Chapter 55#
Secretly Drinking His Leftover Soup#
Su Ruhui slipped away, but was pulled back by his grandaunt, who insisted he stay for dinner and even tried to push him towards the girl named Dantain Susu. This girl had been constantly appearing before him these past few days, and he knew exactly what his grandaunt was thinking. His maternal grandmother wanted him to change his surname and become the heir of the Dantain family, but only if he was willing to change.
Su Ruhui’s head ached. He repeatedly claimed he had an urgent need, pulled out his sleeve, and chased after Sang Chiyu.
After leaving the hall, he couldn’t find Sang Chiyu. Su Ruhui asked the servants about his whereabouts, and then, considering the man’s temperament, he specifically searched in quiet, secluded places. Sure enough, when he rounded to the pear blossom tree in the back garden, he saw the man’s tall, straight back, like a withered pine.
He walked slowly to Sang Chiyu, hands behind his back, “Brother Sang, how long have you been in Lizhou? Why didn’t you come find me?”
Sang Chiyu ignored him.
“I wrote to you, why didn’t you reply?” Su Ruhui asked again.
Sang Chiyu glanced at him and finally spoke: “There was nothing important in your letter.”
Well, indeed, everything Su Ruhui wrote in his letters was about eating, drinking, and having fun. Su Ruhui was used to his coldness and continued to speak to himself: “Also, did you forget about our secret engagement when we were ten? Why did you refuse me before?”
Sang Chiyu’s brows seemed to be covered in cold frost. He said, “There’s no need to mention old matters again.”
“You say don’t mention it, and I shouldn’t? I almost lost my life, wouldn’t it be a great loss if I didn’t mention it?” Su Ruhui said with a smile.
Sang Chiyu clenched his fist, remained silent for a long time, and then said, “I will repay your past kindness.”
Su Ruhui was actually just teasing him, but he didn’t expect him to take it seriously. Su Ruhui observed his expression; usually, it was just cold and indifferent, but now there seemed to be some imperceptible pain. Su Ruhui frowned, “Were you bullied? I saw you didn’t touch your food. Did someone at the banquet speak ill of you? Tell me who it was, and I’ll slap them twice.”
Sang Chiyu turned his face away, his eyelashes lowered, “Su Ruhui, you should stay away from me.”
“Why?” Su Ruhui said, “Because your secret art once rampaged?”
His illness had long been cured. Ming Ruowu himself said it was completely cured, and Dantain Jing also allowed him to associate with Su Ruhui. Otherwise, Dantain Jing wouldn’t have let him discipline Su Ruhui when they were in the Pioneer Guard. However, he was too violent in the Pioneer Guard; his killing scenes often left limbs scattered everywhere, chilling people to the bone. People often brought up this past, which is why fewer and fewer people dared to associate with him.
Sang Chiyu nodded, “Mm.”
“Alas, this is a bit difficult,” Su Ruhui sighed, stroking his chin, “My uncle asked you to look after me, so you have to watch me all the time.”
“That was in the Pioneer Guard,” Sang Chiyu’s voice was cold and hard, “It’s not anymore.”
“Is that so…” Su Ruhui pondered.
He opened his communication compass and contacted Dantain Jing. The rune lit up, and Dantain Jing’s voice came through: “What is it?”
Su Ruhui said with a mournful face: “Uncle, something bad has happened, I’ve caused trouble again. I broke the arm of the second young master of the Gao family in Lizhou, and he wants me to pay compensation. I’ve been spending lavishly these past few days, my purse is empty, and I really have no money to pay. Today is my maternal grandmother’s birthday, and he said if I don’t pay, he’ll cause trouble at the mansion. What should I do? — Hey, isn’t that Sang Chiyu? He came to Lizhou to wish you a happy birthday on your behalf? Uncle, please let Sang Chiyu help me resolve this, I’ll repay you like an ox or a horse.”
Sang Chiyu finally looked at him, his brows tightly furrowed.
Dantain Jing listened to him, but didn’t respond. The rune suddenly turned gray and lost its light. Su Ruhui smiled at Sang Chiyu and raised his chin towards him.
Sang Chiyu’s communication compass in his waist pouch vibrated. He took out the compass, opened it, and heard Dantain Jing’s majestic and deep voice.
“Yu’er, go see what trouble Su Ruhui has caused. Also, from today onwards, you will continue to supervise Su Ruhui.”
“…” Sang Chiyu said, “I don’t want to watch him.”
