Ye Jun lay back on the bed, looking sickly once more.
He closed his eyes, but his mind was far from idle. This drug had been specifically placed in a dish he didn't eat, which meant it was deliberately targeted at the Second Young Master.
Speaking of which, a new face had been added to the maids today, a girl named Qiluan. She possessed a modicum of martial arts—her foundation was shallow, but her techniques were orthodox. The girl had bright eyes and white teeth, appearing to be around seventeen or eighteen. Her wrists were slender and her fingers were as delicate as scallion roots; it was clear she had never performed manual labor.
Ye Jun had a faint suspicion in his heart, and with that, he boldly allowed himself to drift off to sleep.
When Zhongli Zixi returned, the person on the sickbed had weak breath and remained in a deep slumber, showing no signs of waking. Sitting silently by Ye Jun’s side for a moment, Zixi realized the man had grown significantly thinner recently. Between the serious injury, the fever, and being drugged, there had been almost no respite.
He suddenly found himself missing the days they spent in the deep mountains.
As he sat lost in thought, the maid in the water-blue dress, Qiluan, urged him, "Young Master Yan, please eat first, or the food will get cold."
Zhongli Zixi returned to the table and ate absentmindedly. Once finished, he signaled for the maid to clear the dishes. "Take these away and prepare some meat porridge to bring over."
Qiluan complied and left. Zixi calculated that it was time for Ye Jun’s medicine, so he went to the bedside and called his name softly a few times. But Ye Jun slept too soundly, offering no response at all.
Just as he began to find it suspicious, Qiluan returned with two burly men. She said with a beaming smile, "Young Master Yan, Master Ye doesn't seem quite right today. Our Master has specifically invited a physician, and we are here to take Master Ye to see him now."
The two guards did not wait for Zhongli Zixi’s approval, moving forward on their own to lift Ye Jun and carry him away.
Zixi’s gaze turned cold. They wanted to touch Ye Jun?
He immediately pressed his hand against one of the men, asking in a frigid voice, "Just bring the physician here. Why must you take him away?"
Unfortunately, he had no strength in his hands and could not stop the guards' movements. The man replied, "The physician was busy with other matters just now and couldn't make it over."
Zixi immediately said, "I will go as well."
The guard politely declined. "The physician said no outsiders are allowed while he examines the patient. Young Master Yan, please wait here quietly. There is no need to trouble yourself."
Their words were polite, but their actions were not. They swiftly dragged Ye Jun from the sickbed, propping him up, and turned to leave.
Zhongli Zixi, who prided himself on being exceptionally clever, could not think of a single way to stop them from taking Ye Jun. He felt as if his very vitals were turning to ice. He said coldly, "Put him down. If you stop now, there is still time."
"Young Master Yan is truly overthinking things. You are an honored guest of our estate; how could we possibly—"
Qiluan was still trying to soothe him with polite words when Zixi’s bone-chilling gaze suddenly slammed into her heart. It was so full of murderous intent and so terrifyingly grim that the second half of her sentence choked in her throat. Qiluan felt a surge of palpitations, feeling as though her life had already been snatched away and handed to the King of Hell.
Zhongli Zixi looked at her coldly, enunciating every word: "Go tell Fang Si. If he dares to use Ye Jun’s life to coerce me, I will make the entire Fang family join him in the grave."
Qiluan was nearly frightened to tears, stammering, "Y-Young Master Yan, please rest assured... we truly don't mean any harm..."
Zhongli Zixi was irritated to the extreme and had no desire to hear her whimpering. "Get out." Knowing he was ultimately powerless to change the situation, he didn't bother wasting any more words and turned back into the room.
Zixi returned to the room and stood by the latticed window. This night was clear with a bright moon, originally a peaceful and ordinary summer night. A night breeze brushed past, making him shiver, only then realizing that his entire body was soaked in cold sweat.
That threat had been no mere hyperbole.
Forget about tampering with the medicine for Fourth Master Fang’s poison; he was capable of dropping lethal toxins directly into the wells and rivers, leaving not even a dog or chicken alive in all of Nanling.
