Chapter 110
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He kissed Lin Qingyang while in an unconscious state because he was influenced by some substance… so it doesn’t really carry any significance…
But how should he explain it to Lin Qingyang? Will he misunderstand?
To avoid hurting his feelings, should he just go along with his feelings? After all, he was the one at fault.
That kiss… wasn’t actually unpleasant. He had never entertained thoughts about men before, but maybe… maybe it’s not entirely impossible.
Yes, maybe… it’s not entirely impossible!
Chu Lishu’s mind raced, and suddenly, looking at the unconscious Lin Qingyang, a thought crossed his mind.
Maybe, if he give it another try while awake this time…
Slowly, Chu Lishu lowered his body, approaching Lin Qingyang. He gently traced his fingers from Lin Qingyang’s chin to the soft lips, recalling the touch, which felt quite pleasant.
Is he really going to kiss a man?
A surge of emotions seemed to wash over Chu Lishu, making his heart pound.
Just as he was about to lower his head, intending to cradle Lin Qingyang’s face, his hand naturally followed the curve of the cheek. A sudden pain struck, and a drop of blood fell onto Lin Qingyang’s cheek.
It was from the reopened wound in Chu Lishu’s injured palm. He felt somewhat awkward, intending to wipe away the bloodstain but suddenly stopped.
Lin Qingyang’s complexion was not the usual fair tone; there were bruises present. Against the backdrop of the blood, his face appeared pale and weary. Chu Lishu hadn’t struck Lin Qingyang’s face during his loss of control, so these injuries must have occurred when Lin Qingyang fought with the guards after entering.
Not only on the cheek but also on the neck and arms, there were bruises, dark and purple marks.
Chu Lishu was completely stunned. Yes, Lin Qingyang had nearly lost his life just now trying to save him from the guards.
In an instant, it was as if Chu Lishu had been struck by lightning. His mind cleared up abruptly, and his pupils trembled.
What was he doing?
Did he have the right to do such a thing? He came back for revenge, facing enemies that included the entire royal family, the court, and even the entire realm.
So many people wanted him dead, and so many had already died because of him. Even two eunuchs unexpectedly joining forces nearly cost him his life.
He was a person walking on the edge of the abyss, where every step was a daring gamble between life and death.
Lin Qingyang didn’t even have the ability to protect himself.
And Chu Lishu couldn’t even be sure if he could fully accept another man. Yet, he recklessly considered accepting Lin Qingyang’s sincere feelings, driven by desires he couldn’t distinguish, and let him accompany him on a path of revenge leading to hell.
He couldn’t treat Lin Qingyang like this.
Originally, he wanted to keep Lin Qingyang away from all dangers, even thinking of preventing him from entering the palace. However, Lin Qingyang was willing to take risks to enter the palace, and Chu Lishu felt helpless.
And now, if he really agreed to Lin Qingyang, would this fool become even more recklessly committed? What absolute assurance did he have to protect Lin Qingyang if things went awry?
If he maintained the current relationship, even if he failed, he could pretend to have deceived Marquis An Nan’s residence. Lin Qingyang would be seen as a victim. However, if he broke this layer of relationship, everything would be different. If he failed, Lin Qingyang would be sacrificed alongside him. If he didn’t fail, but someone discovered his true identity in the process, Lin Qingyang would become the primary target.
He couldn’t be so impulsive. Whether it was for his own revenge or for Lin Qingyang’s safety, he shouldn’t take it any further.
Taking advantage of his current uncertainty, he decided to stop here and protect Lin Qingyang well until the day when everything could be completely safe. Only then would he reconsider this matter and provide an answer.
Thinking about it, he already had an answer. Chu Lishu’s mood noticeably sank. He even felt a sense of disappointment, but he suppressed that strange feeling and repeatedly reviewed the entire thought process.
In the end, he had to admit that this was the best arrangement.
