Chapter 34#
Chapter 34#
The sky was vast and clear, the sunlight blocked by clouds. The sun was not particularly fierce, yet a searing heat remained in the air, making one wish to jump into a river for a refreshing cool-down.
Su Yang hurried back to the prefect’s yamen and rummaged through the things he had brought, finding the best ointment for treating knife wounds. Clutching it, he headed toward Lin Huaiyu’s residence.
As soon as he stepped out, he bumped into Qu Tang. Qu Tang was startled: “Did you not go with Xiao Xu—ah no, Lord Fang—to supervise the flood embankment repairs?”
Su Yang lowered his eyes, lying through his teeth: “I’ve come to fetch something for Lord… Lord Fang.”
Qu Tang smiled and moved to Su Yang’s side, lowering his voice: “You… aren’t Lord Fang’s servant, are you?”
Su Yang’s gloomy gaze fell lightly on Qu Tang, and he didn’t speak.
Qu Tang continued: “You possess an extraordinary air; how could you look like a servant? Moreover, Lord Fang’s attitude toward you is not that toward a servant. You must be some Lord from the capital, and it’s inconvenient to reveal your identity?”
Hearing this and seeing that he hadn’t truly been exposed, Su Yang asked: “What do you want to say?”
Qu Tang cleared his throat and said: “Nothing, just… to say a few good words for Xiao Xu. Xiao Xu has received your care in the capital, so I have prepared some local Jiangnan specialties for you. They aren’t expensive items, just a small token of gratitude. I watched Xiao Xu grow up; I just want someone to look after him in the capital. Lord, I have no other intentions…”
Perhaps seeing Su Yang’s face growing darker and darker, Qu Tang felt Su Yang must have misunderstood his meaning. He hadn’t wanted to bribe anyone, just hoped someone in the capital could protect Fang Zhixu, but it seemed… the more he explained, the worse it got.
Qu Tang had no choice but to shut his mouth.
Su Yang knew what Qu Tang meant. Compared to those people in the capital who frequently offered property deeds, gold, silver, jewelry, or antique paintings, these Jiangnan specialties clearly weren’t meant for bribery. But he remembered Fang Zhixu kneeling by Lin Huaiyu’s knees to feed him medicine, wiping away the blood from Lin Huaiyu’s lips, and being praised by Lin Huaiyu…
Every single thing was intolerable to him.
Su Yang let out a cold snort, his face gloomy: “Fang Zhixu, he’s good, very good indeed!”
After saying this, he strode out, leaving Qu Tang with a face full of defeat.
It’s over; he’s caused trouble!
Su Yang returned to the Lin residence with the wound medicine. Lin Huaiyu was lying in the courtyard under the shade of a tree, shielded from the sun. A clear breeze brushed his sleeves as Ji Wuyou fanned him nearby—a truly beautiful picture of a beauty enjoying the shade.
Su Yang approached. Seeing him, Ji Wuyou didn’t stop fanning, only saying irritably: “Why are you here again? I told you there’s no more room for you in this courtyard!”
Su Yang didn’t say a word, only dropping to one knee by Lin Huaiyu’s side and seizing Lin Huaiyu’s hand.
Lin Huaiyu frowned instantly, wanting to pull his hand back, yet he still couldn’t. He pursed his lips and asked coldly: “What is Your Majesty trying to do?”
Su Yang took out the wound medicine, pushed up Lin Huaiyu’s sleeve, and revealed that fair wrist, covered in shocking knife marks. Su Yang’s brow furrowed at the sight. He applied the ointment to Lin Huaiyu’s scars, his fingertip moving over Lin Huaiyu’s arm with the cooling medicine.
Lin Huaiyu looked at him coldly and said: “Your Majesty needn’t bother; these wounds don’t need treatment anyway.”
Su Yang raised his eyes to look at him and asked: “Why?”