This place was close to Wushui Terrace, and he was on excellent personal terms with the Wushui Saintess. It would be as easy as turning over his hand to secretly contact people to exterminate the Fang family.
He had a thousand ways to make the Fang family pay tenfold and regret this day, but he had no way to save Ye Jun today.
He had originally been absolutely certain that the Fang family wouldn't dare touch his people.
But if Fourth Master Fang truly was a brainless fool who eliminated Ye Jun on an impulse, then even killing him a thousand times over would not make up for the loss.
When the Eldest Young Master had betrayed him back then, it had left his heart like cold ashes, but it had also allowed him to let go.
Only at this moment did he understand the true meaning of despair.
Zhongli Zixi’s thoughts were a chaotic mess, and the more he thought, the more agitated he became. At first, he thought it was merely his concern causing confusion, but he gradually realized this restlessness was taking a wrong turn, transforming into carnal desire.
The Second Young Master thought self-reproachfully: *Ye Jun’s life and death are uncertain, so why am I thinking about such things?*
It wasn't until his vision grew increasingly blurred and he could no longer focus his mind that he finally sensed something was wrong. He thought in shock: *What the hell, an aphrodisiac again?!*
Burning with unbearable heat, Zhongli Zixi stumbled out the door, wishing he could plunge headfirst into a pond to cool down. He was met by a graceful figure as bright as moonlight, who gently supported him. A soft, fragrant beauty was in his arms, like a clear spring among pines, moisturizing things silently, making him feel much more comfortable.
Zixi forced himself to stay alert, pinching her wrist. "You are... that new maid from today..."
He was already unable to stand steadily, and with Qiluan intentionally guiding him, he fell against her. Qiluan whispered in his ear, "I am no ordinary maid, but the second daughter of Fourth Master Fang. The Fang family has a great estate and vast business; marrying me would not disgrace you, Young Master Yan."
She was clearly somewhat nervous as well, not daring to look at him. With a flushed face and trembling hands, she lowered her head to undo his sash.
"You... you mustn't go back on your word. Do not fail me."
Zhongli Zixi didn't want to "not fail" her; he only wanted her to get lost. But his mind was already hazy, and he didn't even know where his hands and feet were.
With Qiluan’s words, he immediately connected the dots. A few days ago, in order to win him over, Fourth Master Fang had intended to form a marriage alliance and marry his eldest daughter to him. At the time, Zixi had absentmindedly refused. He hadn't expected Fourth Master Fang’s ambitions to remain so persistent that he wouldn't hesitate to sacrifice his own daughter’s chastity to force the matter.
The Second Young Master thought: *It seems yesterday’s aphrodisiac was also for this purpose, but it was accidentally eaten by Ye Jun. So they drugged the food again today and specifically lured Ye Jun away, just waiting for me to take the bait.*
The heart that had been hanging in suspense finally settled: *Fortunately, Fourth Master Fang isn't a fool; he didn't actually want to get rid of Ye Jun.*
Although the current situation wasn't very optimistic, he had been drugged after all and truly had no way out. He didn't have much of a concept of chastity; he figured Ye Jun probably wouldn't blame him.
Pro... probably...
Just as he was despondently giving up resistance and allowing Qiluan to strip away his outer and inner robes, the "clear spring" in his arms was suddenly yanked away.
Ye Jun held the young girl aloft by her collar, lifting her off the ground. He smiled gently and said, "A nice little scheme, but unfortunately, my Young Master is already married. You should save your breath."
Qiluan gave a cry of surprise and was tossed aside.
Zhongli Zixi lay by the edge of the pond, his thin robes scattered over his skin amidst the fallen cherry blossoms. His silver pupils were more enchanting than the moonlight. Ye Jun watched for a while, then turned back to smile at Qiluan. "My Young Master is beautiful, isn't he?"
Ye Jun was as elegant as a pine or a crane, his aura graceful. Qiluan was dazed by his smile, only to see it suddenly turn cold. "Forget what you saw."
In an instant, he closed the distance, flicking his finger heavily against her forehead, and Qiluan lost consciousness.
