Chapter 102
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Originally, Lin Qingyang was waiting for Chu Lishu to return to the Peach Blossom Banquet. First, he waited for Xu Wenze to return, and then he waited for Qi Yan to come back.
Xu Wenze curiously asked Chu Lishu.
Before Lin Qingyang could answer, Qi Yan angrily recounted what had just happened.
Lin Qingyang was stunned, staring in disbelief at Qi Yan, “What did you tell him?”
Qi Yan patted Lin Qingyang on the shoulder and said, “Bro, this is helping you vent. Let him know that you’re also in demand, so he doesn’t dare to be pretentious!”
Xu Wenze cleared his throat, pretending not to have heard.
However, Lin Qingyang took a sharp breath. If Chu Lishu had encountered them after hearing Qi Yan’s words, what would he think? Would there be any misunderstandings?
Just a moment ago, Lin Qingyang felt that it was reasonable not to admit having feelings for someone in front of Young Master Hu. After all, Chu Lishu knew about his secret crush, and there was no need to broadcast it to the world. It wouldn’t benefit Chu Lishu’s reputation, and for the male lead, confirming his loyalty was enough. If he went around telling people that he liked him, it might even be nauseating.
But now, due to Qi Yan’s conditions, the situation became extremely delicate.
If Chu Lishu initially thought that Lin Qingyang might be meeting with Young Master Hu, then heard him say he had no one he liked, followed by such a conversation, and then Lin Qingyang drove him away, so the person he sent still hadn’t returned… This, this, this…
Lin Qingyang suddenly realized what was wrong. Perhaps in Chu Lishu’s eyes, he never actually rejected Young Master Hu. It seemed like he was even planning to do some shady things. Moreover, there was a suspicion that he had shattered the image of secretly admiring someone.
No wonder the male lead seemed visibly angered. He was so stubborn; how could he allow such a situation? If he didn’t explode on the spot, it was probably because he was considering the presence of others; he couldn’t tarnish his image.
Danger, danger, danger!
The word “danger” flashed across Lin Qingyang’s mind, and without hesitation, he sprinted out.
If he didn’t explain things quickly, what kind of consequences would there be? Lin Qingyang dared not think about it.
Lin Qingyang almost sprinted for his life, his legs seemingly unstoppable. He reached the courtyard, took a sharp turn, and was about to collide with the door.
Unexpectedly, Chu Lishu happened to be opening the door at that moment…
Chu Lishu hadn’t anticipated this. He had run out of patience waiting for Lu Yi and Lu Shi for so long. Didn’t that prove that Lin Qingyang hadn’t immediately rejected Young Master Hu and might be up to something unfaithful?
This couldn’t be allowed. Lin Qingyang liked him, and if he said he wanted to be with him, he belonged to him. His things were off-limits to others, he had been too generous before, making others think he was easily fooled. Now he understood; what was his had to stay his, and there was absolutely no room for others to touch…
As soon as the door opened, his belonging came into view and lunged straight at him.
With Chu Lishu’s reflexes, there was no way he couldn’t dodge. However, in that split second, he was stunned, as if in a hallucination. It wasn’t until he felt a strong pressure that he realized it was real.
Looking at the person so close, feeling Lin Qingyang’s rapid breath spraying on his lips, ticklish, his eyes were cold as ice before opening the door, but now they only radiated a shimmering light.
Chu Lishu moved his lips slightly and let out a breath, saying, “Cousin?”
【Crisis Warning!! Host’s life is currently in danger.】
Lin Qingyang, who had just been taken down, hadn’t even had time to react before hearing the system’s life-threatening warning.
Is the male lead going to kill him?! Is he really unforgivable? Is the male lead being too petty?
No… The male lead has always been vindictive.
But now, is the male lead learning to conceal his killing intent without showing it? He clearly hasn’t even kissed him!
“Sorry… I didn’t mean to, and I don’t want it to be like this all the time. Can you push me a bit? My arm is numb, and I can’t use any force to lift myself up.”
