Chapter 81: Extra 9
Several years earlier, on that night, when Qi Jingchuan woke up early the next morning in the Jiao Fang Department Qin Zheng was already nowhere to be found.
Looking at the complete mess before him, Qi Jingchuan quickly recalled everything that had happened the night before…
In his memories, Qi Jingchuan had been rather unrestrained with Qin Zheng, yet Qin Zheng had shown not the slightest hint of disgust or resistance.
If he were to describe Qin Zheng’s response to him, Qi Jingchuan even felt that the words “enthusiastic and proactive” would not be an exaggeration.
Yet now that the impulsiveness had faded, Qi Jingchuan found himself unable to determine whether Qin Zheng’s actions the night before had merely been a momentary whim, or whether they had truly been as he himself had hoped.
Qi Jingchuan felt uneasy. Everything that had happened the previous night had gone beyond his original plan.
He was deeply afraid that it might have frightened the young man and caused the opportunity that should have been his to slip away completely.
That day, after leaving the Jiao Fang Department, he went straight to the guesthouse. The guards there said they had not seen Qin Zheng come by. Without giving it much thought, he went on to the suburban military camp, yet still did not see any sign of Qin Zheng.
The young man who had once been inseparable from him seemed to have vanished all of a sudden.
Qi Jingchuan searched the capital almost day and night, nearly turning the entire city upside down. He went through every place Qin Zheng had ever taken him to, yet still failed to find even a trace of him. Only then did Qi Jingchuan realize that if Qin Zheng truly meant to avoid him, then no matter how long he searched—even for a year or more—he would likely never see him again.
Seeing that the diplomatic delegation was about to depart for the Liang Kingdom, Qi Jingchuan had no choice but to make another personal trip to the suburban military camp and leave a letter for Qin Zheng.
He entrusted the letter to Qin Zheng’s father to pass along personally. Because he could not be sure whether Qin Zheng’s father might open and read it, Qi Jingchuan deliberately made no mention of what had happened that night at the Jiao Fang Department. Instead, he told Qin Zheng that at the first relay station on the road from the capital to Liang Kingdom,, he had prepared a gift for him, as a gesture of “returning courtesy for courtesy,” to thank him for his companionship during those days in the capital.
If Qin Zheng’s father happened to read the letter, he would likely not think much of it, probably taking it as nothing more than a bit of youthful play between young men.
But if Qin Zheng himself saw the words “returning courtesy for courtesy,” he should remember the topic they had discussed that day in the teahouse…
“…You gave me a peach of wood; I repaid you with fine jade. It was not repayment, but a vow of lasting goodwill!”
“In our Great Yu, what people call returning courtesy for courtesy—giving someone a jade pendant also carries the meaning of expressing affection… Didn’t I give you two pieces? In the future, if you have a girl you like, you can pass one along to her and borrow flowers to offer Buddha.”
Qi Jingchuan had always remembered what Qin Zheng had said to him that night, so he left behind one of the two jade pendants Qin Zheng had given him at that relay station. As long as Qin Zheng went there, someone would give him that pendant. By then, Qin Zheng would likely understand Qi Jingchuan’s meaning.
Reluctant to leave, Qi Jingchuan even lingered at the relay station for another two days after arriving, yet he still never saw Qin Zheng.
He did not know whether Qin Zheng was avoiding him out of annoyance at his “forwardness,” or because he regretted not having rejected him that night…
In the end, having failed to see him, Qi Jingchuan left another letter for Qin Zheng at the relay station, and only then set off to catch up with the returning delegation.
From that point on, Qi Jingchuan never again received any news of Qin Zheng.
That was, until several years later, when Qi Jingchuan once more arrived in Great Yu with a diplomatic delegation.
At the relay station closest to the capital, Qi Jingchuan saw the jade pendant and the letter he had left there years earlier.
Over those years, he had countless times hoped that after Qin Zheng’s anger faded, he might think of him and, unable to resist, go to that relay station to take a look. He wondered what kind of mood Qin Zheng would be in if he took the jade pendant, and whether he would see the letter left behind for him.
It was not until that day that Qi Jingchuan realized he had been overthinking everything.
Neither the jade pendant nor the letter had been touched, which meant that Qin Zheng had never gone to the relay station to look for him at all.
This left Qi Jingchuan deeply dejected. It was also then that he suddenly realized that perhaps Qin Zheng did not want to see him again at all. If Qin Zheng learned that he had come to the capital, he might even find some excuse to leave and avoid him. If that happened, Qi Jingchuan might not even get a chance to see his face.
And so, before entering the capital, he disguised himself.
