Chapter 14#
Chapter 14#
The early spring breeze still carried a hint of frost as it swirled through the courtyard, slipping into the dragon-patterned brocade robes of the man standing at the doorway.
Though the bone-chilling cold of the winter months had passed, Su Yang felt a chill permeate his entire being. He felt as though he had made a mistake—hand-delivering a wolf to Lin Huaiyu’s side, a wolf that intended to snatch Lin Huaiyu away right under his nose.
Su Yang closed his eyes, suppressing the gloom in his gaze. However, the low pressure radiating from him was hard to conceal, and even De Fu did not dare walk beside him.
Su Yang walked to the doorframe and let out a cold, mocking laugh. “Where do you think you’re taking your master?”
Lin Fei turned his head. The Emperor, still in his dragon-patterned court robes, stood with his back to the sunlight, shrouded in shadows. His gaze was fixed on Lin Fei like a predator watching prey it was about to tear apart and devour.
In that instant, a cold sweat broke out down Lin Fei’s spine.
Was this the intimidation of the Son of Heaven? It was terrifying.
Lin Fei immediately fell to his knees. “Greetings, Your Majesty!”
Su Yang didn’t tell him to rise. He brushed past him into the room and shifted his gaze to Lin Huaiyu. “You want to leave the palace?”
Lin Fei did not raise his head, not daring to look directly at the Emperor. Thus, thinking Su Yang was still questioning him, he hurriedly replied, “My master is perhaps unfamiliar with the palace. This servant thought that taking him back to the Chancellor’s Manor might be beneficial for his recovery.”
“Unfamiliar with the palace?” Su Yang repeated the words one by one, letting out a sneer. He asked Lin Huaiyu, “Which part is Teacher unfamiliar with? I shall take you there myself.”
Lin Fei felt he must be too nervous and wasn’t speaking clearly. Fearing Su Yang would take his anger out on Lin Huaiyu, he quickly explained, “It was this servant’s slip of the tongue. What I meant was, there is no one to care for my master in the palace, so he might not be used to it. In the Chancellor’s Manor, I can look after him, and his illness will recover faster.”
The corner of Su Yang’s mouth quirked up as he pointedly asked, “Was it always you who looked after Teacher in the Chancellor’s Manor?”
Lin Fei did not catch the suppressed possessiveness in Su Yang’s tone and answered honestly, “Yes. This servant understands the Chancellor’s physical condition well. If I am allowed to care for him, he will surely recover quickly.”
Hearing this, the corners of Su Yang’s lips tilted further, and his tone grew even deeper. “You understand Teacher’s physical… condition? How well do you understand it?”
Without waiting for Lin Fei’s answer, Su Yang’s eyes fixed tightly on Lin Huaiyu again. He asked, “Do you understand him better than I do?”
Lin Huaiyu glanced at him but did not respond. Lin Fei, with his head bowed, was even more unsure of how to answer.
What… what was His Majesty asking?
Su Yang watched Lin Huaiyu with feigned composure and asked again, “Is there no one in the palace to care for Teacher? Haven’t I been the one looking after you all this time?”
Lin Fei was instantly struck dumb. He didn’t know… Was the Emperor personally caring for his master? He had misspoken again.
Looking at the trembling Lin Fei, Lin Huaiyu let out a soft sigh and said to Su Yang, “Xiao Fei is only concerned for me. Why must Your Majesty make things difficult for him?”
“I am making things difficult for him?” Su Yang’s tone suddenly sharpened. He walked to Lin Huaiyu’s side, his gaze seemingly invasive. “He wants to take you away from me, yet you are still speaking up for him? Lin Huaiyu, you have always wanted to leave me, haven’t you?”
Lin Huaiyu frowned. He glanced at the kneeling Lin Fei, wanting to stop Su Yang from continuing his nonsense. “Your Majesty, I must return eventually. What difference does it make if it’s sooner or later? You are no longer a child.”
Su Yang took a long look at Lin Huaiyu and asked, “Does Teacher insist on leaving?”
Lin Huaiyu felt that nothing good would come from Su Yang asking this question, but he didn’t want to deceive him at this moment. He could only say tactfully, “Your Majesty, as I have said, I cannot accompany you for a lifetime.”
“Is that so?” Su Yang’s tone was somewhat faint. Then, he glanced at Lin Fei and said coldly, “Then I shall kill him. Once he is dead, Teacher will only have me left.”
Lin Huaiyu was stunned. He heard Lin Fei shout from the side, “Your Majesty, spare me!”
