Chapter 42 - 3#

“Heh, a second-rank eunuch. Aren’t those who died tonight also second-rank eunuchs?” Dai Youwei said mockingly. “They died just like that.”

“In front of His Majesty, anyone can die just like that, there is no difference.” Jingzhe said calmly and coldly, “I don’t want to talk to you anymore, so I won’t reply to any of your words from now on.”

After dropping these words, he looked away directly.

Dai Youwei was stunned by Jingzhe’s words.

Manager Hu actually thought that Jingzhe was gentle, polite, and knew the big picture. Now it seems, where exactly was he right?

He is clearly a cold, heartless person who doesn’t care about face!

Since Jingzhe said so, even if Dai Youwei wanted to say something, he had to hold it in his heart, his face flushed with anger.

The Taishi Palace was no longer as quiet as before. Perhaps because Emperor Jingyuan woke up, the darkness that seemed to be asleep also became active.

Jingzhe’s hearing was quite good, and he could hear some movements from time to time.

Not long after, there seemed to be a commotion inside the hall.

Jingzhe vaguely heard words like “missing”, “find”, “quiet”. Soon, they received orders.

Emperor Jingyuan disappeared from the inner hall, and all the people keeping vigil were sent out to search for the Emperor’s trace.

Jingzhe was speechless, looking up at the pouring rain outside, and then looking faintly at the straw raincoat handed over. He had to accept his fate, put it on, and tie the rope tightly.

After their group of people left in the rain, a chief eunuch hurried over with two palace servants. Their goal was very accurate, aiming for the few palace servants who were keeping vigil here just now.

“Where are they!”

Ping Xiao’s voice contained a bit of anger. The eunuch behind him immediately bowed and went to ask the guard who was guarding here just now.

A moment later, he came back.

“They were just sent out to find His Majesty’s trace.”

It was just a matter of moments.

Ping Xiao frowned, feeling a bit irritable in his heart. The atmosphere in the hall was very depressing just now, but Ning Hongru suddenly called him over and asked him to come here to find a palace servant named Jingzhe.

Looking at Manager Ning’s appearance, if he couldn’t leave, he would have come in person. Ping Xiao naturally understood the importance of this matter. But just as he was about to leave, there was movement in the hall. Wei Haidong came out with a sullen face, saying that His Majesty was missing.

Emperor Jingyuan had high martial arts skills, and no one could stop him.

Ning Hongru was concerned about finding Emperor Jingyuan’s trace. Ping Xiao originally thought that this matter would be put aside for the time being, but he didn’t expect that the Manager was still thinking about it and even asked him to bring the person over without fail.

As a result, he was just one step too slow.

Where is this person!

…

Jingzhe was in the rain.

The rain was heavy, and even with a straw raincoat, it was useless. From the moment he stepped into the rain curtain, he knew he would definitely be soaked.

The lamp in his hand had an outer reinforcement, so it was waterproof. But being washed in the rain, it was also swaying, looking like it was about to go out.

Although Jingzhe was serious about his work every time, for something like searching for His Majesty’s trace, they were at most making up the numbers. So he didn’t take it so seriously, only planning to delay more time and go back later.

He believed that Dai Youwei thought the same.

He didn’t know what Dai Youwei had experienced before, but his fear of Emperor Jingyuan had reached an excessive level. Just mentioning His Majesty the Emperor, he would tremble all over, more scary than seeing an evil ghost.

Rumble—

Thunder rumbled intermittently, exploding a patch of darkness.

The Taishi Palace was too big to finish wandering around. Carrying a small lamp, the weak light could only illuminate a very small area.

Jingzhe frowned. Just as he wanted to discuss changing places with the person next to him, he turned his head and saw that Dai Youwei was gone.

…Good guy, this sneaking away is quite fast.

Jingzhe was helpless. He walked along the corridor alone, looking up at the dim palace on the steps from time to time.

Rumble—

With another thunderclap, out of the corner of Jingzhe’s eye, he seemed to glimpse a white shadow under an ancient tree not far away.