Just like that, without warning, Qi Jingchuan became “Qi Jingheng.”
In the entire capital, only Li Zhan knew his true identity. Fortunately, Li Zhan had a tacit understanding with him and did not expose him.
During those days in the capital, Qin Zheng was responsible for receiving “Qi Jingheng,” diligently taking “her” around every day to stroll, eat, and shop.
Every place Qin Zheng took “Qi Jingheng” to was somewhere he had once taken Qi Jingchuan years earlier. Whether it was restaurants, teahouses, jade shops, or silk stores, each place had once held memories of him and Qi Jingchuan from years past.
Yet the feeling was completely different.
Unlike the warmth and sincerity he had shown toward Qi Jingchuan years earlier, Qin Zheng was always distant and courteous when facing “Qi Jingheng.” He rarely spoke more than necessary to “her.” In those initial days, he was actually quite resistant toward this Liang Kingdom princess, simply because her brows and eyes always carried a trace of Qi Jingchuan’s shadow, which made Qin Zheng feel extremely uncomfortable.
Qi Jingchuan sensed it as well. The once radiant young man, though he still occasionally joked glibly, was no longer as carefree and happy as before. He seemed to carry many unspoken worries with him each day.
Qi Jingchuan did not dare indulge in wishful thinking, nor did he believe that those worries had anything to do with him—until one day, when Qin Zheng, momentarily distracted, asked him that question…
Qin Zheng asked, “Why didn’t your brother come?”
Qi Jingchuan froze for a long time, trying hard to understand the meaning behind Qin Zheng’s words.
Then he could not help but indulge in a moment of wishful thinking, wondering whether Qin Zheng did, in fact, still hope to see him again, even just a little. Afterward, he could not help but think that Qin Zheng’s recent sense of loss and melancholy might have something to do with not having seen “him”…
Qi Jingchuan very much wanted to verify his speculation, yet he did not dare to take that step lightly.
Although he could not reveal his true identity now, at the very least Qin Zheng was able to see him every day. If he spoke first, the other would respond out of courtesy. But if Qin Zheng learned his true identity—what if he ran away again?
Qi Jingchuan hesitated for a long time, until the day of the inter-camp martial competition.
That night, at the banquet, “Qi Jingheng” took the initiative to show friendliness toward Qin Zheng’s father, which angered Xiao Tengyun, the commander of the West Peak Camp, who had suffered a crushing defeat in the competition. Fueled by alcohol, Xiao Tengyun spoke rudely to “Qi Jingheng,” even mocking Qin Zheng by bringing up how closely “she” associated with him. Unable to bear it, Qin Zheng responded with a few sarcastic remarks.
Thus, according to the original plan, the Western Camp should have been thoroughly displeased with “Qi Jingheng,” and in the end, someone would take advantage of the chaos and make a move to injure “Qi Jingheng.”
However, Qin Zheng could not stand by and watch those people bully “Qi Jingheng,” a lone woman. Moreover, in his heart, “Qi Jingheng” was, after all, Qi Jingchuan’s “younger sister.” He and Qi Jingchuan could be considered old acquaintances, so there was no way he could simply ignore Xiao Tengyun and the others while they spoke so rudely.
Thus, in the end, the anger of those from the Western Camp was successfully redirected onto Qin Zheng.
After the banquet dispersed, the planted accomplice who had originally been arranged to “stir up trouble in muddy waters” and assassinate “Qi Jingheng” had not yet had the chance to act when someone from the Western Camp, emboldened by drink, made a move against Qin Zheng.
That man pulled an arrow from a guard’s quiver and, seizing the moment, thrust it straight toward Qin Zheng.
Qi Jingchuan had remained highly alert the entire time, so he quickly noticed the man’s movement. He could have intervened to stop him, but after hesitating for just an instant, he used his own body to block the arrow instead.
In this way, on the one hand, there was no longer any need for the previously arranged “plan” to take action, and things proceeded even more smoothly than originally planned.
On the other hand, Qi Jingchuan harbored a bit of selfish intent. He wanted to gamble once—to gamble that if Qin Zheng learned his true identity through this incident, Qin Zheng’s pain and concern for him would outweigh his anger at having been deceived by the disguise.
Qi Jingchuan won that gamble.
Because when he woke after being injured, the first thing he saw upon opening his eyes was Qin Zheng keeping watch beside him.
Qin Zheng’s face was cold, looking as though he had no intention of engaging with anyone. Yet when Qi Jingchuan tried to sit up and accidentally tugged at his wound, grimacing in pain, Qin Zheng instinctively stepped forward and pressed him back down. In his brows and eyes was concern and heartache that he had not managed to conceal in time.
