Chapter 61#
Just Admit You Like Me#
His guess received no reply from Sang Chiyu. The two ran out from under the stone archway of the Pleasure Palace, only to be met by a group of monks from the Great Compassion Hall waiting at the entrance, all eager to fight. It turned out that Sang Chiyu had already prepared a backup plan; if they couldn’t escape the Pleasure Palace safely, this group of monks would surely rush in and start a massacre.
Su Ruhui raised an eyebrow and asked Sang Chiyu, “Didn’t you say you were just passing by? You’re passing by with so many people?”
Ananda led a horse to Sang Chiyu, rubbing his hands and saying, “My apologies for being so thoughtless. I thought Young Master Sang was going to brave the Pleasure Palace alone, so I only prepared one horse for you.”
“One is fine, we’ll share.” Su Ruhui didn’t say another word and mounted the horse, extending a hand to Sang Chiyu.
Sang Chiyu stood still, his delicate brows furrowed into a deep frown. He was unwilling to share a horse with Su Ruhui.
“Alright,” Su Ruhui extended his hand to Ananda again, “I’ll share with you, and Sang Chiyu can ride his own.”
Shouts approached, and the ruffians ran out of the brothel with their sabers drawn. The sharp glint of their blades formed a shimmering curtain, reflecting their grotesquely painted faces.
Ananda was climbing onto Su Ruhui’s horse, clinging to the saddle, when he was suddenly pulled back by someone. Immediately after, a black figure leaped over him. He looked up and saw Sang Chiyu sitting steadily behind Su Ruhui.
Ananda: “…”
Sang Chiyu glanced at him and said, “Let’s go.”
All the other monks lifted their robes and mounted their horses. They galloped towards the Great Compassion Hall like the wind, leaving the ruffians far behind, their faces splattered with mud kicked up by the horses’ hooves.
Sang Chiyu held the reins, controlling the horse. Su Ruhui changed from straddling to sitting sideways, deliberately pressing close to him and wrapping his arm around his waist. Su Ruhui felt Sang Chiyu’s stiffness; his chest was hard, like a branding iron. Su Ruhui secretly chuckled, adjusted to a comfortable position, and could see Sang Chiyu’s pale, cold cheek by turning his head. As they galloped, the dark, towering houses of Black Street rapidly receded, and the reddish glow of lanterns swept over their heads. Sang Chiyu’s cold, pine-like aura enveloped Su Ruhui, and Su Ruhui felt a sense of nostalgia for this scent he hadn’t smelled in a long time.
“Why don’t you admit you like me?” Su Ruhui asked, “Is it embarrassing to like me? I can make puppets, arrange star formations, cook, and raise kittens. Where else would you find such a virtuous wife like me?”
Sang Chiyu seemed determined not to speak, his face serene. No matter what Su Ruhui said, he always maintained that cold expression.
This fellow wouldn’t blush, and Su Ruhui found it boring, so he deliberately played a trump card, “Brother Sang, your big treasure is poking…”
Sang Chiyu freed a hand and pressed Su Ruhui’s head into his chest.
They returned to the territory of the Great Compassion Hall. As soon as they entered the ruins of the Joyful Buddha statue, Sang Chiyu reined in his horse and dismounted.
“Is there anyone here who knows the ‘Formless Gate’ secret technique?” Sang Chiyu asked.
“There is, there is,” Ananda said, rubbing his bald head, “But unfortunately, he’s opened the gate five times today and is exhausted. He’ll need to rest overnight before he can open it again. Would you like to stay in the Joyful Buddha’s giant puppet for the night?”
Su Ruhui put his arm around Sang Chiyu’s shoulder, “We just met, and you’re already rushing to send me back. Wouldn’t that make your ‘passing by’ the Pleasure Palace pointless?”
Sang Chiyu glanced at the hand on his shoulder and said, “Let go.”
Su Ruhui asked, “Aren’t you going to introduce me to your little brothers?”
“You’re leaving tomorrow, no need for introductions,” Sang Chiyu said indifferently.
“Fine, I’ll introduce myself.” Su Ruhui clapped his hands, and all the monks of the Great Compassion Hall looked at him, many with curious expressions. Su Ruhui bowed deeply and said with a smile, “Brothers, nice to meet you. I am Young Master Sang’s husband. We’re all family, so don’t be strangers, just call me sister-in-law.”