Lin Qingyang was also worthy of such careful planning. He wasn’t just anyone that could be casually discarded or sacrificed. Chu Lishu had to… keep him safe. Perhaps during this time, he could also figure out his feelings for Lin Qingyang, maybe even try to… fall in love with him.
When Lin Qingyang woke up, he suddenly sat up, and his head bumped into his forehead.
Lin Qingyang cried out in pain. His forehead was already injured, and now, holding his head, he rolled on the bed.
Chu Lishu only recovered from his deep thoughts. He was speechless for a moment, held down the rolling Lin Qingyang, and gave him a rub.
“Clumsy and reckless…”
“I… I… Chu Lishu, are you okay now? Have you recovered?” Lin Qingyang quickly grabbed Chu Lishu’s hand and asked.
“Uh… yeah…”
“Where are we? And those people?” Lin Qingyang quickly sat up, looking around.
“Don’t worry, over there… don’t fret, everything will be taken care of,” reassured Chu Lishu.
But then Lin Qingyang strangely fell silent.
Chu Lishu’s heart tightened as he saw Lin Qingyang’s eyes darting around, looking at him nervously. “After I fainted, you woke up? How much do you remember? At that time, it seems like you were not conscious, did something happen that you don’t know about?”
Chu Lishu’s eyes flashed, instantly understanding Lin Qingyang’s thoughts. The situation was chaotic at that time, he was randomly killing people, and Lin Qingyang suddenly kissed him.
Why did Lin Qingyang do this? Clearly, it was so dangerous. He could have escaped or taken drastic measures against himself to stop it, but he chose another way.
Suddenly, Chu Lishu felt a pain in his heart. Did Lin Qingyang feel doomed at that time? Did he embrace a determination to die, wanting to hold onto him one last time, and even kiss him in the final moments of life?
So now, with an appearance of fearing that he might remember, is he worried that such behavior will be discovered? He doesn’t want to disrupt this balance and wishes to continue maintaining this secret admiration?
He…
Chu Lishu’s heart raced, but he had to suppress the idea of suggesting to try it.
“At that time, someone poisoned us, and I gradually lost consciousness. When I woke up, I found you fainting beside me, so I tried to find a way to get you out first,” Chu Lishu said in a deep voice, staring at Lin Qingyang with profound eyes, worried that he might be upset.
Lin Qingyang, however, breathed a sigh of relief, and a big smile couldn’t be suppressed on his face. Fantastic, I’m saved!
Lin Qingyang knew very well that the later forceful kiss from Chu Lishu was definitely an accident. Chu Lishu was a straight man; how could he genuinely want to kiss him? It was just a confused action due to impaired consciousness, probably caused by Lin Qingyang administering the medicine to him in that way.
Not remembering the awkward incident was the best outcome for the male lead. If he didn’t remember, it meant it didn’t happen! Lin Qingyang genuinely felt that such accidents were undesirable. After all, he still had to stick with the male lead, and complete tasks by his side, and if the male lead remembered, how could they continue their relationship?
Since he was the only one who remembered, it didn’t matter. The surface balance could still be maintained.
Although he lost his first kiss, it was with Chu Lishu, so be it. After all, Chu Lishu was good-looking, and he didn’t feel too pathetic.
Seeing the unpredictable expression on Lin Qingyang’s face, Chu Lishu felt a bit worried and asked, “What’s wrong?” He felt a surge of impulse, wondering how he should respond if Lin Qingyang brought up those things.
As a result, Lin Qingyang said, “Oh, it’s okay to forget. Let me tell you what happened. I was worried when you were away for so long. Xinyue came to apologize, and I asked her to check on you. When she peeked in, she found a dead person in that room and hurriedly came to find me. When I quietly sneaked in, I saw the old eunuch acting suspiciously. I gave him a beating, and later… eventually, we both got injured and passed out.”
