Chapter 105
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With Qi Yan’s statement, Lin Qingyang felt the grip on his hand tighten, and he sensed a cold gaze piercing through the mask, fixated on him.
Frustrated by Qi Yan’s words, Lin Qingyang’s mouth twitched. “You’re talking nonsense! This is a coincidence, just a coincidence! If you don’t speak, no one will mistake you for a mute!”
“Brother, why are you feeling guilty? He’s the one who should be feeling guilty!” Qi Yan glared at Lin Qingyang as if urging him to take control of the situation. “Strike first to gain the advantage. Seize the initiative, and only then can you take him down! He’s just a distant relative seeking refuge. Looking at the way things are unfolding, it will only get harder in the future. Act now if you want to succeed. I don’t understand why my good buddy is being so submissive.”
Lin Qingyang began to suspect that Qi Yan might be an enemy sent to mess with him. This situation clearly indicated an attempt to shorten his lifespan.
Fortunately, the madam intervened at this moment, interrupting the conversation. She came to apologize, acknowledging that Lin Qingyang had done a good deed. He was wrongfully accused of being a rapist, a situation that most young gentlemen couldn’t tolerate, especially one who was about to enter the palace as a study companion.
The madam approached with a careful smile, promising that everything tonight would be on the house, and in the future, Lin Qingyang would be treated as an honored guest with complimentary services.
This was quite a generous offer, and Qi Yan’s eyes lit up with interest. However, Lin Qingyang felt that he might not have another chance to visit and noticed that the person pulling him seemed increasingly impatient. Pointing at Qi Yan, Lin Qingyang said, “Alright, you entertain him well. If he’s satisfied tonight, I’ll consider this incident null and void. I won’t pursue the matter any further.”
Qi Yan pointed to himself, thinking, “Could there be such a good deal?!”
The madam first looked puzzled, then adopted an expression that suggested she understood everything, making Lin Qingyang reluctant to comprehend what was going on.
Pushing Qi Yan away, Lin Qingyang obediently followed Chu Lishu up to a private room on the third floor.
At this point, Lu Shi had already grumbled and left the room.
As soon as the door closed, Lin Qingyang’s heart started pounding. He hadn’t expected that after playing the hero saving the damsel, he would be discovered by the male lead. However, after careful consideration, he realized there might not be a significant issue. Just now, in order to avoid raising suspicions, he had even humiliatingly acknowledged his “cut sleeve” status in public. With everyone’s attention, including Chu Lishu’s, diverted by the commotion, perhaps there wouldn’t be any major repercussions.
But when Chu Lishu silently sat down and removed his mask, the imposing aura that surrounded him made Lin Qingyang involuntarily tense up. The heart he had just tried to put at ease now refused to settle.
Suddenly, Lin Qingyang felt that Qi Yan’s approach seemed quite good – to take the initiative!
“Cousin, thanks for what happened just now. But why are you here?”
Finally, Chu Lishu raised his head to look at Lin Qingyang. His black and white phoenix-like eyes appeared clear, yet completely inscrutable as to what he was thinking.
“Cousin doesn’t know?”
Lin Qingyang shook his head, genuinely unaware.
Chu Lishu narrowed his eyes slightly. “Then why is Cousin here?” If it were true, as Qi Yan said, that he came to catch someone in the act, how would Lin Qingyang know he was here? Did Lin Qingyang send someone to track him? That would be going too far!
Although he didn’t mind Lin Qingyang’s clingy behavior and could understand Lin Qingyang’s impatience to see him, unable to wait even for two days, wanting to meet him ahead of time, Chu Lishu wasn’t foolish. He was hiding his whereabouts to come here. If Lin Qingyang discovered this so easily, there must be an unnoticed problem. He didn’t want to suspect Lin Qingyang of anything, but his caution didn’t allow him to overlook any doubts.
Lin Qingyang’s heart tightened. He became vigilant instantly. Was the male lead suspecting him? After all, the situation was indeed too coincidental.
“I was originally at home today, but Qi Yan suddenly came to find me. He mentioned something about Western Region dancers here, which piqued my curiosity. He invited me to come along, so I came to see what it was about. I didn’t expect you to be here too. If I had known you were coming, we could have come together.”
“Is that all?” Chu Lishu said coldly.
Lin Qingyang was genuinely confident this time. Qi Yan was right; Chu Lishu should be the one feeling uneasy. His appearance here alone meant there was something he wanted to do, and he didn’t want others to know. If Lin Qingyang pointed this out, Chu Lishu would likely step back.
Lin Qingyang immediately put on an annoyed expression. “What else could it be? I wanted to ask you! Didn’t you say you were busy with something? Is this what you’re busy with? If I had known you were coming here, I would have definitely come with you. We’re both here for fun. Why should we separate? Do you have some secret here that I don’t know about? Is there a lady you have here that I’m unaware of?”