“You have no official duties, why are you unwilling?”
Sang Chiyu was silent for a long time, then whispered, “Because I dislike him.”
Dantain Jing was silent for a moment, then after a long while, said, “This is the first time I’ve heard you dislike someone.”
“Yes,” Sang Chiyu said.
He raised his face and saw Su Ruhui covering his chest with teary eyes, looking very heartbroken.
Feigned. He thought silently.
“Cultivation must be self-inflicted.” Dantain Jing’s command left no room for refusal, “Remember to deliver the message to Hui’er.”
Sang Chiyu had a premonition of what he was going to say and really wanted to cut off the compass connection, but that would be too impolite.
So Dantain Jing’s words were finally heard by Su Ruhui.
“If you don’t pass the Star Official Grand Examination, you can forget about marrying you in this life.”
He cut off the connection, and the compass lost its light.
Su Ruhui smiled mischievously, “I’m honored to be your first and only disliked person.”
Sang Chiyu: “…”
“I also want to tell you something, I’m naturally rebellious. If others don’t want me to do something, I’ll do it anyway.” Su Ruhui patted his shoulder, “You don’t want me to take the Star Official Grand Examination, do you? My uncle asked you to deliver a message, why didn’t you? Don’t worry, even if I lose my hands, I’ll bite the pen with my mouth and finish this Star Official Grand Examination.”
Sang Chiyu pursed his lips, his gaze like a cold moon, chilling to the bone. He grabbed Su Ruhui’s collar, returned to the banquet, and sat back down at the table. Su Ruhui very consciously sat beside him, serving rice and soup, and adding dishes for Sang Chiyu.
“Hui’er, why did you just come back?” Dantain Xin pulled him to talk, “Susu was just mentioning you to me.”
Susu’s cheeks were flushed, and she softly called out, “Grandaunt.” She glanced at Su Ruhui, lowered her head, poured a cup of wine for Su Ruhui, and whispered, “Cousin, Susu toasts you.”
Su Ruhui didn’t take it, and said with a smile, “Sorry, I have a stomach ailment and can’t drink alcohol.”
Susu’s expression immediately became a little awkward, and she deeply lowered her head.
Dantain Xin looked worried: “Does Hui’er really have a stomach ailment? Perfect, Susu is good at cooking, let her stew more medicinal meals for Hui’er.”
“I say, Grandaunt,” Su Ruhui laughed, “Don’t try to play matchmaker randomly.”
“What are you talking about?” Dantain Xin said, “I’m just being kind…”
“Then thank you for your kindness, but for Susu’s happiness, she absolutely cannot marry me.”
“You’re seventeen, still so unruly all day. A good girl like Susu is willing to be with you, you should be secretly happy.” Dantain Xin looked displeased, “Don’t want to marry? You must give a reason today. If you lie to this old woman, I’ll make you drink three cups as punishment.”
Su Ruhui slowly said, “Because I’m impotent.”
There was a moment of silence at the table, even breathing could barely be heard.
Dantain Xin was stunned for a long time, then forced a smile, “You child, you really love to joke.”
“I’m not joking, I really am impotent.” Su Ruhui put his arm around Sang Chiyu’s shoulder, “Sang Chiyu can prove it, if you don’t believe me, ask Sang Chiyu.”
Someone in the audience wondered: “Why can Chiyu prove your hidden illness?”
Most of the elders were serious and proper, but there were also some old rascals like Su Ruhui. Some elders’ tones gradually became incredulous, “Could it be…” Chiyu tried it?
No need to think deeply, just by listening to the tone, one could tell what their unspoken meaning was. Sang Chiyu’s body stiffened, and the chopsticks in his hand snapped, suddenly breaking.
Everyone looked at Sang Chiyu in unison.
Su Ruhui really didn’t expect these people to be so disrespectful of their age. It seemed that his scoundrel nature was simply inherited. Su Ruhui was about to explain, but Sang Chiyu had already reached his limit, fearing that he would say something shocking again, he quickly covered his mouth, grabbed his neck, and forcibly dragged him away from the banquet.
Because Su Ruhui talked nonsense at the banquet, Sang Chiyu ignored him for two days. Even when supervising him studying for the exam, Sang Chiyu just sat by the door with his sword, not saying a word. When the sun set, Sang Chiyu would disappear, and Su Ruhui couldn’t find him even if he wanted to. As for studying, Su Ruhui didn’t care at all, holding a notebook and writing stories for fun. His stories were very popular, often in short supply.