Half of Qi Jingchuan’s heart finally settled. He knew that Qin Zheng did not feel nothing for him.
Although he did not know why Qin Zheng had not gone to the post station back then, he believed that as long as he tried, he would surely be able to make Qin Zheng open his heart to him.
“I have many things I want to say to you,” Qi Jingchuan said.
“You lost a lot of blood. Doctor Tang said you should focus on recovering properly,” Qin Zheng replied, his attitude once again turning cold. He did not look at him and only said flatly, “Thank you for saving me last night. Until your wound heals, I will take care of you, and consider it repayment for that favor.”
Before Qi Jingchuan could speak, Qin Zheng continued, “Your Highness is of noble status. I acknowledge your life-saving grace, but harbors no other intentions. I hope Your Highness understands this and will not say anything that would put me in a difficult position.”
Qi Jingchuan understood immediately that Qin Zheng was angry with him, and he did not dare say anything further.
After all, he had deceived Qin Zheng for so long. With Qin Zheng’s temperament, it would be strange if he were not angry.
Fortunately, he was now injured. By trying a bit of the “suffering-for-sympathy” approach and thinking of other methods, there was no way he would have no chance at all.
That night, when Tang Shu changed his dressing, he could not help but say, “Your Highness truly has a strong constitution. This wound is healing faster than it would for an ordinary person. At this rate, in no more than three days, Your Highness will be able to get out of bed and walk.”
Upon hearing this, Qi Jingchuan grew anxious and hurriedly said, “Doctor Tang, could you help me with something? Could you let me recover a few days later?”
Tang Shu looked at him as though he were staring at a fool, but soon afterward, he understood what Qi Jingchuan meant.
Later, thanks to Tang Shu’s help, Qi Jingchuan’s wound did indeed heal more slowly.
But no matter how slow it was, it could not be dragged out indefinitely.
After everyone returned to the capital, according to the agreement between Qi Jingchuan and Li Zhan, he needed to appear at court under his true identity to speak on behalf of his injured “younger sister.”
On the day before court, Qin Zheng said to him, “After today, I will no longer trouble Your Highness. Your wound looks nearly healed as well. If Your Highness needs anything in the future, simply send word. As long as it is within my ability, I will certainly do everything I can.”
Hearing this, Qi Jingchuan felt a deep sense of melancholy, and so…
After court adjourned that day, Qi Jingchuan’s wound—which had already mostly healed—split open again.
In the carriage as Qin Zheng escorted him back to the post station, Qi Jingchuan half-truly and half-falsely fainted from the pain.
As Qi Jingchuan’s wound kept reopening again and again, Qin Zheng remained by his side, staying one day after another.
By the time the Mid-Autumn Festival arrived, Qi Jingchuan felt the timing was about right. It was time to have a proper talk with Qin Zheng.
So that evening, Qi Jingchuan personally went into the kitchen and prepared a full table of dishes.
Qin Zheng was astonished to discover that every single dish on the table was something he had once eaten together with Qi Jingchuan—and all of them were his favorites.
“How did you…?” Qin Zheng was completely stunned this time.
Qi Jingchuan poured him some wine and said, “When I was in Liang Kingdom, I missed you terribly, so I found a chef from Great Yu and asked him to teach me how to make these dishes. At first, they didn’t taste quite right, but later, every time I missed you, I would make them and try them myself. Over time, the flavor just kept getting better.”
Qin Zheng froze on the spot upon hearing this, never expecting Qi Jingchuan to be so direct the moment he spoke.
Missing you once and then making the dishes to taste them… that was far too straightforward.
“After leaving the capital last time, while I was waiting for you at the post station, I once thought…If you were willing to come see me, then with just one word from you, I would have stayed in the capital and not left at all.” Qi Jingchuan smiled bitterly. “Later, when you didn’t come, I thought…If you were willing to write me a letter—even just to say that you missed me—I would immediately have ridden day and night back to the capital to see you.”
As he spoke, Qi Jingchuan poured himself a cup of wine and drank it, then said, “After that, I thought you probably truly didn’t want to see me. Otherwise, how could there have been no news at all? But I… even knowing this, I still couldn’t stop missing you. I thought that as long as I came to the capital, even if you ignored me, even if I could only see you once, that would be enough.”
Qin Zheng listened in complete confusion, simply because he had never seen the letter Qi Jingchuan had left behind.
