Chapter 30#
Chapter 30#
The night was like water, stars filling the sky, when suddenly a layer of clouds covered the moon, blocking all light and making the darkness as heavy as a deep pool.
Su Yang didn’t know what kind of feeling it was when he heard there were many people around Lin Huaiyu; his chest felt stifled and blocked, making even breathing somewhat difficult.
But after hearing Lin Huaiyu say he had someone in his heart, he really wanted to rush over immediately and take a look—to see what the person he called his beloved looked like. Could they be better than him?
He even wanted to ask Lin Huaiyu: could that person satisfy him?
For the past year, he had missed Lin Huaiyu every single moment. But now that he finally had news of Lin Huaiyu, that man told him he already had someone in his heart?
Su Yang was almost trembling, his molars clenched tight, his voice low and raspy: “Do you know who his beloved is?”
Fang Zhixu sensed a dangerous aura in Su Yang’s voice and shook his head: “This… I don’t know. After all, it’s Teacher’s private matter, and Teacher never mentions it himself.”
Never mentions it…
Su Yang’s gaze grew deeper, his eyes seemingly brewing a storm.
Hiding the person so well—what was Lin Huaiyu afraid of? Afraid that if he knew, he would kill that “beloved” and then seize Lin Huaiyu by force?
Lin Huaiyu… you’ve really done it this time.
Why? Why couldn’t it be him? With so many people, why couldn’t it be him?
They had even slept together, yet he only wanted to escape him, so resistant to him, loathing him, hating him, yet keeping someone else in his heart?
Just who was it? Someone he had liked long ago, or… someone who had taken advantage of the vacancy while he was away this past year?
The more Su Yang thought, the more he imagined. At the thought of Lin Huaiyu possibly being touched by someone else, he was so jealous he wanted to go mad.
Lin Huaiyu was his, could only be his! No one could ever snatch Lin Huaiyu from his hands!
Su Yang’s eyes were red, like a cornered beast. He looked at Fang Zhixu and asked in a heavy voice: “Where does that Master Yuxi live?”
At this moment, he both hoped Yuxi was Lin Huaiyu and hoped he wasn’t. But in the end, longing defeated his twisted internal jealousy; he immensely wanted to see Lin Huaiyu.
He didn’t want to return to the cold nights of Qinchun Palace, where he was alone facing the cold moon and lonely lamp, unable to smell even a bit of Lin Huaiyu’s scent or have even a single dream.
Looking at Su Yang, Fang Zhixu only felt the Emperor before him was exceptionally terrifying. That gaze was as cold and sinister as an evil ghost crawling up from hell, making his back feel a chill. Being stared at by Su Yang, it took a long time before he pointed in a direction: “The Yuxi Gate in Qingshui Alley, West City.”
Almost at the same instant Fang Zhixu’s words fell, Su Yang set off toward the West City.
Seeing him leave, Fang Zhixu seemed to only then regain his soul. Just now for a moment, he felt the Emperor truly had killing intent toward him. If he had lied or hadn’t spoken, Su Yang would likely have twisted his head off on the spot.
But seeing Su Yang’s current reaction, that suspicion in his heart seemed to have landed.
Master Yuxi was indeed the Chancellor Lin Huaiyu whom the Emperor refused to believe was dead.
No wonder as soon as he entered the capital, Zhao Xiangyi felt he was similar to Lin Huaiyu, and the Emperor tested him again and again.
It turned out his teacher was Lin Huaiyu.
But that person who should have been of supreme status was now bedridden in this Jiangnan town, a person built like snow who seemed like he would disperse with a puff of wind.
The Emperor seemed to care about Teacher very much; why would he let Teacher become like this?
The moon never emerged from behind the clouds, and the night remained as heavy as an abyss, as if a storm were brewing, preparing for a torrential rain.
Su Yang passed through the cold streets and alleys and over long bridges until he stopped before the plaque carved with the three characters “Yuxi Gate.”
The area was sparsely populated with few lamps, quite secluded. Inside Yuxi Gate was a moderately sized residence, very elegant and with Jiangnan characteristics.
There was no one outside. Su Yang pushed the door open and entered. A water pavilion and elegant courtyard entered his eyes. He passed through the corridor, having no heart to appreciate the unique scenery in the courtyard, and walked straight to the opposite bank of the pond.
No lamps were lit in the rooms. Su Yang didn’t know which room Lin Huaiyu would be in. The other had already gone to sleep, and he didn’t want to wake him.
But he urgently wanted to know if Yuxi was indeed Lin Huaiyu.
Su Yang hesitated for a moment and was just about to slip in quietly to investigate when, just as he moved, a dark shadow suddenly flashed out from the side and attacked him sharply.
Su Yang frowned and blocked the other’s attack. He couldn’t see the other’s silhouette clearly in the dark, but from the exchange, he realized this person’s martial arts were very high.
“Who are you?” Su Yang asked while fighting him.
The person let out a low laugh, his tone casual: “You don’t need to know who I am. I’ve seen many rakes like you; don’t come disturbing someone’s rest!”
Su Yang understood; this person was likely guarding the resting Yuxi in the room.
Su Yang’s interest was instead piqued. There was a Lin Fei by Lin Huaiyu’s side, but the person before him clearly wasn’t Lin Fei.
He lowered his eyes and tested: “You say I’m a rake, then what about you? Not sleeping in the middle of the night, guarding the courtyard specifically waiting for rakes to come to the door? And then? To show off in front of the person inside?”
the person’s figure paused for a moment, almost getting hit by one of Su Yang’s punches, barely dodging past the wind of the punch: “What does it have to do with you?”
Su Yang smiled. With this reaction, the other certainly wasn’t the beloved Lin Huaiyu spoke of, but likely a so-called suitor in the courtyard.