As his maternal grandmother’s birthday celebration was about to end, Su Ruhui was also preparing to go to Biandu with Sang Chiyu. Although the Imperial Astronomical Bureau also had an examination center in Lizhou, he really didn’t want to stay in Lizhou, constantly seeing a bunch of flirtatious women fluttering before his eyes. His grandaunt obviously didn’t believe his excuse of impotence and was still persistent, calling Susu every day to send him soup.
The sun had set, and Su Ruhui was carving wood under the grape arbor, with his communication compass beside him. Jiang Xueya’s voice came from it, “You’ve ruined yourself like this, and the Dantain family still won’t let you go?”
“Yeah.” Su Ruhui held a file, meticulously carving. This time he was carving a human figure. He planned to make human puppets, starting with wooden puppets. The body of the wood carving was already completed, only a blank face remained. Su Ruhui was carving its eyebrows and eyes, the lines under the knife rising and falling, and the puppet’s eyebrows and eyes gradually took shape.
“Being a good-for-nothing is useless, and being impotent is useless. In my opinion, you have no other way to go but to castrate yourself,” Jiang Xueya said, “How about I get you a surgeon?”
“Get lost.” Su Ruhui cursed.
His senior sister was right. He had been messing around for so many years, treating brothels as his home, teasing cats and walking dogs, attracting butterflies, completely ruining his reputation. Everyone knew that Su Ruhui was a playboy who wasted his life, a good-for-nothing. But the Dantain clan still refused to give up, determined to make him the heir of the Dantain family. His uncle had the Blizzard secret art and held supreme power, so the Dantain clan couldn’t do anything to him, but Su Ruhui was just a young boy, and no matter what, he would ultimately be at their mercy.
As an heir, the most important responsibility was procreation. The Dantain clan hoped that his wife would give birth to a child with the “Blizzard” secret art to ensure the Dantain family’s century of glory. In recent days, his movements had also been restricted. The Dantain clan used the excuse that Su Ruhui needed to study to prevent him from going out, and Su Ruhui was practically under house arrest in the mansion. It seemed they wouldn’t give up until he got married.
“I need to come up with a plan,” Su Ruhui said.
“It’s a pity I’m far away in Yunzhou, tens of thousands of miles from you, so I can’t save you. At most, I can give you some support,” Jiang Xueya also worried for him.
Blowing away the last bit of wood shavings, the small wooden figure in Su Ruhui’s hand was completed. Looking at it, Su Ruhui was suddenly stunned. The wooden figure before him had clear eyebrows and eyes, a high nose bridge, and thin lips, resembling Sang Chiyu by ninety percent.
“How did I carve it into Sang Chiyu?” Su Ruhui murmured.
“What did you say?” Jiang Xueya didn’t hear clearly.
“Nothing,” Su Ruhui raised his eyebrows and smiled, “I know who can save me now.”
Sang Chiyu disliked him so much that asking Sang Chiyu for help was like asking for the moon. Su Ruhui had to think of a good way. The next day, Sang Chiyu sat by the door as usual. It was clear that he deliberately sat so far away to avoid being close to Su Ruhui. Su Ruhui secretly clicked his tongue, this person was really difficult.
The two spent the entire day without speaking, and Su Ruhui made no progress. In the evening, Susu brought yam and chicken soup.
She brought the soup bowl to Su Ruhui, and whispered, “Cousin has a stomach ailment, this soup is best for nourishing the stomach, Cousin must finish it.”
Su Ruhui repeatedly thanked her, “Thank you for your trouble, don’t send it next time, it’s too tiring.”
Susu blushed and shook her head, “No, it’s Grandaunt’s order, Susu wouldn’t dare not send it. Cousin, please drink it quickly, so I can report back.” Saying that, she took another bowl from the tray held by a servant and brought it to Sang Chiyu, “Brother Sang has been tired all day, drink a bowl of soup to warm yourself up too.”
“Thank you,” Sang Chiyu politely took the soup bowl.
Susu left, and Sang Chiyu frowned slightly as he held the soup bowl. At that time, Sang Chiyu had not yet tasted Su Ruhui’s cooking and did not like greasy meat flavors. The soup now had a layer of golden oil floating on it, and he lost his appetite just looking at it. He drank a few sips, but really couldn’t drink any more, so he casually put it aside.