Su Ruhui said this in front of Sang Chiyu, and no one would have thought anyone could be so shameless as to eagerly offer themselves as Sang Chiyu’s wife. Hundreds of monks, without a doubt, took a deep breath and shouted in unison, “Hello, sister-in-law!”
The fierce sound wave almost lifted Su Ruhui’s skull. Su Ruhui was very pleased, pulled out banknotes from his satchel, and distributed them one by one, “Do Sang Chiyu and I make a good match?”
The monks, their eyes gleaming at the money, shouted in unison, “A perfect match!!”
Su Ruhui threw money into the air, “Are Sang Chiyu and I deeply in love?”
The monks, their faces flushed, roared, “Deeply in love!”
Ananda secretly glanced at Sang Chiyu. Sang Chiyu’s face was expressionless, but his gaze constantly followed Su Ruhui, who was mingling with the crowd. Ananda felt that the coldness around Sang Chiyu had lessened, and he slowly began to understand. He rushed into the crowd and bowed to Su Ruhui, “Sister-in-law, I wish you and Young Master Sang a long and happy life together, sweet and harmonious, with nights filled with music and joy!”
“Well said! You’re a very promising young monk.” Su Ruhui stuffed a handful of banknotes into his hand.
All the monks’ eyes widened, and they scrambled forward to offer auspicious words. A helpless expression finally appeared in Sang Chiyu’s usually calm eyes. He walked off the field, grabbed Su Ruhui by the collar, and turned his head to Ananda, “Thank you for your trouble today. Please prepare a bucket of hot water for me.”
Ananda quickly waved his hands, “It’s nothing, nothing at all. You two can talk through the night, leave the rest to me. I’ll go now, please wait.”
Sang Chiyu pulled Su Ruhui away from the noisy crowd and directly into the giant puppet. They ascended the stairs to the Black Guanyin’s former living quarters. Black Guanyin had been killed by Sang Chiyu, and according to Black Street’s rules, everything he owned was taken over by Sang Chiyu. Ananda had already tidied up Black Guanyin’s residence, and all the bedding had been replaced with new ones. Su Ruhui surveyed the spacious interior of the puppet, immediately noticing that the core star array at the top of the puppet’s head had been damaged.
“Are you staying here these few days? I’ll help you fix the spiritual star array.” Su Ruhui touched a cabinet; it had been freshly oiled and was so shiny it reflected his image.
“No need,” Sang Chiyu said.
He made the bed for Su Ruhui. It was cold in Black Street at night, so he took a new quilt from the cabinet and added it to the bed.
Su Ruhui touched things randomly, “Are all these things yours?”
Sang Chiyu paused slightly, then hummed in affirmation.
He couldn’t let Su Ruhui know he was Sang Baobao. Since he had been missing for several days, he naturally needed a place to stay. Since Su Ruhui already thought he lived here, he would just let Su Ruhui believe it, to avoid having to make up more lies. He was truly not good at lying.
Su Ruhui turned around, revealing the open treasure chest behind him. He held up two slender jade objects, saying with a curious expression, “Wow, Brother Sang, I never would have thought. You play quite wild. Are these jade dildos for yourself or are you planning to use them on me?”
Sang Chiyu was still holding the quilt. When he saw the sex toys in Su Ruhui’s hand, he froze. Su Ruhui was so shameless, even tapping the jade dildos together. The clear sound of jade clashing echoed, but to Sang Chiyu, it sounded like a thunderclap.
He straightened up, walked to Su Ruhui, put the jade dildos back into the sex toy bag, and locked them back in the treasure chest.
“Tomorrow, I’ll send you back to Biandu,” Sang Chiyu said.
Su Ruhui pouted, walked to the bed, and lay back, sinking into the warm bedding. He kicked his feet, and his boots flew off. Another kick, and his socks flew off too. Sang Chiyu silently watched him, then bent down without a word to pick up his shoes and socks, neatly placing them by the foot of the bed. Su Ruhui had always been like a young master, kicking off his shoes and socks carelessly as soon as he got home. If such a person lived alone, his home would turn into a messy dog’s nest in a few days.
Su Ruhui propped his head up, watching Sang Chiyu tidy his belongings, and said with a smile, “Send me back to Biandu? What, you don’t want to see me? Brother Sang, Brother Sang, you can take a stroll and still end up back with me. Maybe tomorrow you’ll get lost and come back to me again.”
Sang Chiyu no longer responded, lowering his gaze and remaining silent.
