Chapter 115
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Behind the partially drawn bed curtain, the scene was partly concealed and partly revealed, making it indistinct for Xinyue. She dared not look too closely. Didn’t Lin Qingyang say that Chu Lishu doesn’t like men? Didn’t they say they weren’t a couple? What’s going on?
Xinyue was still in her teenage years and couldn’t handle such intense scenes between men. She panicked, not knowing what to do, and hastily climbed up, running out in disarray.
Chu Lishu heard the commotion but showed no intention of getting up. What started as an impulsive act to intimidate Xinyue and prove Lin Qingyang’s exclusive affection seemed to spiral out of control, and he had no desire to stop it.
Entwined, he absorbed his own breath. The fragrance of pear blossoms lingered between the lips and teeth, carrying an almost brain-numbing intoxication that stripped away rationality.
Every trace of restraint on his body vanished in the fiery kisses.
The hand that he held down seemed to want to struggle, but instead, it was firmly pressed onto the bed by his tightly clasped fingers. The other hand also attempted resistance, but Chu Lishu grabbed it and brought it directly to his own neck, forcing Lin Qingyang to embrace him.
This action caused Chu Lishu to move forward by an inch, pressing his entire body against Lin Qingyang, and deepening the kiss.
Feeling the body underneath gradually softening, somewhere indeed began to change gradually.
Chu Lishu only stopped the invasion then, lifting his head slowly, his gaze hazy, thighs shifting slightly, perception very clear.
Chu Lishu’s gaze grew even darker, his pitch-black and profound eyes seeming to turn into black holes, as if wanting to engulf the pitiful gasping figure in front of him. However, the body remained stiff because he, too, was overwhelmed with impulsiveness, unsure of what to do next.
Perhaps it was the discomfort caused by Chu Lishu’s leg, the primal instinct of the intoxicated Lin Qingyang drove him to do something. He followed his desires and turned over, pressing Chu Lishu down.
Chu Lishu was in a daze when suddenly, Lin Qingyang on top of him moved.
In that sense, he moved.
Due to the subtle position, in that instant, as a man, he felt a clear sense of oppression on his nerves. Chu Lishu’s lower body tensed, his face changing color. Starting from his neck, a red flush spread. Without any psychological preparation, Chu Lishu, feeling flustered, pushed Lin Qingyang away.
Meanwhile, the deeply sleeping Lin Qingyang showed no reaction at all. He simply rolled to the side, cuddled with the blanket, rubbed against it, eased a bit, and then remained quiet.
Chu Lishu, now emitting heat all over, sat up. His entire being was in a daze, recalling Lin Qingyang’s improper thoughts towards him earlier, as if he wanted to overpower him.
Supporting his forehead, Chu Lishu was filled with complex emotions, prompting him to sigh deeply. After calming himself, he turned to look at someone and muttered to himself, “Is it that every night facing the portrait at the bed’s end, you fantasize about being on top? You really… have aspirations.”
Chu Lishu was filled with helplessness and embarrassment. Tonight must have been a result of too much drinking combined with the irritation from Xinyue, leading to his impulsiveness.
He looked up to see the portrait he had sneaked a peek at through the window earlier, but it was nowhere to be found. In the blink of an eye, he noticed a porcelain jar in the corner, filled with many paintings, presumably all his own.
Chu Lishu couldn’t help but feel both amused and exasperated. It seemed someone was feeling guilty and knew it was time to hide those paintings.
Thinking back to the words he had heard earlier, his heart felt full, and a smile uncontrollably formed at the corners of his mouth.
Even though Lin Qingyang spent every day with Xinyue, he still thought about him, constantly yearning for him. Despite not daring to openly admit their feelings in front of others, he was immediately exposed with evidence, his secret laid bare. After all, his affection couldn’t be concealed; everyone could see through the details, and attempting self-deception was futile – but what a fool he was.
However, Chu Lishu also understood that Lin Qingyang’s self-deception was for the sake of his reputation.
In truth, Lin Qingyang didn’t understand that reputation was never important. What mattered to him was safety.
Chu Lishu reflected on his own actions tonight, thought of Xinyue, hesitated for a moment, then turned over, got out of bed, removed Lin Qingyang’s shoes, socks, and clothes, covered him with a blanket, and quietly left the residence in the middle of the night.