Ye Jun withdrew his hand and sighed. "I actually hit a woman. I'm not human."
He turned back to gather his Young Master in his arms, intending to carry him, but Zhongli Zixi used that position to pull him down. Caught off guard, Ye Jun fell into his embrace.
Zixi had been burning for a long time. Even though he had given up struggling, he had still been troubled in his heart. Seeing Ye Jun now was like receiving a grand pardon; he no longer cared for any sense of propriety or shame.
Ye Jun climbed out of his arms helplessly. "Young Master, the night is long. What’s the rush?"
***
Zhongli Zixi woke up within a gentle flow of water.
The moonlight had mostly faded; it was near dawn, and the warblers were chirping incessantly. He was in a waist-high clear spring, with Ye Jun holding him loosely in his arms, washing his body.
Ye Jun’s strength had always been perfectly controlled. Zixi leaned against Ye Jun’s supple yet strong chest, rubbing against it comfortably.
Having imagined a life-and-death separation only yesterday, simply seeing Ye Jun now filled him with infinite joy.
Ye Jun said softly, "Young Master, do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?"
More than just uncomfortable—his whole body felt as if it were about to break.
Zhongli Zixi tried to clench his fist weakly and said, "I feel like I'm falling apart. Did we do something last night?"
Ye Jun said guiltily, "Just... just an ordinary romantic encounter." He repeated in a small voice, "Very ordinary."
If he mentioned that he had tried out all the curious ways to play while the Young Master was incoherent, he would probably be silenced forever.
After all, the Young Master had been so passionate last night that he had accidentally gone a bit too far.
Zhongli Zixi didn't respond, making Ye Jun increasingly apprehensive, but then he heard the Young Master say, "I need to apologize to you."
Ye Jun was surprised. "Hmm?"
Zixi lowered his head and said in a muffled voice, "When I was drugged, I actually thought it wouldn't matter if I just slept with Qiluan. My will was not firm yesterday; only now that I'm clear-headed do I feel the lingering fear."
Ye Jun paused. His guesses yesterday hadn't been far from the truth. Wanting Zhongli Zixi to learn the truth for himself—and also to reinforce the misunderstanding that the food really was spiked with aphrodisiacs—he had lurked nearby to observe, only stepping in at the final moment.
When he had feigned unconsciousness and been taken away by the guards, he had truly felt the immense despair hidden within the Young Master’s seemingly calm words.
Ye Jun had followed the Second Young Master for ten years, and he never knew he could be so terrified.
"When you were drugged, you still put me first in everything. When I was drugged, I only thought of myself. I even intended to do something to betray you, relying on your affection for me." Zhongli Zixi dragged his exhausted body around with effort to hug him back, saying apologetically, "Ye Jun, I am not as good as you."
"Don't... don't praise me anymore... I beg you..." Ye Jun didn't dare look into the Young Master’s clear eyes and shifted his gaze in shame.
Zhongli Zixi leaned on his shoulder, looking up at him with a faint smile. "So you can get shy too. When you're shy, you're much cuter than usual."
The Second Young Master felt he was utterly selfish and simply not human.
Ye Jun, who frequently schemed against his own Young Master only to have the other party treat him with even more sincerity, also felt he was not human.
While both cursed themselves for not being human, they both resolved in their hearts to treat the other even better in the future as compensation.
The Second Young Master hated Fourth Master Fang to the bone.
Meanwhile, Ye Jun was so grateful to Fourth Master Fang that he wished he could award him a commemorative banner.
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
--- | --- | ---
栖鸾 | Qiluan | A maid in the Fang household, actually Fourth Master Fang's daughter.
巫水台 | Wushui Terrace | A location near the Fang estate.
巫水圣女 | Wushui Saintess | A high-ranking figure of Wushui Terrace with whom Zixi has a connection.
南陵 | Nanling | The region/city where the story is currently taking place.
腰封 | Sash | A wide waistband or belt for a robe.
锦旗 | Commemorative banner | A silk banner awarded as a token of appreciation or honor.
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