eyesore.
Thinking of this, Zixi turned his head to look out the window. He saw Ze Que squatting among the branches of a tree, clutching his sword and staring blankly into space. He seemed entirely unaware that his hair was full of fallen leaves and that a plump, white-bellied kingfisher had made a nest atop his head.
Though he came every day, Ze Que remained well-behaved and did not dare to act rashly since Zixi had not given him permission to meet. In a way, he looked quite pitiful.
Ye Jun was rarely the recipient of such tenderness from his master and knew he should be satisfied. Yet, when he spoke, the words that came out were: "Master, why does Ze Que come every day? And why does he keep staring at you?"
"How should I know? Ask him yourself." Zhongli Zixi set the bowl down on the side table and signaled for the maidservant to take it away.
Ye Jun had a few faint suspicions in his heart, but they were far too provocative to dwell upon.
"Then I really shall ask him," Ye Jun said.
"..." Zhongli Zixi glanced at him, thinking: *Is it truly worth being this concerned about?*
Ye Jun thought for a moment longer before finally asking, "Should we inform the First Young Master?"
Zixi had already considered this. He gave a bitter smile. "Naturally, he must be notified. It’s just that I’ve used fake news about Yue Changsheng to deceive him so many times in the past that he surely won't believe me now."
The midday break was over. It was time for Fourth Master Fang’s afternoon treatment, and a maidservant arrived to summon him.
Zhongli Zixi stood up and said, "I’m heading over. Help me send a letter to my brother. I cannot hold a brush right now, so write it however you wish."
Ye Jun borrowed paper and ink, wrote a concise note, and sealed it with wax. Leaning against the wall for support, he stepped out of the room, intending to find someone to take it to the courier station. Upon hearing his request, an attendant said, "If you wish to send a letter out, the contents must be inspected by our Master first."
The recipient's address was Zhongli Manor. If an investigation were launched, there was no telling what might be uncovered. The Second Young Master had plenty of enemies watching him like hawks from the shadows; they could not afford such a risk. Ye Jun shook his head. "That would be inconvenient."
Having dismissed the attendant, Ye Jun was considering waiting a few days until his injuries healed to send it himself when Ze Que leaped down from the tree branches, landing lightly by his side.
"Do you need help?" Ze Que asked. "I won't peek."
Ye Jun studied him noncommittally. "You’re certainly enthusiastic."
"Ah... you really don't need to be so guarded against me," Ze Que explained tentatively. "The first time I saw Master Yan, I knew he wasn't an ordinary person. Hearing you call him 'Master' these past few days has only confirmed it. Master Yan clearly has a noble status, yet he is forced to be at another's beck and call for the sake of money; and you, with such formidable martial arts, are so heavily injured. So, I guessed that you were persecuted by enemies and fell on hard times... I only want to do my best to help you. I mean no ill will."
Having said this, Ze Que added worriedly, "But since your enemies were able to wound you so badly, they must be very powerful. I’m not entirely confident, but I will do what I can."
Ye Jun thought to himself that if Ze Que knew he had stabbed himself, the boy would likely take him for a fool. On the surface, however, he feigned surprise. "You truly are clever."
Ze Que smiled sheepishly. "No, no... I’m not that clever."
Ye Jun thought sincerely: *You’re right about that.*
He then said, "We are actually quite safe. You don't need to come every day."
Ze Que replied earnestly, "Master Yan saved my life. He is my benefactor. Naturally, I should guard him at all times."
Ye Jun felt this plot was remarkably familiar.
He knew that Ze Que had been raised by a hermit expert in the deep mountains. After the expert passed away from illness, Ze Que had descended the mountain alone. Ignorant of the ways of the world, he had suffered much humiliation until he was saved by the First Young Master, who happened to be passing by. Given the First Young Master’s temperament, dallying with 'flowers and grass' was a common occurrence; he had likely flirted with Ze Que on a whim because the boy was pretty. He hadn't expected Ze Que to become so unshakably devoted to him from then on.
Ye Jun thought: *This fellow’s fledgling complex is as strong as ever.*
In the past, the First Young Master saved him, and he stuck to him. Now, the Second Young Master had saved him, and here he was again.