Lin Huaiyu pulled his hand back, lowered his sleeve to hide the scars on his arm, and spoke with his usual expression: “Since a cut is made every day anyway, what difference does it make whether they are treated or not?”
Hearing this, Su Yang felt as if his own heart had been slashed by a knife, hurting with a piercing intensity.
He lowered his eyes to look at Lin Huaiyu’s hand resting on the lounge chair. Even though it was covered by the sleeve, he could still see those scars, as if they were branded on his own heart.
The sleeve naturally highlighted the curve of Lin Huaiyu’s arm; that slender wrist looked as if it would break with a squeeze.
Clearly, it hadn’t been this fragile when they were in the capital…
Su Yang looked up at Lin Huaiyu’s weary expression, put away the ointment, and tucked it into Lin Huaiyu’s robes: “Keep this; it will be useful in the future.”
Lin Huaiyu couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow: “Is Your Majesty implying that I will suffer more injuries in the future?”
Su Yang immediately said: “No, I didn’t mean that.”
Lin Huaiyu withdrew his gaze, no longer looking at him, and issued a dismissal: “If Your Majesty has no other business, please return early.”
Su Yang pursed his lips, gazing at Lin Huaiyu infatuatedly, his eyes filled only with reluctance and longing: “With Teacher here, where else can I return to?”
Hearing this address, Lin Huaiyu opened his eyes to look at him again, a hint of a mocking smile on his lips: “Teacher? I cannot be Your Majesty’s teacher.”
Su Yang shook his head repeatedly. He pulled at Lin Huaiyu’s sleeve and said: “You are naturally my teacher, and always will be.”
Lin Huaiyu imperceptibly glanced at his sleeve, which Su Yang had crumpled in his grip. He pulled his sleeve back, his tone indifferent and distant: “I remember Your Majesty himself didn’t want me as a teacher back then.”
Su Yang’s face turned pale. His hand was empty, and his heart was empty. How could Lin Huaiyu not be angry? How could Lin Huaiyu not hate him?
Lin Huaiyu wanted to erase everything about the capital and never return. His mentioning it was merely causing Lin Huaiyu more hatred.
Su Yang murmured: “I want you, I do. I didn’t want to lose Teacher. Back then I was possessed… I was wrong.”
He wanted Lin Huaiyu; he wanted Lin Huaiyu’s eyes and heart to have only him. He had obsessively possessed Lin Huaiyu, breaking his pride and stripping away his wings to keep him by his side, thinking that way he could have Lin Huaiyu.
But Lin Huaiyu’s eyes never had him, and his heart had him even less.
Even if he had done those things, Lin Huaiyu did not belong to him, nor would he stay by his side.
Now he knew, and he regretted it: “Teacher, don’t discard me.”
But Lin Huaiyu didn’t respond, only closing his eyes, as if this way he couldn’t hear Su Yang’s voice and wouldn’t have to pay him any mind.
Suddenly the wind picked up, and dark clouds covered the vast clear sky; it looked like it was about to rain.
Su Yang glanced at the changing sky, looked back at Lin Huaiyu, and stood up: “It’s about to rain; let me carry you inside.”
Lin Huaiyu glanced at Su Yang faintly, a single look freezing the Su Yang who was about to move in place.
Lin Huaiyu said indifferently: “I wouldn’t dare trouble Your Majesty.”
“It’s no trouble,” Su Yang said anxiously, yet not daring to truly go against Lin Huaiyu’s wishes, only standing in place. “I just want to carry you into the room so the rain doesn’t hit you.”
Lin Huaiyu looked at Su Yang for a moment, then slowly shifted his gaze to the nearby Ji Wuyou. As he was about to get up, Ji Wuyou put down the fan and rushed over: “I’ll do it! I’ll do it, I’ll do it; it’s no trouble for me!”
Ji Wuyou scooped Lin Huaiyu up. As he passed Su Yang, he even gave him a provocative look. If Lin Huaiyu hadn’t been there, Su Yang’s gloomy face suggested he would have drawn his sword to kill him on the spot.