Lin Qingyang briefly explained the situation at the time, emphasizing that neither he nor Xinyue had heard the conversation between Chief Steward Wang and the male lead. This was crucial to prevent any suspicion about the male lead’s true identity.
Chu Lishu naturally didn’t doubt that they overheard anything. If Lin Qingyang had truly known, he wouldn’t be so calm now. Anyone who knew his identity, no matter how deep their scheming was, wouldn’t be flawless, especially given the absurdity of the situation. Moreover, Chief Steward Wang didn’t explicitly mention anything at the time, and Lin Qingyang, not being an insider, wouldn’t suspect in that direction. Chu Lishu felt a pang of sympathy for Lin Qingyang’s desperate denial.
Seeing that Chu Lishu remained silent for a long time, Lin Qingyang feared there might be some flaws in his explanation and quickly continued, “At that time, I just wanted to save you without understanding what was really going on. How did your business discussion involve such strange characters—eunuchs and assassins? Moreover, encountering this kind of trouble! If I arrived late, who knows what would have happened to you? It’s too dangerous! And… and so many people died. What should we do? Will the authorities come after us?”
Chu Lishu suddenly reached out and held Lin Qingyang’s hand, saying, “Don’t worry, everything is fine. Originally, it was a normal business discussion. It’s just that the person discussing business with me turned out to be a treacherous eunuch. He… was originally one of the three chief eunuchs in the palace. Our entry into the palace was under his care. I initially wanted to take advantage of this business discussion, bribe him a bit, and seek his favor. However, I accidentally discovered his secret of selling palace tribute items. He planned to kill me to keep it quiet. By the way, you were looking for an antidote and used a eunuch as an experiment, right? That person was supposed to be killed. You saved him.”
Lin Qingyang nodded. Well, Hai Gonggong was going to be the future personal eunuch of the male lead. However, at that time, Lin Qingyang didn’t consider it as saving someone.
“He also has a position in the palace. In the future, when we enter the palace, he will take extra care of us due to this favor. The only request is that we keep today’s events a secret. It involves their internal interests, so right now, he is dealing with the remaining issues,” Chu Lishu explained.
Lin Qingyang twitched his mouth, truly admiring the male lead’s skill in making up stories—comparable to his own. Lin Qingyang certainly wouldn’t be foolish enough to inquire about the details. He decided to vaguely understand the whole thing. It seemed that Hai Gonggong had already been brought under control, making future actions inside the palace much more convenient.
Sure enough, when the male lead took action, it was bound to be a major move. This time, he eliminated a third of the eunuch power within the palace, explaining why one of the future three eunuch leaders became Hai Gonggong. The male lead was indeed meticulous in his planning. However, it was quite unlucky that he almost capsized in the gutter this time.
As for his mission, Lin Qingyang eagerly examined it.
Instantly, he was overjoyed. Was this forgotten plot mission so important?
【Main Mission 1, Mission 6: Assist the male lead in hunting down Chief Steward Wang, completed. Character upgraded to ‘Intermediate Tool Man,’ reward 100 points, total 104 points, plot progress: 30%.】
First time crossing a hundred points, hooray!
Afterward, the two fooled around with each other for a while, smoothing things over.
Just then, someone knocked on the door, and Chu Lishu prepared to get up to answer it. However, Lin Qingyang noticed the bruise marks on Chu Lishu’s neck that were revealed due to his movements.
Suddenly worried, what if the male lead misunderstood something, especially since he doesn’t remember it? What if, inadvertently, this experience gives him psychological trauma and leads to a dark turn? Thinking about this, Lin Qingyang quickly reached out and grabbed Chu Lishu’s hand, stuttering, “There’s something I forgot to mention when I broke in…”
Chu Lishu looked at Lin Qingyang, unsure of what he was about to say.
But Lin Qingyang struggled with his words, stuttering for a while before finally saying, “Uh…the eunuch’s clothes weren’t taken off, and you only took off your upper garment, so you…weren’t really taken advantage of. Don’t get me wrong.”