He opened his mouth but couldn’t speak; a wave of dizziness washed over him once again.
Although Lin Fei was only his steward, in truth, Lin Fei was the only person left in the capital who would talk to him and care about him.
Over the years, the people in court had avoided him like the plague—fearing and loathing him, wishing for his death. He didn’t have a single person he could call a “friend,” nor anyone he could confide in.
Su Yang was right. He had no relatives in the capital; what “home” did he have to return to?
Lin Huaiyu slowly looked toward Lin Fei. This boy was someone he had picked up from the streets—a little beggar who had wandered from afar to the capital. Seeing him staring at a bun shop in the snowy wind had reminded Lin Huaiyu of his former self.
He had brought Lin Fei back to the Lin Manor and given the boy a place to stay. He hadn’t expected anything in return; it was merely saving a life.
However, Lin Fei was someone who repaid kindness. He had been managing the household affairs in the Lin Manor and had even volunteered to be his carriage driver. Everything regarding his life in the Lin Manor was handled by Lin Fei personally.
Since Lin Huaiyu’s health was poor, Lin Fei often looked after and cared for him.
Strictly speaking, Lin Fei was half a family member to him.
Lin Huaiyu had no choice but to speak. “Xiao Fei is only concerned for me. Your Majesty… please release him.”
Seeing Lin Huaiyu’s tone soften, Su Yang raised an eyebrow, his voice tinged with coldness. “Is Teacher begging me?”
Lin Huaiyu looked at Lin Fei again, then raised his eyes to meet Su Yang’s playful gaze. His eyes darkened bit by bit. “I… beg Your Majesty to release my steward.”
Su Yang’s face suddenly darkened. He kicked Lin Fei and barked, “Didn’t you hear? Get out!”
Lin Fei fell to the ground in pain but didn’t leave immediately. He could naturally sense Su Yang’s fury. He looked toward Lin Huaiyu with concern, only to see his master give him a reassuring look. Bracing himself against Su Yang’s murderous gaze, he hesitated for a moment before scrambling out of the room.
But just as he left, De Fu closed the door from the outside, sealing off all sound from within.
Lin Fei couldn’t set his mind at ease and did not go far.
Seeing the door close, Lin Huaiyu actually felt a sense of relief. He was about to speak when he was forced back against a cabinet by Su Yang, with no room to retreat.
Su Yang’s voice was low and suppressed. “Lin Huaiyu, you actually begged me for his sake?!”
Lin Huaiyu’s eyelashes fluttered as he spoke truthfully, “There are few people left in the capital I can talk to. Lin Fei is innocent and should not be dragged into this by me. Your Majesty, please do not make things difficult for him.”
Hearing Lin Huaiyu mention Lin Fei in every sentence, Su Yang was incensed. “Is he that important?! Huh?!”
The state and the empire were before him, the people were before him, the sons of the ministers were before him, and now even a steward was before him. Just how little did Lin Huaiyu care about him!
Lin Huaiyu shook his head gently. “I have no family left. Xiao Fei is the only person I am familiar with in the capital. Your Majesty, let him go.”
Lin Fei reminded him of that snowy night when he and Su Yang first met. Sometimes, talking to Lin Fei made him think of the still-young Su Yang.
Moreover, Lin Fei truly was innocent.
Hearing this, Su Yang let out a self-deprecating, low laugh. “Fine. If you want me to let him go, then trade yourself for him. Lin Huaiyu, don’t you care so much about these people’s lives? Then trading yourself for him shouldn’t be a loss, right? One life for one time—it’s quite a bargain.”
Lin Huaiyu looked at Su Yang, his eyes filled with a layer of helplessness. The dizziness had not lessened at all; instead, because he had just bumped into the cabinet, he was even more lightheaded now. Su Yang’s face appeared with double vision.
When he didn’t speak, Su Yang sneered again. “What? Unwilling? Isn’t he very important to you? Teacher truly is lofty and pure.”
Lin Huaiyu didn’t clearly hear Su Yang’s cold mockery. He only saw Su Yang step back and begin to call out “De—” before he immediately grabbed Su Yang’s sleeve. “Don’t.”
Su Yang indeed stopped speaking, merely watching Lin Huaiyu quietly.
After hesitating for a long time, Lin Huaiyu finally sighed. He reached out and slowly removed his outer robe. The ink-colored robe fell to the floor. Lin Huaiyu wore nothing else underneath, laying himself bare before Su Yang. At this moment, his heart was unexpectedly calm.