Lin Qingyang started off with a righteous tone, but as he spoke, he began to feel that something wasn’t quite right. Especially as Chu Lishu’s expression became subtle, the atmosphere around them changed.
Suddenly, Lin Qingyang realized that he was acting out a scenario of unrequited love. The questioning tone he had just used felt more like interrogating someone about their whereabouts.
The taste of Lin Qingyang’s words turned sour in his mouth, and he fell silent.
Chu Lishu, on the other hand, was stunned by the question, unexpectedly finding himself reversed in roles.
Lin Qingyang’s words made sense; Qi Yan might indeed bring him out to see something interesting, even if he wasn’t interested in women.
Moreover, if Lin Qingyang truly knew about his whereabouts, as he claimed, he would undoubtedly insist on joining the outing. Given his lack of sophistication and inability to conceal his thoughts, it would be impossible to keep such plans a secret. When compared, Chu Lishu’s behavior seemed difficult to explain.
It wasn’t about Lin Qingyang catching him red-handed; it was about being exposed.
“I… came here for a legitimate reason,” Chu Lishu replied. He remembered the recent incident where Lin Qingyang was heartbroken and almost gave up on him. If Lin Qingyang misunderstood his intentions and thought he was here for some frivolous activities, it could lead to unnecessary heartache. Feeling a sudden tightening in his chest, Chu Lishu instinctively added, “Look at this private room, not a single lady present. It’s evident I’m here for business, not pleasure.”
“Business?” Lin Qingyang could understand that even if it wasn’t the main plot, the male lead had to engage in practical matters.
Chu Lishu straightforwardly said, “I’m handling things on behalf of Cousin Liu. Since you previously agreed not to participate in the management, your eldest cousin directly assigned this task to me, and I didn’t bother bringing you along.”
Lin Qingyang’s eyes lit up instantly. Right, the side quest, the Chen Lan Merchant Agency! It made sense; the establishment of a business association would undoubtedly require consistent effort.
“Has the Merchant Agency been established?” Lin Qingyang inquired eagerly.
“It takes time to establish a Merchant Agency; don’t be impatient. We’re working on it right now,” Chu Lishu replied.
Lin Qingyang nodded in understanding, “You’ve worked hard. I can’t be of much help, hehe…”
Chu Lishu thought to himself, as long as you don’t overthink it. He looked at the increasingly swollen area on Lin Qingyang’s forehead, and couldn’t help but furrow his brows.
He reached out to pull Lin Qingyang to sit down and lightly touched his forehead. “How is it?”
“It’s not much, just got a little injury from the cup,” Lin Qingyang replied, touching the swollen area himself.
Chu Lishu opened Lin Qingyang’s hand, preventing him from poking it randomly, and took out a healing ointment he carried with him. He applied it to Lin Qingyang’s wound, saying, “See if you dare to meddle in other people’s business next time.”
“I’m afraid I really didn’t expect to encounter a girl with such a malfunctioning brain,” Lin Qingyang also felt frustrated, thinking how the traditional heroic rescue story turned into an accident in his case. Did it have to involve a protagonist halo to create a good tale?
“That’s because she’s not an ordinary dancer; naturally, she’s not easy to deal with,” Chu Lishu said calmly.
Lin Qingyang was puzzled and looked at Chu Lishu.
Seeing his curiosity, Chu Lishu explained, “There was a glimpse of a crescent-shaped tattoo on her back, indicating that her identity is not ordinary. Otherwise, even if an ordinary dancer were really mistreated, she wouldn’t dare to make such a fuss.”
Lin Qingyang recalled, “But how come I remember that those dancers seem to have tattoos too? Are they all extraordinary?”
“After all, they are dancers from the Western Moon Country. In their country, they worship the moon. Women like to have tattoos on their backs, and men like them on their arms. However, the crescent you rescued had a gold border, and most people don’t know that only nobles from the Western Moon Country have the privilege to use gold. She works as a dancer here, probably because her family fell on hard times, or she was expelled after losing some struggle. Her background should be high, so her character hasn’t been tempered yet, leading to such behavior.”
Chu Lishu explained, but seeing Lin Qingyang just staring blankly without any response, he asked, “What’s wrong?”
Lin Qingyang suddenly snapped out of it, “Uh… what if we go and find that dancer again?”
Chu Lishu frowned, “Why?”
Lin Qingyang struggled for a while before coming up with a reason, “Since you said she’s a girl with a gold border, I rescued her, so I should get some benefits. If she were an ordinary dancer, it would be fine, but if she’s like you said, I can’t let my efforts go unrewarded.”