When the sun set, he left on time. Su Ruhui stretched, his gaze falling on the soup bowl Sang Chiyu had used on the stool opposite him. As if possessed, Su Ruhui walked over, sat in the armchair Sang Chiyu had sat in, and stared at the bowl of soup. There was a little soup stain on the rim of the bowl, probably where Sang Chiyu had drunk from.
Su Ruhui stroked his chest, his heart beating a little fast. He felt something was wrong with him, because he inexplicably felt a strong urge, actually wanting to drink this half-finished soup.
As if an addict seeing Wushisan, Su Ruhui felt an unbearable unease in his heart. He looked left and right, then poked his head out to observe the corridor. There was no one around. He shrank back, and like a thief, picked up Sang Chiyu’s soup bowl, drank it all, and only then did he feel a little better. He put down the soup bowl, and the obstruction to his view was gone. Su Ruhui saw Sang Chiyu standing under the eaves of the corridor in front of him. He watched Su Ruhui put down the soup bowl he had used, with a slight look of astonishment in his eyes.
Su Ruhui: “…”
Why was this person like a cat, walking without a sound!
The two looked at each other in silence, and an awkward silence filled the air.
Su Ruhui was the first to break the silence, saying seriously, “Brother Sang, how can you waste food? Do you know how hard the farmers who raise chickens work? How great are the little hens who sacrifice themselves to nourish our bodies! I drank this soup for you, no need to thank me.”
Sang Chiyu seemed to be convinced by him and said nothing. He took a step forward and picked up the waist token he had dropped under the chair. His hair fell on Su Ruhui’s hand, tingling. Su Ruhui felt like there was a little deer in his heart, constantly stirring. Su Ruhui endured the itch and didn’t scratch. Sang Chiyu stood up, and before leaving, said, “Next time, I will finish it.”
He left, and the little deer in Su Ruhui’s heart also stopped stirring. The setting sun climbed onto his lap, and the cold courtyard was silent. Su Ruhui felt a faint melancholy in his heart. How could he make Sang Chiyu less cold towards him? Actually, the method was simple: he just needed to stay away from Sang Chiyu. Now, Sang Chiyu was annoyed every time he saw him. Perhaps after he secretly drank the chicken soup just now, he had become a pervert in Sang Chiyu’s heart.
But Su Ruhui, like a masochist, preferred to annoy Sang Chiyu.
He sighed with worry.
Suddenly, an idea came to him. He had a plan.
On the third day, Su Ruhui suddenly dragged Sang Chiyu to the library to read, saying he wanted to find some rare books. The Dantain clan’s library had been unused for a long time, usually locked with a large lock. Su Ruhui didn’t know where he got the key, but he dragged Sang Chiyu to the innermost part. Su Ruhui rustled through books, while Sang Chiyu leaned against the side, holding his sword and waiting for him. The slanted sunlight streamed in from the skylight. Sang Chiyu closed his eyes to rest, his cold, pale profile bathed in a jade-like glow. Su Ruhui slowly lowered the book covering his face, revealing a pair of cunning eyes, staring at Sang Chiyu.
Sang Chiyu slowly opened his eyes, meeting Su Ruhui’s gaze.
He found that Su Ruhui was peeking at him.
Su Ruhui didn’t avoid him, staring straight at him, his dark pupils filled with a golden, fragmented smile.
“Brother Sang, do you have someone you like?”
“Read the book,” he said.
“It seems not,” the smile in Su Ruhui’s eyes deepened, “So before me, you had no one you liked, and no one you disliked… No, I remember you liked me a lot when you were little. So you liked me when you were little, and you dislike me now.” Su Ruhui clicked his tongue and sighed, “I seem to be very special to you.”
Sang Chiyu’s expression remained unchanged. He seemed to have gotten used to Su Ruhui teasing him when he had nothing better to do.
He glanced at Su Ruhui, then closed his eyes again, not intending to respond to Su Ruhui.
Su Ruhui was not discouraged, saying, “Before in the Pioneer Guard, nothing happened between me and Yan Funniang, and more importantly, I don’t have any hidden illness like impotence, I’m very capable.”
“It has nothing to do with me,” Sang Chiyu said.
“Don’t you want to know what I actually did that night?”
“No.”
“You don’t want to hear it, but I insist on telling you.”
Su Ruhui smiled and walked up to him. The passage between the bookshelves was very narrow, not quite enough space for two large men. They were almost face to face, eye to eye, their breaths mingling. Sang Chiyu finally opened his eyes, his brows slightly furrowed, his gaze cold.