But Su Yang seemed to be set ablaze, jumping back. He had been leaning against the table, watching Lin Huaiyu mockingly, but now he looked as if someone had struck his vital point. His eyes turned red with anger. He strode to Lin Huaiyu in two steps and grabbed him by the neck. “Lin Huaiyu! You would actually go this far for him?!”
The pain from Su Yang’s grip made Lin Huaiyu’s vision go black for a second. He felt Su Yang’s incomparable rage, greater than any fury he had seen before.
Lin Huaiyu didn’t understand. He was doing exactly what Su Yang wanted; why was Su Yang so furious?
Lin Huaiyu’s hand subconsciously reached for Su Yang, but he had no strength in his arms, nor could he stop Su Yang’s grip on his neck from tightening.
Su Yang didn’t notice Lin Huaiyu’s weakness, roaring, “He is your family? Then what about me? What am I? You would agree to this for him? Is he that important to you?”
Su Yang was going mad.
How dared Lin Huaiyu! He was willing to throw away his dignity for an outsider, willing to be humiliated, and willing to strip off his clothes to beg for Lin Fei’s release!
Wasn’t Lin Fei just a steward? Was he really that important?
Su Yang didn’t know what he was so frantic about. He only knew that he absolutely didn’t want Lin Huaiyu to beg him for the sake of an irrelevant person.
“Is it because I drove away all the people around you that Teacher feels too lonely? So even a steward can be considered family?” Su Yang asked unwillingly. “Then what about me? Am I not your family? I wanted you to spend New Year’s with me and you refused—was it because Lin Fei was waiting for you at home?”
In the midst of Su Yang’s furious questioning, Lin Huaiyu gradually found it impossible to breathe. Fortunately, Su Yang didn’t completely lose his mind; he released him just as Lin Huaiyu was about to suffocate.
Lin Huaiyu propped himself against the cabinet, coughing violently. Physiological tears welled in his eyes, but before he could catch his breath, he was seized by Su Yang again.
“Why aren’t you speaking?” Su Yang stared fixedly at Lin Huaiyu, his eyes full of rage. “Since you care about him so much, I refuse to let you have your way. Lin Huaiyu, no one can take you away from me. I will kill him. You only have me by your side, and you can only have me.”
Lin Huaiyu didn’t take in a single word except that Su Yang still intended to kill Lin Fei. He was exhausted, his physical discomfort worsening, and his breath was scalding. In his blurred consciousness, he said to Su Yang, “I beg Your Majesty… release Lin Fei…”
He knew what Su Yang wanted, and he knew what Su Yang wanted to hear.
However, hearing this, Su Yang’s anger reached the heavens. He gripped Lin Huaiyu’s waist with one hand and questioned him fiercely, “Lin Huaiyu, you are begging me for his sake?”
He let out a cold laugh, filled with infinite irony. “What makes you think that if you beg me, I will definitely agree?”
Lin Huaiyu forced himself to maintain a sliver of clarity. “Then what must I do for Your Majesty to release Lin Fei?”
Su Yang’s anger made his very internal organs feel tight. He pulled Lin Huaiyu into a harsh embrace, as if only then could he feel Lin Huaiyu’s heartbeat and sense how close they were. “Lin Huaiyu, you are merely my plaything. What right do you have to beg me?”
Lin Huaiyu pushed against him, wanting to shove him away, but then remembered he was currently begging Su Yang to release someone. He could only drop his hands. “Was it not Your Majesty who wanted me to beg you?”
Su Yang snorted, saying contemptuously, “But you haven’t made me satisfied. Lin Huaiyu, from this moment on, I forbid you from begging for mercy. No matter what I do later, you are not allowed to beg for mercy, or else your little steward will die without a place to be buried!”
Since Su Yang had said so, Lin Huaiyu naturally closed his mouth. He didn’t want to say much anyway; he was exhausted in both body and mind. If not for Su Yang supporting him, he wouldn’t have been able to stand.
Yet, even though he didn’t speak, Su Yang was still unsatisfied. He lifted him up entirely, carrying him from the cabinet to the table. Lin Huaiyu’s head was jolted, further blurring his consciousness. In this state, he couldn’t fall asleep, yet he didn’t fully pass out either.
His consciousness felt as if it were suspended by a single thread—nauseatingly miserable.
Su Yang remained pressed against him, whispering in his flushed, burning ear, “Teacher is running a fever, and yet the inside is so scalding as well.”