Ze Que spoke again, his expression darkening as he lowered his head. "But I’ve waited for days, and he refuses to see me. Perhaps he dislikes me very much."
Ye Jun said, "My master is a bit of a prickly sort. You’ll get used to it."
Ze Que whispered, "But I have something I want to ask him."
Ye Jun said, "Then just ask."
Ze Que nodded. "You’re right. I need to hear it from his own lips. Even if he doesn't like me, if he tells me himself, I won't come back to be an eyesore."
Ye Jun: "I... I was just speaking offhandedly." *How did you take that so seriously?*
Ze Que took the letter and vanished like a puff of smoke to deliver it, returning just as quickly.
He prepared to have a proper, open conversation and no longer crouched on the wall. Instead, he stood straight in the courtyard, hand on his sword hilt, quietly waiting for Zhongli Zixi to return.
This scene was also very familiar. It looked exactly like the way Ze Que used to wait obediently at Zhongli Manor for the First Young Master to return from his philandering.
Ye Jun felt as though he had just nailed his own coffin shut.
One inside and one outside, the two men waited for the same person, each burdened with his own thoughts. Near evening, the moment Zhongli Zixi stepped through the moon gate, he immediately sensed a tension in the air that was different from previous days. Ze Que was watching him intently, looking as though he had something to say.
Zixi was in a good mood today and rarely took the initiative to acknowledge him. "Is something the matter?"
Ze Que asked, "I feel as though I’ve seen you before... Do we know each other?"
Zhongli Zixi shook his head slightly. Back then, although he and Ze Que were both at Zhongli Manor, he held a high position, and Ze Que rarely had the chance to see him. Meeting again after Ze Que's memory loss, the boy found him familiar at first sight; it was obvious he had mistaken him for his very similar older brother.
"You saved my life. I want to repay you," Ze Que asked with anticipation. "Can I be your guard?"
Without thinking, Zhongli Zixi said, "I already have Ye Jun."
As soon as the words left his mouth, he realized it was inappropriate. A master wasn't limited to a single guard; it had nothing to do with whether he had Ye Jun or not. He didn't understand why he had refused so instinctively.
Thinking of Ye Jun, he suddenly remembered it was almost time for the man's medicine. Zixi made a move to leave, saying casually, "Is there anything else?"
"Can I touch you?" Ze Que asked, struggling against his awkwardness as he spoke with great care.
Entirely caught off guard, Zhongli Zixi blinked. "Huh?"
"Just here..." Ze Que gestured, raising a hand to touch Zixi’s cheek. His thumb brushed against and pressed down on the tear mole at the corner of Zixi's eye. Once the tear mole was covered, the face felt even more familiar. Ze Que's heart swelled as if it were about to explode, and his face flushed a deep crimson.
Ye Jun felt like he could no longer keep the lid on his own coffin! *I haven't even touched the Master's face!*
Ze Que only then realized what he had done. He scrambled back in a panic, intending to apologize, but before he could speak, he was seized by the collar and hoisted up. In a blur, he was moved out of the courtyard and landed face-down on the street.
The person who threw him had moved too fast for Ze Que to see clearly, and naturally, Zhongli Zixi hadn't caught it either.
Zixi stood dazed for a moment before turning his gaze back into the room. Ye Jun remained in his previous position, leaning dutifully against the headboard, not a hair out of place. The only difference was that the quilt covering him a moment ago had suddenly vanished without a trace.
Zhongli Zixi was well aware of Ze Que’s feelings for his older brother. Now that the boy was alive and had a chance to start over, it wasn't necessarily a bad thing. It was only because he looked so much like his brother that Zixi had been forced into this messy situation. He couldn't even explain himself, which felt truly unjust.
Zhongli Zixi sat on the edge of Ye Jun’s bed and said helplessly, "He just mistook me for someone else. Why are you sulking with him?"
Ye Jun said with a calm expression, "It wasn't me. I didn't do anything."
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Fatal to Pretend With a Cheat | Chapter 93 | A Touch of Recognition | Novela.app | Novela.app