Because everyone had gotten thoroughly drunk, it wasn’t until the sun was high in the sky that Lin Qingyang woke up. Upon waking, he felt the throbbing headache of a hangover. Indeed, drinking was detrimental to the body, and perhaps it was wise to drink less in the future.
After getting up, Lin Qingyang learned that Chu Lishu hadn’t stayed overnight in the courtyard. Feeling quite annoyed, he wondered if that guy had once again left the future daughter-in-law for him to take care of while he ran off.
Inquiring about Xinyue’s condition, he found out she was still resting in the courtyard. Lin Qingyang could only send someone to prepare some sobering soup to be delivered to her. She had drunk the most last night and needed to get rid of the alcohol.
It wasn’t until lunchtime that he finally saw Xinyue.
Xinyue, wearing a gloomy expression, seemed to not have rested well. Lin Qingyang asked, “Have you had the medicinal soup? It might make you feel better.”
Xinyue glanced at Lin Qingyang with a mournful look and said, “Why is it just you? What about that guy?”
That guy – how come the camaraderie from last night’s drinking had vanished, replaced by a deteriorating feeling? Lin Qingyang felt even more that his mission was in jeopardy.
“He left last night,” Lin Qingyang explained.
Xinyue pursed her lips in displeasure, muttering that he better not come back. Her judgment of Chu Lishu was correct; he didn’t seem as amiable as he appeared on the surface. Privately, he was more like a big villain. Last night, he even deliberately pretended to be drunk to deceive people. Lin Qingyang must have been deceived by his clever and beautiful appearance.
However, Xinyue dared not ask if Lin Qingyang had willingly participated last night. After all, bringing up the topic might expose her own misdeeds. She could only swallow her grievances and look for another opportunity to reveal Chu Lishu’s true nature to Lin Qingyang.
“Let’s go out and have fun again today,” Xinyue rallied, trying to lift the mood.
Lin Qingyang instantly lost his appetite. It seemed he was fated to be a playmate. Was this how intermediate supporting characters were used by the male lead?
“What’s wrong? Don’t you want to?” Xinyue asked, a bit displeased.
“No… it’s just that I’m a bit tired. I was thinking it might be better to stay at home today,” Lin Qingyang said. Before he could finish his sentence, news came from the door that Chu Lishu had sent a message, inviting them to meet at a famous teahouse in the capital. It was said that a renowned qin player was visiting the city and would be performing there today.
Lin Qingyang was still puzzled by Chu Lishu’s behavior when suddenly, another notification popped up in his mind.
【Side Quest: Assist the male lead in gaining the trust of Prince Tagan.】
Lin Qingyang immediately became alert. The side plot was about to unfold. It seemed the male lead had discovered Xinyue’s identity and had started planning actions involving her brother. However, the first princess’s goodwill mission hadn’t been completed yet. Would this be a problem?
Perhaps it could be a two-in-one solution. After all, according to the original plot, there was a classic hero-rescues-damsel scene. Even if Xinyue currently had a bad attitude toward Chu Lishu, when he eventually saved her life, gratitude might foster some goodwill. In this way, wouldn’t the mission be completed?
The thought that both missions might be completed effortlessly and gain him points made Lin Qingyang excited. He immediately turned to Xinyue and said, “After we finish our meal, let’s…”
But Xinyue was already squinting at Lin Qingyang. “Weren’t you just saying you were a bit tired? Why aren’t you tired now that he’s invited you? If you want to go, go by yourself.”
Lin Qingyang blamed himself for speaking too quickly and quickly reassured her, “I am really tired, but this is a rare performance. We might not get to see it in the capital on regular days. Wouldn’t you regret not witnessing it?”
“I won’t regret it!” Xinyue replied angrily.
Lin Qingyang could only coax the little princess with kind words until she reluctantly agreed to go.
When they arrived at the teahouse, Chu Lishu had reserved a private room for them. In the central courtyard, someone was indeed playing the qin, displaying exceptional skill. It seemed the qin player was truly renowned.
As they sat down, sipping tea and listening to the qin, after a while, Chu Lishu entered from the main entrance on the ground floor, accompanied by another person.
Since the person was wearing a cloak, making it impossible to see their face, Lin Qingyang began to speculate in his mind.
Meanwhile, Xinyue was focused on the qin player below and didn’t notice Chu Lishu approaching.