Even though Jingzhe was quite bold, at this moment, a nameless chill crawled all over his body.

…Is it a human or a ghost?

Jingzhe’s body moved slightly, raising the lamp, but the swaying light was very weak and he couldn’t see the so-called shadow clearly at all.

Jingzhe wiped his wet and cold face, really wanting to just turn around and leave.

But thunder was still striking in the sky. Standing under a tree was tantamount to seeking death.

Jingzhe remembered his father saying that one shouldn’t stand under a tree during a thunderstorm.

Because when Cen Xuanyin was fleeing famine in his youth, he had seen a withered tree in the wild being split by lightning, and the people hiding under the tree were burned to death together. This cruel memory was engraved in Cen Xuanyin’s mind, and he also taught it to his children.

Jingzhe looked up at the sky and saw no movement for the time being, so he stepped on the wet and slippery soles of his shoes and hurriedly ran towards the figure.

…It’s just that the closer he got, the more familiar this person looked?

When there were only two or three steps left, a nameless fire had already risen in Jingzhe’s heart, and the burning anger almost ignited his dark eyes.

If the person standing on the broken wall under the ancient tree wasn’t Rong Jiu, then who was it?

He threw away the lamp, stepped forward in two or three steps, and said sternly, “Rong Jiu, are you crazy!”

The man had been looking into the deep distance. Until this moment, he slowly lowered his head and saw the soaked Jingzhe.

Only when Jingzhe ran to the front did he realize that Rong Jiu’s position was very ingenious. This tall ancient tree took root here, almost integrating with the palace wall.

But the ancient tree was there originally, and the palace wall was built relying on the ancient tree later. So, the originally just-right gap, with the slow growth of the ancient tree, squeezed the wall cracks, creating a small section of broken wall.

Perhaps because few people came here and it was too remote, this dilapidated wall head was not dealt with by anyone.

The howling cold wind was constantly blowing from this damaged broken wall, making the body that was already drenched cold shiver.

When Jingzhe stood here, he could feel the incomparable chill. A few steps further out was the suspended place.

Just one look was enough to make one’s heart cold.

Jingzhe looked up, his voice sharp, “Come down!”

Rong Jiu’s dark eyes fell on the disheveled Jingzhe. After a moment, he landed lightly on the ground.

Even in this instant, admiration couldn’t help but flash through Jingzhe’s heart.

Rong Jiu’s lean waist was as graceful as a beast, his movements light and not draggy, very neat.

But while his heart was full of praise, Jingzhe looked fierce on his face, “Commander Wei sent you to find His Majesty’s trace too? But why didn’t you wear a straw raincoat or bring an umbrella, and didn’t even have a lamp!”

Still standing in such a dangerous place, aren’t you afraid of losing your footing and falling to death!

Could Emperor Jingyuan be lying outside the broken wall or what? What can you see standing so high!

While lecturing Rong Jiu, Jingzhe looked up at him. Tonight, Rong Jiu wore clothes that were too plain, plus his face was very white, indeed looking very much like an evil ghost crawling out of hell.

Rong Jiu raised his cold fingers and wiped the rain off Jingzhe’s face. Only his fingers were already wet, and after wiping again and again, water marks still remained.

“Don’t you have no lamp either?”

Jingzhe waited for a long time, only to get such a cold sentence from Rong Jiu.

He laughed out of anger.

Jingzhe slapped away Rong Jiu’s hand, turned back to look in the muddy water, and dug out the lamp that had rolled onto the ground.

This small lamp was quite sturdy. It fell to the ground just now, and now being found, the candle was tumbling inside, but surprisingly hadn’t gone out.

Jingzhe: “I have one!”

Rong Jiu seemed not to expect Jingzhe to be hung up on this point. He pondered for a while, his tone flat as if dead, “It’s all Wei Haidong’s fault, he didn’t give it.”