“I truly should not have deceived you, should not have disguised myself as my sister, and should not have made you angry, but I was truly too afraid. I was afraid you wouldn’t even give me a chance to see you, and that you would hide from me again, just like before.” Qi Jingchuan said again; “That year, I was too young and didn’t know how to properly handle what was between you and me, which is why everything turned into such a mess. Now I want to make things right. Are you willing to give me another chance?”
Qi Jingchuan finally poured everything out in one breath, then looked at Qin Zheng with an anxious expression.
Qin Zheng stared at him for a long moment before asking, “You said… you were waiting for me at the post station. What did you mean by that?”
This time, it was Qi Jingchuan who froze.
He was bewildered for quite a while before suddenly realizing something and asking, “Your father… didn’t give you the letter I left?”
Qi Jingchuan had never expected this possibility. Based on his understanding of Father Qin, he did not seem like the kind of person who would withhold a letter. Moreover, there was nothing improper written in that letter. Even if Father Qin had opened it and read it, there was no reason not to give it to Qin Zheng at all.
“He… gave it to me,” Qin Zheng said. “I… I didn’t have time to read it. The letter… was accidentally burned.”
Qi Jingchuan froze when he heard this, then delight suddenly rose on his face. He hurriedly asked, “So it wasn’t that you didn’t go to the post station to find me, nor that you were unwilling to see me. You just… didn’t know I had left something there for you?”
“You left something for me at the post station?” Qin Zheng asked.
Qi Jingchuan’s emotions surged. He stood up and went to retrieve that jade pendant.
“Isn’t this the one I bought for you back then?” Qin Zheng asked.
“Yes,” Qi Jingchuan said. He took out the other jade pendant he always carried with him and showed it to Qin Zheng, then pointed at this one and said, “That day, you said that if I ever met someone I truly cared for in the future, I could give this jade pendant to him. So I left it at the post station, waiting for you to come and take it.”
Qin Zheng’s heart suddenly skipped a beat. He clearly heard the deeper meaning in Qi Jingchuan’s words.
Qi Jingchuan was confessing to him…
Qin Zheng subconsciously took the jade pendant and glanced at it, his emotions swirling chaotically.
Seeing this, Qi Jingchuan reached out and firmly enclosed Qin Zheng’s hand, saying, “Since you’ve taken it, you’re not allowed to go back on it.”
“What do you mean, taken it? I was just looking at it!” Qin Zheng explained as he tried to put the jade pendant back on the table.
Qi Jingchuan refused to give him the chance. His large hand pressed down heavily over Qin Zheng’s hand holding the jade pendant, giving him no opportunity to set it down.
Qin Zheng’s competitive streak flared up, and he tried to oppose him. Unfortunately, he forgot that he had never once beaten Qi Jingchuan in a fight. After struggling for a while, Qi Jingchuan remained calm and unmoved, while Qin Zheng was already panting, his face flushed red from the exertion.
Qi Jingchuan stared at him, momentarily lost in thought. When Qin Zheng met Qi Jingchuan’s gaze, his heart could not help but leap violently.
Before he could regain his senses, Qi Jingchuan suddenly leaned in and kissed him.
Qin Zheng instinctively tried to push him away, but in the brief moment when their lips parted, Qi Jingchuan said, “You’re already grown, so why are you even shyer than when you were young?”
“Who’s shy? I’m famous in the capital for being a romantic talent. All these years, I—”
Before Qin Zheng could finish, Qi Jingchuan kissed him again.
Qi Jingchuan knew him too well. He knew that Qin Zheng’s so-called reputation for being romantic was probably just like his old title of being “undefeated in all battles”—entirely spread by word of mouth, with absolutely no real substance behind it.
Sure enough, that very night, Qi Jingchuan personally confirmed this fact.
At first, Qin Zheng was kissed into a state of dazed passion. But midway, when his rationality abruptly returned, he suddenly recalled that “painful” experience from years ago at the Jiao Fang Department, and immediately tried to refuse Qi Jingchuan’s further advances.
Qi Jingchuan deliberately teased him and said that if Qin Zheng was willing, he could try taking the dominant role himself.
Qin Zheng believed him, full of confidence, but when it came time for actual “practice,” he floundered like a headless fly.
Qi Jingchuan had thought about him for so many years—how could he possibly have the “patience” to truly wait for him to figure things out?
And so, unsurprisingly, that night he once again repeated the same mistake as before…
The next day, Qin Zheng inevitably threw another fit at Qi Jingchuan. After all, after so many years, the experience felt no different from a first time. Even though Qi Jingchuan was careful to the utmost, Qin Zheng still suffered a fair bit.
Qin Zheng cursed nonstop, while Qi Jingchuan obediently listened from the side.