It wasn’t until Chu Lishu entered and greeted, “Cousin, you’ve arrived. Let me introduce, this is my newly acquainted friend.”
Xinyue turned her head and suddenly jumped up. The visitor removed their hat, revealing a face typical of people from the Western Moon Country—young and full of vigor.
“Fifth Brother!”
“Xinyue, have you had enough fun?”
Lin Qingyang looked around, surprised to find that it was indeed Prince Tagan. How… wasn’t the original plot designed for the male lead to meet Prince Tagan after the hero-rescues-damsel scene? Why did he bring him here directly now?
What about the quest?
Before Lin Qingyang could greet them, Xinyue turned and ran out. She didn’t plan on using the door; instead, she jumped out of the window onto the corridor outside.
“Xinyue!” Prince Tagan swiftly chased after her. Lin Qingyang felt anxious and tried to follow, but Chu Lishu held him back. “It’s okay. They have people at the entrance. We can wait here.”
“How did you find her brother?” Lin Qingyang asked with curiosity, still being held by Chu Lishu.
“There was a small trading fair in the city last night, featuring unique items from various countries. I intended to find something interesting there. I happened to come across Tagan and, upon chatting casually, discovered he was from the Western Moon Country. When I mentioned Xinyue, he said she was his missing sister, so I brought him here,” Chu Lishu explained.
Lin Qingyang raised an eyebrow and asked skeptically, “Do you know their identities then?”
“Probably some kind of nobility. Tagan didn’t say, and I’m not sure, but we had a good conversation,” Chu Lishu said.
Lin Qingyang mentally translated Chu Lishu’s words. How could Chu Lishu bring someone over without knowing their detailed identities? He must have known their identities earlier, but Tagan hadn’t fully trusted him yet, so Chu Lishu pretended not to know anything and didn’t inquire boldly.
He probably took the initiative to encounter them last night, seized the opportunity to reveal Xinyue’s situation, and lured Tagan to come find his sister.
However, this was different from the original plot. In the original story, after establishing a good relationship with Xinyue, Chu Lishu investigated Tagan’s likely whereabouts and arranged for a chance encounter. It was a charade to gain Tagan’s trust from the beginning, leading to a joyful friendship later on.
However, despite the seemingly good interaction between Chu Lishu and Tagan, the system hadn’t announced the completion of the quest. That meant Tagan still didn’t fully trust the male lead.
Chu Lishu was likely consciously trying to maintain this relationship for future use of the Western Moon Country’s power. Perhaps there would be a hero-rescues-damsel scene later on.
Seeing Lin Qingyang’s silence, Chu Lishu looked at him in confusion. “Are you worried about… Xinyue? Don’t worry, they really are siblings. You just heard Xinyue call him. If there’s any danger, Xinyue will come to you for help directly.”
Lin Qingyang snapped out of his thoughts and nodded, “I’m not worried. The people you brought are naturally safe. I just didn’t expect you to become friends after just one night. You must have hit it off well. However, he didn’t reveal his identity while looking for his sister. It seems he doesn’t trust you much.”
Lin Qingyang (to the male lead): The trust of Prince Tagan is crucial. Don’t think the current relationship is enough. Make sure to have a backup plan!
Chu Lishu, listening to Lin Qingyang’s words, paused slightly. Why did it feel like Lin Qingyang didn’t like Prince Tagan, both explicitly and implicitly?
Is… he jealous? His previous expression… wasn’t quite appropriate. This fool, why is he jealous of every man? Well, from his perspective, both men and women could be the source of jealousy.
Chu Lishu cleared his throat. “They will leave the Great Zhou Dynasty soon, so there’s no need to understand each other too deeply, let alone talk about the topic of trust.”
Lin Qingyang looked at Chu Lishu in horror, speechless. Male lead, are you playing with me? You can’t seriously be thinking like this, right? Could it be that there really is no backup plan? What about my quest…
Chu Lishu, on the other hand, shifted the conversation to other matters and asked, “Were you hungover from last night? How are you feeling now? Is there any discomfort?”
Lin Qingyang, anxious, replied, “I’m fine, but about your…”
“My…” Chu Lishu was startled, recalling the events of pretending to be drunk last night, “I… I sobered up quickly, so when I remembered the trade fair, I left and will go back to stay tonight.”
Lin Qingyang was in a hurry when he saw Tagan bringing back Xinyue like carrying a little chicken.