Wei Haidong, who was searching for Emperor Jingyuan everywhere, sneezed several times loudly, almost blowing his nose off.

Jingzhe looked at Rong Jiu suspiciously, feeling that Wei Haidong looked like someone who loved to joke and treated his subordinates quite well… Could he really be a skinflint who asked people to work without giving anything?

Jingzhe, a eunuch, at least had a straw raincoat and a lamp!

Facing Jingzhe’s suspicious gaze, Rong Jiu slowly nodded.

Jingzhe: “Really not a decent thing.”

Rong Jiu: “Indeed not a decent thing.” The shadow under his eyes carried a bit of strange fragility, and the cruel undertone was also hidden, leaving only that pale and beautiful face.

Jingzhe suddenly realized that they couldn’t stay under the tree anymore.

When they were talking just now, there was no thunder, which was really lucky for them.

Jingzhe dragged Rong Jiu and walked out. Until he dragged Rong Jiu to the steps, the wet marks spread all over the ground.

Jingzhe: “Go back and rest quickly.”

He wasn’t happy about meeting Rong Jiu at all, only wanting Rong Jiu to go change out of these soaked clothes.

Even in summer, wearing such wet clothes close to the body would be very uncomfortable, and he might catch a cold.

Rong Jiu slowly spat out a word, “No.”

Jingzhe tilted his head, obviously not expecting this answer.

“You are wet like this, you don’t still want to find His Majesty, do you?” His tone when mentioning the Emperor wasn’t very good. “Why did His Majesty disappear all of a sudden?”

If it weren’t for Emperor Jingyuan’s act, they wouldn’t have come out in the rain at all.

Rong Jiu: “Maybe because if he stayed any longer, he would go on a killing spree.” When he said this, there was even a bit of strange gentleness.

But the chill in his words didn’t diminish much, only becoming more cruel and dead with this rainy weather.

Jingzhe frowned first, then remembered Emperor Jingyuan’s cruelty.

The thunder tonight woke this Majesty up for the second time. With his temper, it was indeed possible to kill until blood flowed like a river.

Jingzhe had a headache. He really wanted to strip off all of Rong Jiu’s clothes, but there was nothing to change into.

Jingzhe looked up at the dim palace in front of him, looked left and right, and found no one else. He tentatively pushed open a small crack and poked his head in to take a look.

In Rong Jiu’s view, it was undoubtedly a wet puppy circling at the door.

After a while, the puppy turned its head.

“You go in.”

Ah, pushed in by the puppy’s head, Rong Jiu thought.

If Jingzhe knew what Rong Jiu described him as in his heart, he would probably stomp on him hard.

Stuffing Rong Jiu into the palace, Jingzhe himself also carried the lamp and tiptoed in. After carefully closing the door, he immediately untied his straw raincoat.

With a click, the rain-soaked straw raincoat rolled onto the ground.

Jingzhe carried the lamp in one hand and pushed Rong Jiu inside with the other.

From their meeting just now until now, Jingzhe’s movements carried a bit of urgent roughness. Of course, including the matter of stripping clothes, it was the same.

Rong Jiu slowly lowered his head, looking at Jingzhe who was untying his belt.

“What are you doing?”

“Stripping your clothes.” Jingzhe said coldly and ruthlessly, “Shut up.”

Fine, Rong Jiu chose to shut up.

He was observing Jingzhe, meticulously collecting the various emotions shown on his face. There were many… new, rarely seen expressions, which made Rong Jiu’s eyes look obsessed and fanatical.

He was angry.

The burning anger made Jingzhe’s face even more vivid.

Like magnificent and gorgeous colors.

Wanted. Wanted to hold in hand. Wanted to crush fiercely.

Jingzhe looked up keenly.

…Was it his illusion?

Tonight’s Rong Jiu always gave him a strange illusion, like a volcano about to erupt but suppressed deadly. That shallow layer of restraint was precarious, not knowing when it would explode.

This was a very dangerous omen.