Chu Lishu looked at Lin Qingyang with an indescribable expression.
Lin Qingyang felt like he wanted to bang his head against the wall, but he couldn’t help it. The system just reminded him of a task.
【Side Quest: Assist the male lead in making Princess Xinyue have a favorable impression.】
That’s correct. This girl with the gold border is actually the headstrong little princess who ran away from the dance troupe for an adventure. She is the only daughter of the current King of the Western Moon Country, a true jewel in his palm, and also one of his future sisters-in-law.
In the original plot, the spring pavillion in the capital would often purchase dance troupes from the Western Regions. This plot unfolded after Chu Lishu took control of Chunxiang Tower and the distribution of addictive substances, following his entry into the palace.
During that time, in order to deal with Golden Phoenix Tower, Chu Lishu also introduced Western Region dancers. Among them was Xinyue, who, shortly after her arrival, triggered a cliché plot of a hero saving a damsel in distress. Chu Lishu, naturally not inclined to play the hero, only intervened when he discovered Xinyue’s extraordinary identity. As expected, Xinyue developed feelings for Chu Lishu. While she continued to stay at Chunxiang Tower, Chu Lishu thoroughly investigated her situation.
Originally, a significant portion of the addictive substance at Chunxiang Tower was not made from local ingredients. This was to avoid tracking purchases from various places, and a portion of it came from a flower abundant in the Western Moon Country.
In the Western Moon Country, there was a prince named Tagan specifically responsible for the business dealings related to this substance. As he noticed changes in this business, he personally came to the Great Zhou Dynasty. Xinyue happened to be very curious about and fascinated by the Great Zhou Dynasty and insisted on coming along to assist with the investigation. As the cherished child of the king, she naturally was not allowed to do so. Therefore, Xinyue found a way to escape from the royal capital, infiltrated a dance troupe, and arrived at Chunxiang Tower in the Great Zhou Dynasty.
Meanwhile, Tagan had already received news of the princess’s disappearance and was actively searching for her traces. Chu Lishu took advantage of Xinyue’s affection for him and designed a self-sacrificing act in front of Tagan, successfully delivering Xinyue back into Tagan’s hands.
So the prince felt grateful to Chu Lishu, and the princess developed admiration and affection for him. Even after returning to the Western Moon Country, she did not forget this kindness. Later, the military support from external allies in the Western Moon Country played a significant role in Chu Lishu’s revenge struggles. In return, Chu Lishu made a promise to marry Princess Xinyue, and later, he assisted Prince Tagan in standing out among his brothers to become the new king of the Western Moon.
Tagan was very thankful for Chu Lishu’s help, but he did not anticipate that it would mark the beginning of the country’s downfall.
Yes, the Western Moon Country would be destroyed in the future, not because Tagan refused to submit to Chu Lishu’s rule, but because they all forgot the battles that had caused him so much suffering. Both Tianheng Country and the Great Zhou Dynasty were culprits in that campaign. What about the Western Moon Country?
The Western Moon Country was originally a small nation caught between the Tianheng Country and the Great Zhou Dynasty. In that particular instance, it sided with Tianheng Country, becoming an accomplice. Given Chu Lishu’s character in the original plot, he wouldn’t spare them. After the fall of Tianheng Country, the Western Moon Country lost its strategic value. Moreover, as Chu Lishu had a hand in supporting the country, it was easy for him to eliminate it.
Xinyue was the only concubine to escape the imperial palace. In a sense, it was Chu Lishu’s ‘kindness’ that allowed her to return to her hometown and sacrifice herself for the country.
As a bright and willful little princess, returning to her now desolate homeland, she could only despairingly jump off the city wall, cursing Chu Lishu and merging her bones with the ruins of the Western Moon Country.
At this moment, Lin Qingyang still felt surreal. The silly girl he just encountered turned out to be Princess Xinyue. He found himself unintentionally completing the hero saves the beauty task ahead of schedule. Lin Qingyang didn’t even want to question why Chu Lishu could successfully gain favor while he received only slander. It felt truly humiliating.
Now, the plot has been disrupted once again.
Probably due to the premature occurrence of the addictive substance incident, all the addictive substances were disrupted by them. It seems that Prince Tagan became anxious and decided to come early to investigate what had happened. They are definitely unaware of the connection to the addictive substance, only knowing that they suffered a significant loss in a long-term order. For a small country and a self-sufficient prince like Tagan, these orders are crucial, so he came directly to inquire.
Following the logic of the Western Moon Country’s plot, Xinyue naturally came along. Since only the Golden Phoenix Tower has a dance troupe, she could only come here, leading to this farcical incident.