Xinyue quickly said to Lin Qingyang, “Brother Lin, save me! I don’t know this person.”
Lin Qingyang twitched his mouth; did the little princess think he was foolish? “You just called him Fifth Brother a moment ago.”
Xinyue immediately blushed, “I… I don’t want to go home, Brother Lin, you promised to entertain me.”
Helplessly, Tagan scolded Xinyue not to make trouble, then performed a courtesy from the Western Moon Country, saying, “I apologize for the trouble caused by my younger sister.”
Lin Qingyang waved his hand, saying, “It’s okay. Miss Xinyue has previously shown kindness to us. It’s our honor to host her.”
Seeing that the only person she trusted had turned against her, Xinyue could only sigh and say, “Anyway, I don’t want to go back. Fifth Brother, you can’t force me.”
“You have no idea about our current situation. It’s not safe lately, and your staying here would only cause trouble for others.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Anyway… trust me, would I harm you? We’ll leave tomorrow. If it weren’t for finding you, I would have gone back long ago.”
Tagan hesitated as if the topic was not convenient to continue in front of Lin Qingyang and the others. However, Xinyue was not pleased and directly said, “I’ve been fine all this time. I’m not leaving, and if we leave tomorrow, it’ll be even more impossible! It’s just my luck, why did it have to be you who ran into me…” Saying this, Xinyue glared at Chu Lishu.
Chu Lishu looked innocent.
Xinyue immediately became furious, “You’re not doing this on purpose, are you? Knowing he’s my brother, you deliberately brought him here just to drive me away?”
“Xinyue, be polite! I asked for Brother Chu’s help,” Tagan said.
“Miss Xinyue, you’ve been kind to both me and my cousin. We haven’t had the chance to repay your kindness, so why would we want to drive you away? I brought Tagan to find you because I saw how worried he was,” Chu Lishu sincerely explained.
Only Lin Qingyang here supported Xinyue’s intuition. Though he didn’t know if Chu Lishu wanted to drive Xinyue away, he knew that Tagan was intentionally brought here.
“You… you’re still pretending. Clearly, last night…” Xinyue was so angry that her nose seemed about to twist.
“Last night? What happened?” Lin Qingyang asked in confusion.
“Yeah, what happened last night? Are you referring to the drinking?” Chu Lishu calmly looked at Xinyue. Since he had nothing to hide, Lin Qingyang would only be happy to know the truth without getting angry.
As expected, Xinyue backed down first, giving a resentful look to Chu Lishu. “Chu Lishu, just you wait! I’ll expose you sooner or later!”
Chu Lishu frowned slightly, seemingly a bit embarrassed by Xinyue’s rudeness. He sighed and said, “Cousin, should I leave? Miss Xinyue seems to inexplicably dislike me, I don’t want to stay here and provoke her anger. Since we’re leaving soon, let her keep some good memories. I won’t bother anymore.”
Lin Qingyang quickly reached out to stop Chu Lishu from leaving. This couldn’t be a joke; if Chu Lishu left, the mission would fail in minutes. He couldn’t understand what was wrong with Xinyue, why she was so averse to Chu Lishu.
Tagan was also angered. He recalled last night when he anxiously inquired about Xinyue’s well-being. Chu Lishu inadvertently revealed a hint of difficulty in his words. Upon further questioning, Tagan finally sensed something amiss. Young Master Lin had brought Xinyue back to repay her kindness and take care of her, but it seemed that Xinyue had developed feelings for him. However, Young Master Lin already had someone in his heart.
At that time, Tagan was somewhat skeptical, considering his sister’s playful nature and her young age. But now, witnessing the scene, Tagan believed it. Because Chu Lishu was entrusted to bring him to find Xinyue, and now that she couldn’t continue to pursue Young Master Lin, she redirected her anger toward Chu Lishu.
“Brother Chu, my sister has always had this temper. Don’t take it personally. Please, have a seat. I haven’t had the chance to properly thank you!” Tagan also called out to stop Chu Lishu. Reluctantly, Chu Lishu sat down, still looking somewhat uncomfortable.
Tagan then reprimanded Xinyue, “Last night, when I met Brother Chu, I voluntarily mentioned that I was looking for you. He was very cautious and confirmed your information multiple times before revealing it. If he wanted to drive you away, would he be so careful? He’s genuinely concerned about you. You should apologize to Brother Chu for your attitude!”
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