Lin Qingyang was drenched in sweat, his body stiff. At the critical moment just now, Lin Qingyang used her iron-arm strength to resist the imminent ‘accidental kiss with the male lead’ curse, propping himself on both sides of Chu Lishu’s face.
Heavens! Is this novel’s plot going crazy? They’re applying a plotline that usually happens to female characters onto him. Is there a shortage of supporting female characters for you to use? Are you lonely? Can’t you see that the male lead is about to kill me?
“Quick, I can’t hold on any longer.” Lin Qingyang’s iron arm was already trembling, and his neck was about to give in. There was only a centimeter left, he was about to accidentally kiss him!
Chu Lishu seemed to just snap out of it and immediately pushed Lin Qingyang away.
The warning disappeared the moment he pushed him.
Lin Qingyang thought Chu Lishu had calmed down, unaware that the killing intent just now actually came from another direction.
Lu Yi finally restrained Lu Shi, pointing towards the unharmed master.
Lin Qingyang, conceding, sat on the ground, rubbing his arm. Watching Chu Lishu stand up, he hurriedly said, “Cousin, I was wrong, I really was. Please don’t be angry with me.”
“Cousin, what is Cousin talking about? I don’t understand,” Chu Lishu said, turning his back to tidy his clothes. However, the sound of his heartbeat continued to echo in his ears. Was his heart just injured by the collision?
“It’s about Young Master Hu and the incident just now…,” Lin Qingyang hesitated, unable to gauge Chu Lishu’s attitude, so he could only probe cautiously.
“It was my carelessness in not paying attention when opening the door,” Chu Lishu said indifferently.
Not a word about Young Master Hu… It must be about Young Master Hu!
“Cousin, I’m not very familiar with Young Master Hu. He suddenly confessed to me, startling me. I never expected someone to like me. Haha, but I rejected him from the beginning. Perhaps because he’s leaving the capital soon and being rejected made him feel upset, so he acted impulsively. Then you guys appeared, and it was an awkward situation. Young Master Hu is actually quite pitiful, especially with Young Lady Cao around. That’s why I let you go first. It wasn’t my intention to rush you out; please don’t misunderstand,” Lin Qingyang didn’t dare to apologize directly, so he had to take a roundabout way. He explained the cause and effect before adding, “By the way, Qi Yan just apologized to me. He said he took advantage of my absence to fabricate a story to deceive you. This guy is really itching for trouble. I’ll give him a good beating when we get back.”
In fact, the anger that Chu Lishu had moments ago was already dispersed by Lin Qingyang’s collision. With Lin Qingyang appearing promptly and explaining anxiously, Chu Lishu had lost much of his anger. However, suddenly, a trace of suspicion arose in his mind.
“Isn’t Young Master Hu good? It’s evident he sincerely likes you,” Chu Lishu probed.
“I appreciate his affection, but I don’t like him. How could I act recklessly!” Lin Qingyang replied firmly.
But, weren’t you just about to give in to despair and act recklessly moments ago?
Chu Lishu lowered his head, earnestly scrutinizing Lin Qingyang’s expression. He could clearly see the anxiety in his eyes and the sweat on his forehead. After observing for a while, everything became clear to him.
His previous cold treatment had indeed unsettled Lin Qingyang, and coupled with Cao Wanying’s misunderstanding later on, Lin Qingyang was genuinely heartbroken.
Lin Qingyang felt pain, and in the heat of the moment, he wanted to give up. Just now, he was forcing himself to endure and resist his instinctive feelings for Chu Lishu, which is why he let him escort Cao Wanying away.
That’s probably why he didn’t explain on the spot and took some time before coming back to clarify.
Because he was also struggling internally, he was making a choice. Yet, he would rather be heartbroken than let on that anything happened, quickly moving close to him, afraid of triggering any anger.
This level of humility… Just how much does Lin Qingyang really like him?
Chu Lishu suddenly felt he was too cruel to Lin Qingyang.
But thinking that Lin Qingyang had contemplated giving up on him, he felt a bit angry again. He was truly unsure about what to do with Lin Qingyang.