He said again: “I’m just curious who exactly the person inside is, to actually make the Crown Prince of Great Chu travel thousands of miles to another country and be willing to act as a doorman.”
Recognized by the other, Ji Wuyou, the Crown Prince of Great Chu, raised an eyebrow but didn’t stop: “Naturally someone you are not worthy of.”
Su Yang’s gaze darkened, his hand strength becoming even heavier. The two were fighting inextricably in the courtyard. Sensing the other’s sharpness and knowing the newcomer was a strong opponent, Ji Wuyou said: “No matter what your purpose is, I advise you to leave quickly.”
Su Yang asked back coldly: “With such a posture of being the master here, you couldn’t possibly think you can make decisions for the master in that room, could you?”
Ji Wuyou could tell Su Yang was deliberately provoking him and immediately let out a cold laugh: “No matter what, it’s better than an impolite fellow like you who breaks into a private residence in the middle of the night!”
“I broke into a private residence?” Su Yang sneered. “Then what are you? A homeless stray dog? A thick-skinned parasite?”
Ji Wuyou was instantly so angry he jumped: “Su Yang! Don’t think just because you’re the Emperor of Great Yong I won’t dare to beat you!”
Su Yang raised his eyebrows slightly, not caring much: “You can try.”
Ji Wuyou’s nature was to settle scores on the spot, and he indeed didn’t care who the opponent was, charging straight ahead. The two were evenly matched, but with anger in his head, Ji Wuyou’s fist technique became a bit disorganized and was soon caught by Su Yang, who twisted his hand behind his back and sneered: “Practice more; you’re not yet qualified to snatch the person inside.”
Although Ji Wuyou was at a disadvantage, at the thought of who the person inside was and what the relationship was between Su Yang and him, he mocked again: “I’m not qualified? Is Your Majesty? If I’m not mistaken, the person Your Majesty is looking for is Lord Lin Huaiyu, right? Why would you lower your status now to come to Jiangnan looking for an unknown Master Yuxi?”
Su Yang let out a cold laugh, his tone as cold as nine-foot thick ice: “Originally I wasn’t sure, but now I am. The person inside is Lin Huaiyu, right?”
Ji Wuyou was in pain, his arm almost dislocated by Su Yang, but his mouth was still very stubborn: “Oh, so before you weren’t sure who Master Yuxi was and yet you came all this way? If it really weren’t him, Lord Lin would likely never want to see you again in the afterlife, would he?”
Su Yang’s face darkened instantly. His face was hidden in the shadows of the night as he directly gave Ji Wuyou a punch: “It has nothing to do with you.”
He just didn’t want to miss any news related to Lin Huaiyu.
Having been hit, Ji Wuyou grimaced in pain. He finally found an opportunity to counterattack Su Yang, and they fought endlessly again.
Clearly it was a hot summer, yet there wasn’t a single insect or bird sound in the courtyard; it was exceptionally quiet. The sound of the two fighting and arguing became particularly loud.
The battle in the courtyard was in full swing and seemed to have no intention of stopping when something was suddenly thrown out from the window of the room. The force and speed had no accuracy, and the two could completely dodge it.
Su Yang immediately separated from Ji Wuyou and dodged the object, but Ji Wuyou crashed straight into it. The object hit Ji Wuyou’s chest, yet he didn’t make a sound, instead catching the object in his hand as if it were a treasure.
Only then did Su Yang see it was a ceramic bowl, the opening not large, and with the smell of medicine; the person inside should have used it to drink medicine.
In an instant, Su Yang thought of Lin Huaiyu. Lin Huaiyu was also often accompanied by the scent of medicine. Although he didn’t like drinking medicine, he had to, and that appearance was a cuteness outsiders couldn’t see.
But now… everyone could see it; it was no longer his special privilege.
Holding the bowl, Ji Wuyou said softly to the person inside: “Did we disturb you?”
The person inside didn’t speak, which was taken as silent consent. Ji Wuyou seemed used to it and said: “No more fighting, no more fighting.”
Looking at Ji Wuyou’s attitude toward the person inside, Su Yang couldn’t help being even more curious: why exactly did this person approach Master Yuxi? Or was it because the person inside was Lin Huaiyu? To steal his person?
Ji Wuyou was about to take the cup away when Su Yang suddenly acted, snatching that cup with the scent of medicine.
Ji Wuyou hadn’t expected Su Yang to snatch it, immediately staring at him and acting again, wanting to snatch the cup back: “You, an Emperor of Great Yong, are here snatching a cup from me; do you have no shame?”
Su Yang let out a sneer and gripped the cup tightly in his hand while dodging Ji Wuyou’s hand: “And you, a Crown Prince of Great Chu, ran to a foreign country to humble yourself and curry favor with an unknown teacher; you seem even more shameless than me.”
Hearing this, Ji Wuyou clapped his hands and laughed loudly: “That’s my pleasure. I just like being humble toward Master Yuxi. Coming here, no one dares to be impolite to Master Yuxi, no matter if you’re the Emperor of Great Yong!”
Su Yang sneered. He glanced at the medicine bowl in his hand and casually threw it back to Ji Wuyou: “Then I’ll just have to see what kind of person can make me humble toward him.”
Ji Wuyou took the medicine bowl cautiously and rolled his eyes to himself. At the instant Su Yang set off, another object flew out from the room. While Su Yang dodged, it was caught by Ji Wuyou again.
A cold voice sounded from within, which even in the hot summer made one feel a hint of refreshing coolness: “If you keep arguing, then all of you get out.”
Like that gust of cold wind on a snowy night, mixed with chilling frost and snow.
In an instant, all was silent. The sound of wind, water, and Ji Wuyou’s noise all receded like heavy mountains.
Hearing this voice, Su Yang’s whole person froze in place, not daring to move even a bit.