Once Qin Zheng had cursed enough, most of his anger dissipated as well…
After years of calm reflection and this recent period of closeness, Qin Zheng more or less understood his own feelings toward Qi Jingchuan. Though he was still upset about Qi Jingchuan’s deception, he had already vented all the anger he should have vented during these days, and it was impossible for him to cling to it forever.
As for that reckless night years ago, if one truly traced it to its roots, the two of them had both been willing participants, so it could not be blamed solely on Qi Jingchuan.
Afterward, Qi Jingchuan had tried every possible way to make amends, but it was Qin Zheng’s momentary pride that caused him to miss that opportunity…
And now, neither of them wanted history to repeat itself.
They were both adults now. At the very least, they needed the courage to face their own feelings honestly.
From that day onward, the misunderstanding between the two of them was completely resolved.
Qin Zheng accepted Qi Jingchuan’s jade pendant, yet he still felt somewhat dissatisfied.
After all, that jade pendant had originally been bought with his own money.
Qi Jingchuan, however, was straightforward and practical. He did not waste it at all, but returned it to him intact, treating it as a token of love.
The jade pendant had been chosen by Qin Zheng himself back then, and he had no complaints about it. It was just that the feeling was somehow lacking. Now that he understood his feelings for Qi Jingchuan, it was only natural that he would have certain expectations. As Qi Jingchuan’s lover, he hoped to receive a proper keepsake.
Even if Qi Jingchuan carved him a wooden hairpin, at least it would have been made by Qi Jingchuan himself.
That would still be better than gifting him a jade pendant he had bought himself…
Qin Zheng felt disappointed, yet he also felt it was awkward to bring this up directly to Qi Jingchuan. After all, if he said it himself, it would mean he was asking for a token of affection, rather than receiving one given voluntarily.
Qin Zheng thought to himself that Qi Jingchuan looked quite skilled at sweet talk, and was certainly inventive in other aspects as well. He truly did not seem like a block of wood—so how was it that in this particular matter, he could not be just a little more perceptive?
This issue troubled Qin Zheng for quite some time, until he gradually forgot about it.
That was, until much later, when Ji Qingzhou and Li Zhan’s child celebrated his one-month milestone. That day, Qin Zheng and Qi Jingchuan went to a countryside villa to see Prince Heng, and by the time they rushed back to the capital, dusk had already fallen. They stopped by the prince’s residence for the full-month banquet, and on their way back, snow began to fall over the capital.
The two of them walked side by side through the snow. Qi Jingchuan did not care that there were many people on the street and openly took Qin Zheng’s hand.
Qin Zheng felt a little embarrassed. He struggled briefly but failed to break free, and so he let Qi Jingchuan hold his hand.
The capital at night was brilliantly lit.
Because of the snowfall, there were not many pedestrians on the street, but people still passed by them from time to time.
Qi Jingchuan’s broad palm carried a steady warmth. As Qin Zheng was led along by him, a sense of contentment naturally rose in his heart.
“When are you returning to the Liang Kingdom?” Qin Zheng suddenly asked.
“When you’re willing to go with me,” Qi Jingchuan replied.
Qin Zheng looked at him and said, “What if I’m not willing to go with you?”
“Then I’ll stay in the capital indefinitely. My imperial father is in good health, and the court is full of capable ministers. Whether I return or not makes no real difference,” Qi Jingchuan said.
Qin Zheng smiled when he heard this and did not continue the topic.
A moment later, Qi Jingchuan stopped walking, and Qin Zheng followed suit.
Qi Jingchuan turned to face him, reached out to adjust the fur collar of his cloak, then bent down and kissed him lightly on the lips.
“People are watching,” Qin Zheng reminded him in a low voice.
“All the better if they are,” Qi Jingchuan said. “They can serve as witnesses.”
As he spoke, he slipped one hand around Qin Zheng’s neck. Qin Zheng felt a sudden coolness against his skin. When he looked down, he saw two wolf fangs strung together with a red cord now resting against his neck.
Qi Jingchuan tied the red cord into a firm knot, then looked at Qin Zheng with eyes blazing openly with heat and spoke solemnly, “You gave me fine jade, and I repay you with wolf fangs—not merely as repayment, but as a vow of everlasting devotion.”
Qin Zheng’s heart stirred. He suddenly felt his waist tighten as Qi Jingchuan wrapped an arm around him in the middle of the street and leaned in to kiss him again.
On the long avenue, night deepened and snowflakes danced through the air.
Yet neither the cold nor the darkness could conceal the fierce, blazing love that ignited as the two of them gave themselves to each other.
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