In a distracted moment, seeing Lin Qingyang rubbing his arm and recalling that he, too, had been willing to get hurt just to avoid being inappropriate…
“Come here,” Chu Lishu suddenly spoke.
Lin Qingyang paused, looking up, and saw Chu Lishu turning to fetch some medicinal wine. A smile appeared on his face. Was this a sign that he believed him?
Lin Qingyang quickly followed over, and Chu Lishu had him sit on the edge of the bed, extending his hand.
Watching Chu Lishu pour the medicinal wine and naturally start massaging, Lin Qingyang’s heart finally eased.
Chu Lishu’s unpredictability was something Lin Qingyang had experienced before— one moment wanting to kill him, the next being kind, easily angered but also easily appeased. It truly felt like being with a tiger.
Suddenly, Chu Lishu spoke, “I… Just now, leaving with Young Lady Cao was because Mr. Cao had something to give me. Escorting her back was also a matter of courtesy, and that’s how we happened to meet.”
“Oh, I see.”
So, he was just unlucky. Why didn’t he choose a different path of explanation earlier and go through all this trouble? What kind of luck did he have, anyway?
Enduring the pain in his arm, Lin Qingyang’s cheek twitched. Suddenly, he remembered the earlier promise to give Young Master Hu a farewell gift and, after some consideration, decided to report it proactively. “Um… About giving Young Master Hu a farewell gift, what do you think?”
Chu Lishu didn’t want to appear too concerned and said directly, “I’ll pick something, and Shuncai can deliver it.” Then, he abruptly continued, “Cousin, in the future, when you enter the palace as a study companion, be careful not to give others a chance to seize anything compromising. Initiating intimate actions may not always be genuine. If it’s manipulated by someone, it could be troublesome. So… it’s better to maintain your purity.”
Lin Qingyang was momentarily stunned, feeling a bit sad. Did he, in the eyes of the male lead, project an image of being so uncontrollable and prone to half-body entanglements?
But thinking back to the unexpected incidents before, it seemed a bit less convincing.
Lin Qingyang cleared his throat. “Uh, got it.”
Chu Lishu glanced at Lin Qingyang and didn’t bring up the topic again.
With the injuries taken care of, Lin Qingyang spoke up, “By the way, you mentioned earlier that you’d be returning to the Marquis’s residence starting tomorrow. Should we continue meeting at the teahouse?”
Chu Lishu paused in packing, feeling somewhat helpless. He pretended not to care before, and now he was trying to make amends in different ways. Wasn’t this a bit too much?
Chu Lishu felt that sometimes, children needed a little discipline. After all, he was the one who wanted to give up.
“You don’t need to continue your studies, Cousin? Is there nothing else on your plate?” Chu Lishu asked, seemingly puzzled.
“Well… It’s just boring to sit around. After all, I’ve just finished the exams. I want to relax and have some fun together,” Lin Qingyang smiled.
“In that case, you can play with Qi Yan. I’m quite busy these days.”
“Huh? Busy? Are you leaving the capital? How many days will you be busy?” Lin Qingyang immediately became anxious.
Now that he was not just a supporting character but a toolman, he couldn’t be with the male lead all the time. The male lead probably had some things to take care of before entering the palace. If he couldn’t see him during these days, what would happen to the points he had worked so hard to accumulate?
“At most… three days.”
Don’t spoil him; add a bit of punishment. So, let’s make it three days without seeing him.
Chu Lishu silently measured the time in his mind. Seeing Lin Qingyang’s expression change, he felt a bit regretful. He was hesitating whether to retract his words and make it two days instead.
However, he witnessed Lin Qingyang gritting his teeth, nodding with great difficulty. “Three days is three days then.”
Three days should still be bearable.
Seeing that Lin Qingyang agreed, Chu Lishu decided not to push it further.
Shortly after, Xu Wenze returned. It was already late, so Lin Qingyang left.