Chu Lishu looked at Lin Qingyang’s nervous expression, found it amusing, and remembered the miserable state Wang Rong was in after being beaten. He then took Lin Qingyang’s still slightly flushed hand, rubbed it, and said, “Don’t worry, Hai Gonggong already explained. That old eunuch is just a pervert; he only pinched me a bit.”
“Just pinched?” Lin Qingyang asked in surprise, thinking it was something else…
Chu Lishu nodded, understanding what Lin Qingyang was thinking. He smiled and said, “I wasn’t molested by that pervert; at most, it can be considered as using some unconventional methods.”
Lin Qingyang immediately breathed a sigh of relief. To be honest, if it was something like kiss marks, it would have truly disgusted him.
Seeing Lin Qingyang’s reaction, Chu Lishu felt a slight warmth in his heart. The humiliation seemed to fade away, and he guessed that Lin Qingyang must have felt quite jealous this time. Suddenly, Chu Lishu couldn’t help but speak, “However…”
“However what?” Lin Qingyang became immediately nervous.
Chu Lishu casually touched his own lips and said, “It seems there’s something strange here.”
Lin Qingyang suddenly felt uncomfortable all over. He didn’t dare touch his lips, but he could sense a tingling sensation, and his tongue seemed to have a small cut.
“It… it’s from the impact,” Lin Qingyang stuttered.
Chu Lishu’s eyes brightened, “Really?”
Lin Qingyang nodded firmly, and Chu Lishu smiled. He turned to open the door.
However, when Chu Lishu opened the door and let someone in, upon turning back, he saw Lin Qingyang sitting on the bed, blushing all over his face.
Chu Lishu’s eyes dimmed, feeling a sudden pang in his heart. He couldn’t help but lick his lips, as if regretting that Lin Qingyang woke up a bit too early. He had truly wanted to give it a try.
Shifting his steps, he blocked the view of the person about to enter, not wanting anyone to see Lin Qingyang in this state.
“Cousin, Hai Gonggong is here.”
Lin Qingyang snapped out of his thoughts, immediately getting up and looking towards the door where Hai Gonggong was entering, supporting the unconscious Xinyue.
Lin Qingyang felt a bit awkward, especially after having threatened Hai Gonggong before. However, Hai Gonggong was quite adept at handling the situation. He approached with a respectful bow, expressing gratitude for saving his life. It seemed he already knew their identities. He continued to speak at length, essentially promising to repay the favor in the future. He politely asked them to leave soon, assuring that he could handle matters here.
Lin Qingyang understood that this was likely arranged by Chu Lishu.
After expressing his gratitude, Hai Gonggong took his leave, leaving Xinyue behind.
Seeing bloodstains on the back of Xinyue’s head, Lin Qingyang immediately expressed concern and offered to help with the treatment.
Chu Lishu, noticing Lin Qingyang’s nervousness around Xinyue, furrowed his brows slightly. He had intended to eliminate this person.
“Cousin, help me carry her to the bed…” Lin Qingyang had just spoken when he turned around to see the icy gaze from Chu Lishu. Although it quickly changed, Lin Qingyang was shocked.
In this situation, Xinyue was an unexpected intruder, different from his own circumstances. Chu Lishu’s treatment of such individuals would undoubtedly involve eliminating loose ends. The fact that he hadn’t acted yet probably indicated some inconvenience.
Lin Qingyang suddenly felt a chill down his spine. Was the supporting female character about to become cannon fodder? Had he inadvertently altered the plot again?
No can do, if Chu Lishu had really gone ahead and taken action, the subsequent plot would have been ruined. How could he salvage this situation?
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Aaaah thank you for the translation.
Hopefully theres more translations to come (╥_╥) this novel is too fun
NooOOOOOO what do u mean im at chapter 110..and the latest chapter is 112 ohh im gonna cry, maybe i should have let this marinate first oh mY HODNSNA