Su Ruhui stretched his head under Sang Chiyu’s eyes, “Why don’t you admit you like me?”
“Why should I admit it?” Sang Chiyu’s expression was indifferent.
“If you don’t tell me why, I’ll pester you every day and annoy you to death,” Su Ruhui sat up, “Didn’t you hear? I’ve cut ties with Han Ye, so you don’t have to be jealous of him anymore.”
Sang Chiyu slowly raised his eyes, his calm gaze meeting his.
“So what?” Sang Chiyu said, “Su Ruhui, your words are never to be trusted. Han Ye followed you for years, and you abandoned him without hesitation as if he were a worn-out shoe. Perhaps Han Ye’s today will be my tomorrow.”
Su Ruhui: “…”
He really hadn’t expected that he was so terrible in Sang Chiyu’s heart. It was understandable, he could only blame his own profligacy in his early years. Later, he wanted to turn over a new leaf and live a proper life, but then he killed two aristocratic disciples in the street and fled into Black Street. This matter was quite complex, no need to dwell on it. Sang Chiyu’s dislike for him was probably mostly due to those scandalous rumors.
He pulled out a document from his satchel and handed it to Sang Chiyu.
Sang Chiyu took the document, which had “Confession of Sins” written on it in flowing script. Below it were many detailed explanations for each item.
“I’ve been reflecting carefully these past few days on why you’re angry with me, and I think I’ve guessed some of it. Whether you believe it or not, I still want to say it.” Su Ruhui tried his best to calm himself and said, “Sang Chiyu, listen carefully. When I joined the Pioneer Guard at seventeen, it wasn’t because I was fighting with Young Master Bai over a courtesan. I had no relationship with that courtesan; she was my little brother’s woman, and I got into trouble with the Bai family for my little brother. The time we met in the tower, when you hit me, did you see a singing girl sitting on my lap? She was an assassin, sent by the Bai family to kill me. I didn’t kiss her, nor did I drink the wine from her mouth. And my senior sister, she likes your master, and they’ve already slept together.”
Sang Chiyu’s hand holding the confession paused, clearly surprised. He had been taught abstinence by Tantai Jing since childhood, and he hadn’t expected Tantai Jing to break his century-long vow.
Su Ruhui said with a hint of grievance, “So do you understand? I’m more innocent than an unmarried maiden!”
Having said it all in one breath, Su Ruhui’s throat was dry, and he got up to drink some tea. He looked up at Sang Chiyu, nervously waiting for his reply, but saw no change in his expression. Sang Chiyu nodded and said, “I understand.”
Su Ruhui was stunned, “That’s it?”
Sang Chiyu frowned at him, as if wondering what other answer he wanted.
“No,” Su Ruhui was frustrated, “Do you believe it or not? Don’t you have anything else to say?”
“Yes,” Sang Chiyu said.
“Quickly,” Su Ruhui said happily, “I’m listening.”
Sang Chiyu took out a clean nightgown from the cabinet and handed it to him, “Go bathe.”
“Is that all you have to say?” Su Ruhui asked in surprise.
Sang Chiyu remained silent.
Su Ruhui was utterly defeated by this guy. He felt both stifled and annoyed. He didn’t want to deal with Sang Chiyu’s cold face anymore, so he lay back and grumbled, “No, I’m not in the mood.”
“Go bathe,” Sang Chiyu frowned, “You smell.”
“…” Su Ruhui lowered his head and sniffed his arm, his face full of incomprehension, “Smell what? I didn’t sweat today. Why didn’t you say I smelled when you picked up my socks earlier?”
Sang Chiyu pursed his lips, not speaking.
As a cat demon, his sense of smell was too keen. He could smell a lot of Han Ye’s scent on Su Ruhui, and he was very bothered by it.
Su Ruhui lay stubbornly on the bed, refusing to get up. Sang Chiyu was so annoying, saying he smelled. He had never been so disliked in his life, and his heart felt clouded with gloom. No wonder Sang Chiyu had no friends, he deserved it. And saying he smelled, he thought this scoundrel would never get a wife in his life. He whined, “I twisted my ankle fighting just now, can’t walk. I don’t care, I won’t wash, I’ll stink you to death, and I’ll be a widow.”
Sang Chiyu walked over, picked him up horizontally, and headed towards the door.
“What are you doing!?” His body suddenly lifted into the air, and Su Ruhui instinctively wrapped his arms around Sang Chiyu’s neck.
“Bathing,” Sang Chiyu said stiffly.