Ji Wuyou smiled as he carried Lin Huaiyu from the lounge chair back into the room and asked: “Where do you want to sleep, Master? On the bed? Or the daybed?”
Lin Huaiyu said faintly: “The daybed.”
Ji Wuyou then gently placed him on the daybed and said: “Master is too light; you should eat more.”
Lin Huaiyu didn’t respond, only looking through the window at Su Yang standing in the courtyard. Su Yang’s expression was exceptionally despondent, his lonely silhouette looking as if it had lost its soul.
Lin Huaiyu took a look and said to Ji Wuyou: “Help me send him away.”
Hearing this, Ji Wuyou said excitedly: “Don’t worry, leave it to me!”
As if holding an imperial decree, Ji Wuyou walked into the courtyard and looked at Su Yang. Su Yang’s face was still dark. Seeing him come, he only gave him a glance, his lips pressed into a straight line.
Ji Wuyou smiled secretly. If they had met anywhere other than Lin Huaiyu’s courtyard, he indeed wouldn’t have dared to act so superior to Su Yang, but now it was different…
Between love rivals, status didn’t exist.
“Master Yuxi doesn’t want to see you. If you don’t plan on leaving yourself, I’ll have to force you out.” Although Ji Wuyou said this, after their last fight, he knew he couldn’t truly force the man out.
But if Su Yang didn’t leave, Lin Huaiyu would only loathe him more.
He didn’t need to act.
As expected, Su Yang only glanced at Lin Huaiyu’s window, his eyes filled with a layer of disappointment, and then he turned and left.
Clang—
Thunder roared. The Jiangnan weather changed in an instant. Just as it felt like it would rain, it gave no preparation, and a torrential downpour cascaded down, soaking everyone on the street to the bone.
Su Yang was about to hide from the rain when he suddenly thought of something and immediately turned back toward the Lin residence.
He rushed into the residence and burst into Lin Huaiyu’s room; even Ji Wuyou didn’t see him.
Lin Huaiyu opened his eyes to see him; Su Yang was already standing by his daybed.
Lin Huaiyu frowned and was about to speak when Su Yang leaned over, pressing down one of his legs with one hand and lifting his hem with the other.
Lin Huaiyu immediately began to struggle, but under Su Yang’s strength, he couldn’t break free at all. Lin Huaiyu’s tone was slightly cool: “Does Your Majesty feel that two months of imprisonment were not enough, and now you must continue to torment me?”
Su Yang’s movements paused at these words, but his grip didn’t loosen.
Lin Huaiyu also stopped struggling, only saying: “If so, just once would be more than I can bear, and I would have to trouble Your Majesty to collect my corpse.”
Su Yang slowly looked at Lin Huaiyu. At this moment, Lin Huaiyu had given up struggling, looking as if he would let him do as he pleased, the exhaustion in his eyes evident.
Lin Huaiyu was right. With his current physical condition, if Su Yang forced himself on him even once, Lin Huaiyu would not survive.
But he… didn’t mean that.
A trace of panic flashed in Su Yang’s eyes, and he blurted out: “I won’t do that again.”
Lin Huaiyu closed his eyes and stopped looking at Su Yang.
A moment later, he opened his eyes again. A wave of warmth came from his knees; it was Su Yang rubbing them, the friction generating heat.
Su Yang curled his lips and explained to himself: “Jiangnan is damp and cold, unlike the north. The injury on your knees must be flaring up again, right?”
Lin Huaiyu watched him quietly for a good while, his tone faint yet with a hint of irony: “For such a small matter, it’s hard for Your Majesty to still remember.”
Su Yang’s heart skipped a beat as he looked at Lin Huaiyu, his hands not stopping: “It’s my fault.”
How could he have had the heart back then to make Lin Huaiyu kneel in the snow with such knees?
He had even felt that Lin Huaiyu only knelt for a little while and it wasn’t anything important…
Yet these knees were ruined to save him.