Upon returning, he found Qi Yan, who had already been brought back drunk, and couldn’t help but punch him a couple of times in frustration.
That night, Chu Lishu met with Lu Yi and Lu Shi. After hearing the report about Lin Qingyang and Young Master Hu’s situation, the matter was considered settled.
Under Lu Yi’s advice, Lu Shi resisted the urge to make sarcastic comments and began reporting on recent tasks.
“Wang Rong should be anxious by now. He frequently has the eunuch responsible for intelligence gathering send messages. Judging by the trend, once the matter of the study companions is decided, he’ll have a couple of free days and will definitely leave the palace.”
“If he leaves the palace, he will undoubtedly go to the Golden Phoenix Pavilion.”
Chu Lishu nodded after hearing the report. “We’ll wait for him to come knocking.”
The next day, an imperial edict was issued, and the study companions were determined.
Chu Lishu and Lin Qingyang were both on the list, and assigned as study companions for the Fourth Prince. On the same day, the eunuch who came with them specifically brought gifts for the two.
Marquis An Nan personally came to pick them up. Having two study companions from the same family was a great honor. Naturally, there was a celebration planned at home. Not only were family members invited, but even Lin Qinglan was summoned back. People who had good relations with Marquis An Nan also got the chance to attend, turning it into a grand banquet.
It was the first time Lin Qingyang had received such a warm welcome at home. Regardless of how forced the smiles of those people were, at least they were congratulating him with smiles.
Especially the stiff expressions on Lin Qingxu and Lishi’s faces—Lin Qingyang was happy as long as he could see them smile once.
It was probably because Marquis An Nan had informed them in advance, so those people couldn’t even put on a face even if they wanted to.
The lively banquet was successfully completed, but one person was conspicuously absent—Lin Qingwei.
Lin Qingwei’s maid specifically came to inform Lin Qingyang that she was unwell and couldn’t attend to congratulate her elder brother.
Lin Qingyang simply nodded in acknowledgment, pretending to understand. Seeing the maid’s anxious expression, Lin Qingyang just ignored it. How ridiculous to fake an illness for sympathy! Let her take the initiative to come and find him; he hadn’t changed that self-righteous habit.
So, when Lin Qingwei waited left and right and couldn’t wait any longer, she only heard that Lin Qingyang had not stayed overnight but had directly returned to another courtyard with Lin Qinglan after the banquet. This news immediately infuriated her, and she fainted on the spot. However, in this household, where no one truly cared about her, everyone who did was already gone.
After that, Lin Qingyang began enduring the slow passage of the three-day period.
On the second day, Qi Yan came knocking on his door, insisting on taking Lin Qingyang out for some fun. Lin Qingyang thought that it could be considered as his own holiday, spending some points to take a break. Not a bad idea.
“Where are we going?” Lin Qingyang knew that Qi Yan was quite good at having fun, so he was curious. “I won’t go to the Secluded Courtyard Pavilion, though.”
“Don’t worry, this time we’re going to the Golden Phoenix Pavilion!”
Lin Qingyang was about to board the carriage when he heard this and immediately paused. Wasn’t the Golden Phoenix Pavilion the top brothel in the capital, even more formidable than Chunxiang Building?
Thinking Lin Qingyang misunderstood, Qi Yan said, “Don’t worry; I’m not taking you to sleep with the girls. I know you can’t handle that.”
Lin Qingyang: …Who the hell can’t handle it!
“There’s a talented dancer from the Western Regions who recently arrived. She’s extremely skilled, and her performances are said to have a full house every time. It’s not just young masters who are curious; even some young ladies can’t resist dressing as men to see it. Don’t you want to take a look?”
A dance performance? That did pique Lin Qingyang’s curiosity. Since he had nothing else to do recently, and the male lead was busy, why not go?
So, Lin Qingyang cheerfully embarked on the journey to the Golden Phoenix Pavilion.
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Thank you. I really like your translation.
“ what was his had to stay his, and there was absolutely no room for others to touch…”
Everyone, say a prayer for lqy’s future, amen 🙏