Now, with the original plot messed up, Xinyue hasn’t even met the male lead. However, surprisingly, the system didn’t unreasonably judge him as a failure, which means there’s still a chance to salvage the situation. The only way now is to let them meet again. With the male lead’s good looks, he might be able to charm Xinyue. The goal is to make her develop a positive feeling, not necessarily falling in love right away, so it shouldn’t be too difficult.
However, the male lead seemed unwilling to cooperate.
When Lin Qingyang stated the reason, Chu Lishu didn’t pay attention at all, thinking he was joking. At this moment, a secret signal came from outside the window.
Chu Lishu said to Lin Qingyang, “You should go back.”
Lin Qingyang, still worrying about his mission, was stunned upon hearing this. He immediately shook his head nervously. How could he leave? The mission was still here.
Seeing his nervous expression, Chu Lishu sighed. It seemed that even if he explained, Lin Qingyang wouldn’t feel at ease leaving him alone. His possessiveness had been fostered too much.
“I know you’re busy. I won’t disturb you. I’ll wait for you; it’s fine.” Lin Qingyang, with puppy eyes, looked at Chu Lishu imploringly.
Chu Lishu really couldn’t handle Lin Qingyang’s attitude, so he had to speak, “Alright, wait here. Behave yourself, don’t wander around. You can watch the performance, but you mustn’t leave this room. No matter what happens outside, you’re not allowed to leave. Wait for me to come back, and we’ll leave together.”
Thinking that Chu Lishu was concerned about him interfering again, Lin Qingyang immediately nodded in agreement. He planned to wait for the male lead to finish his business and then figure out a way to meet Xinyue.
After receiving the response, Chu Lishu got up and left.
Lin Qingyang obediently stayed in the room, contemplating the entire plot concerning Princess Xinyue. Not long after, he heard someone knocking on the door.
Approaching to open it, Lin Qingyang was immediately dumbfounded.
“Young Master Lin… I apologize for the disturbance. I am Ah Yue, I offended you just now. I came to apologize. May I come in?”
Lin Qingyang took a deep breath. It seemed like a stroke of luck from the heavens. He quickly stepped aside to let Xinyue in, hoping to keep the girl until the male lead returned.
After learning that she had not been violated, Xinyue had completely calmed down. Reflecting on the situation, she understood right from wrong. Filled with apologies and gratitude, she came to make amends. In her heart, Lin Qingyang had become synonymous with a good person, the one who had saved her twice.
Lin Qingyang also realized that this girl wasn’t ignorant or foolish; she just lacked experience in the ways of the world. After this short while, things became much more agreeable.
“I… I’m not actually a real dancer. I have another identity. You saved me, and people from West Moon don’t owe others favors. I’ll repay you. How about this? I’ll make you a promise. In the future, once I return home, I’ll give you anything you want.”
Lin Qingyang’s eyes lit up. He knew this was a rare opportunity. Even if he didn’t help the male lead be with her in the future, he could use this promise to provide convenience for the male lead.
After all, he only wanted to complete the mission of creating a slightly good impression. He didn’t want to become a pimp and manipulate others’ feelings. If the two of them developed their relationship on their own, it had nothing to do with him. However, he hoped the system wouldn’t create a mission where Xinyue fell in love with the male lead.
Moreover, Lin Qingyang didn’t want the tragic events in the later part of the original plot to happen. It was too brutal, with the male lead’s unilateral massacre. But without utilizing the power of West Moon Country in the early stages, the male lead wouldn’t be able to proceed.
So, whether it was for the male lead or for his own task, Lin Qingyang had to start the mission related to Xinyue. However, he believed that things would change in the later stages. After all, Chu Lishu was no longer the crazy antagonist from the original story.
Since Lin Qingyang had set up this scenario, he had to figure out a way to deal with the aftermath.
Of course, Lin Qingyang didn’t aim to save the world or change the fate of individuals. He wasn’t that noble. He simply hoped that the disaster wouldn’t be caused by his actions and that he wouldn’t bear the weight of an entire country’s destiny. He just wanted to use his small influence to make some changes within his capabilities, only to have a clear conscience.
After exchanging pleasantries with Xinyue, Lin Qingyang obtained the ‘Princess’s Promise’ and began to express curiosity about the customs and culture of West Moon Country. Lin Qingyang was sociable, and he quickly engaged in cheerful conversation with Xinyue.
Lin Qingyang thought he could persist until the male lead returned, but suddenly, there was another prompt in his mind.
Lin Qingyang was startled, thinking that the mission had been directly judged as a failure. He was worried that his points would be deducted all at once. After all, he only had 56 points.
【Main Mission 1, Mission 6: Assist the male lead in hunting down Chief Steward Wang.]
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