When he stripped off all the soaked clothes, leaving only the innermost layer of plain white clothes, which one could tell at a glance was Jingzhe’s handiwork… he turned his head to look at the bedding on the bed, “You, take off the clothes inside and lie in.”

“Then you?”

Rong Jiu was cold and indifferent, but instantly caught the implication in Jingzhe’s words.

Jingzhe bent down to pick up the wet clothes on the ground, then said, “I’ll go find a set of clean clothes for you, and come back later.”

“You are also soaked.” Rong Jiu grabbed Jingzhe’s wrist and slowly pulled him to his side, “Take it off.”

Although the voice was light, it was tough and allowed no resistance.

Jingzhe was unwilling and moved his arm, but heard a piercing tearing sound.

Rong Jiu had torn Jingzhe’s lapel with one hand. The fabric from the chest to the arm was shattered. Damaged like this, it could no longer be worn.

Jingzhe looked at Rong Jiu abruptly, but saw that the man’s dark eyes were very deep. His voice was still cool, as if there was still fine tenderness.

“Stay.”

The gentler his voice, the more brutal his actions. In just a moment, Jingzhe was stripped of a layer of clothing.

This was much faster than Jingzhe.

Jingzhe blocked Rong Jiu with one hand and pulled his clothes with the other, quite overwhelmed.

Jingzhe finally confirmed that his premonition of danger was not wrong. This threat came from Rong Jiu.

Although Rong Jiu looked very normal, whether it was his actions or that suppressed violence, they were undoubtedly like a volcano about to explode.

Just a light spark would cause an instant explosion.

Jingzhe’s act of wanting to leave undoubtedly touched the man’s dangerous nerve, causing him to reveal a grim side.

Jingzhe hesitated, stood on tiptoe, and kissed Rong Jiu’s cold face.

“I didn’t leave.”

Rong Jiu hugged Jingzhe roughly, with such strength that he almost broke his bones. The icy coldness penetrated his body, which was far colder than Jingzhe imagined.

Jingzhe suddenly felt something was wrong.

Rong Jiu’s body temperature was much colder than ordinary people. Even though they both left the rain, his skin felt more like cold ice.

“Rong Jiu?”

Jingzhe called out with a bit of worry. Before he could hear the answer, he felt the man’s body trembling.

That was an unconscious restraint, enduring, suppressing. The fleeting killing intent was as violent as boiling flames, beating distortedly.

Rong Jiu’s cold nose tip rubbed against Jingzhe’s shoulder, making him shiver slightly. Immediately after, his pale teeth bit into the delicate skin, refusing to let go as if he had caught prey.

He seemed to have been stimulated by something, like a beast about to go mad. The groundless endurance didn’t make him look more docile, but instead revealed bizarre cruelty everywhere.

Jingzhe shivered in pain but didn’t struggle, hesitatingly hugging Rong Jiu’s broad shoulders. That intimate rubbing of ears carried a cold dampness.

After a long time, Jingzhe heard Rong Jiu’s nearly exhausted voice, “Jingzhe, it hurts.”

The nearly fragile admission burned together with the strange desire to attack, like the most extreme contradiction.

He could easily kill anyone, but could also lean docilely on Jingzhe’s shoulder, revealing a cold sense of suffocation.

This gave Jingzhe a strange, dense pain.

Running through the marrow, indistinguishable.

But it was depressingly uncomfortable, with a sudden impulse to cry.

“Where does it hurt?”

He heard himself ask.

So Rong Jiu answered.

“Everywhere hurts.”

Whenever waking up from a dream, every bone in his body burned with pain.

Contrary to the insidious poison, when it attacked, it was so violent that one wished to tear apart all the flesh and skin, shatter them into minced meat piece by piece, and crush every boiling bone before being able to rest.

Rong Jiu was dragged onto the bed by Jingzhe, his equally cold fingers rubbing his skin. For a moment, a scorching heat burned in his heart, bit by bit, patter patter, like splashing flames.

Or like falling rain.

But it was hot.