Now, whenever the rainy season came and it was damp and cold, they were painfully sore.
Su Yang’s gaze paused, and he lowered his head wanting to kiss Lin Huaiyu’s knee: “It’s all my fault.”
A second before he could touch his knee, Lin Huaiyu retracted his leg, pulled his hem back down, and shouted toward the outside: “Lin Fei!”
Lin Fei rushed in like a shadow: “Master.”
“Please… show him out.” Lin Huaiyu lowered his eyes and instructed.
Su Yang’s robes were soaked through with rain. He glanced at Lin Huaiyu and said no more, only: “If it hurts too much, tell me, or… find He Qingli.”
After saying this, he walked out of the room himself, with Lin Fei following closely behind.
It took a while before Lin Huaiyu lay back down comfortably. The rain was drumming loudly, beating down on everything on the earth. The rain was intense. Lin Huaiyu lay by the window and glanced out.
He saw Su Yang standing in the courtyard, the heavy rain pouring down on him, soaking him through. The stray hairs on his forehead were plastered to his face, the rain drenching his entire face—he looked very wretched.
Lin Huaiyu took a couple of looks and closed the window. Everything outside was sealed off, and only the sound of the heavy rain could be heard.
As night approached, the rain gradually stopped, and the courtyard became lively again.
“Teacher, I’m off work, I’m back!” Fang Zhixu’s voice rang out from outside.
Lin Fei also came in from the door and said: “The evening banquet is prepared.”
Lin Huaiyu nodded. He leaned on Lin Fei as he walked out the door and saw at a glance that Su Yang was still standing there, not having moved half a step. His clothes were still soaked through. Seeing him come out, Su Yang raised his eyes and looked over.
Lin Huaiyu immediately withdrew his gaze and walked toward the nearby pavilion.
Everyone had arrived. He looked at the three people and asked: “I am welcoming my student back; what are you two joining the fun for?”
Ji Wuyou laughed and poured himself a cup of wine: “I’m here for a free meal!”
Jing Fei took out an exquisite box and handed it to Lin Fei: “I’m here to deliver a gift and… get a meal too.”
Lin Huaiyu glanced at the box, knowing it must contain some rare medicinal material. He said faintly: “I said yesterday that the Seventh Prince’s requests won’t be accepted after the deadline; I won’t agree today.”
Jing Fei shook his head: “I have no requests, just… in exchange for this meal.”
Lin Huaiyu gave Jing Fei a look, said nothing more, and sat down.
The banquet was harmonious, with occasional laughter. The bright yellow lamps enveloped the five people, the warm light on Lin Huaiyu’s face adding a hint of life.
Ji Wuyou and Jing Fei occasionally clinked cups, not bickering for the moment. Fang Zhixu placed food for Lin Huaiyu, saying with his head up: “Thank you for Teacher’s grace of teaching; I toast to Teacher with this cup.”
Although it was a toast, no one poured wine for Lin Huaiyu. Fang Zhixu downed his wine, his face crinkling up.
Lin Huaiyu laughed: “Don’t drink if you can’t.”
Fang Zhixu smiled and, remembering the Qionglin Banquet in the capital, complained to Lin Huaiyu: “At that Qionglin Banquet, all the Lords came to urge me to drink. I almost couldn’t handle it and eventually got drunk, even nearly offending the Emperor…”
As he spoke, he stopped, glancing at Lin Huaiyu’s face.
But he saw Lin Huaiyu’s expression was as usual, as if he hadn’t heard.
Fang Zhixu let out a sigh of relief and changed the subject.
This side was peaceful, while the courtyard didn’t even have a single lamp, exceptionally cold and quiet.
Clearly in the same courtyard, yet they had become two different worlds.
Su Yang stood in the courtyard in his soaked clothes, the chill enveloping his entire person. He listened to the laughter and joy from the other side and didn’t move at all, like the stone lion outside the door, his feelings unknown.