Chapter 14
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The luster white gem jade back was crisscrossed with long whip marks, exuding a kind of tortured beauty. With Chu Lishu’s slight movements, Lin Qingyang could clearly see the beautiful curve of the slender neck connecting to the straight shoulders. Broad shoulders, narrow waist, smooth lines on the back—proportional and harmonious, presenting the perfect butterfly bones exclusive to a beauty.
If it were a woman, it would be exceptionally beautiful, but on a man, it seemed a bit delicate.
Upon seeing this back, Lin Qingyang was reminded of the scene he witnessed on the first night he crossed over.
He couldn’t help but feel embarrassed.
On the other hand, Xu Wenze, who was beside him, expressed his surprise, “The wound is healing quickly. Brother Lin’s medicine is indeed effective. I believe that with another application tonight, there will be no hindrance to movement tomorrow.”
“Second Cousin’s medicine is naturally effective,” Chu Lishu praised. He recognized that ointment, something only the royal family had access to. Presumably, it belonged to County Princess Yawen. The ointment was precious and scarce. In his previous identity as the Crown Prince, he would have been able to use such a high-quality treatment for his injuries. However, in his current status, it was a luxury.
“Let’s apply the ointment,” Xu Wenze suggested, then turned to look at Lin Qingyang.
However, Lin Qingyang didn’t even glance at Chu Lishu’s back. Instead, he looked bewildered as he fumbled for the ointment bottle. When he finally lifted his head, his gaze met Chu Lishu’s.
Both of them were momentarily stunned.
Just as Xu Wenze was about to express his confusion, he suddenly sensed a pleading look in Lin Qingyang’s eyes.
Xu Wenze, a modest and thoughtful gentleman, considered that Lin Qingyang might have some reasons for not wanting to handle the situation himself. He tentatively suggested, “I’ve done this before and have become quite proficient. Perhaps it’s better to let me do it.”
Lin Qingyang’s eyes instantly lit up. Xu Wenze was truly a fantastic teammate, a kind person. “That would be great trouble for you. I’m a bit clumsy, I’m afraid of worsening my cousin’s injuries. I’ll fetch some hot water.”
With a slight smile, Xu Wenze nodded in agreement as Lin Qingyang hurriedly slipped out.
As Xu Wenze prepared the medicine, he turned around to find that Chu Lishu had silently turned to face the door, his gaze fixed on the entrance.
“Brother Lishu?” Xu Wenze called out in confusion.
Chu Lishu turned to Xu Wenze, offering a gentle smile, maintaining his usual amiable demeanor. The two engaged in casual conversation while applying the medicine.
They continued until the treatment was completed. It was only then that Lin Qingyang returned with cautious steps.
“Sorry for the delay. Come, Brother Xu, please wash your hands quickly.”
With one hand pulling up his inner garment over his shoulder, Chu Lishu’s gaze inadvertently swept toward Lin Qingyang. Suddenly, his eyes froze.
Xu Wenze also noticed, furrowing his brow. “You… are injured too?”
As Lin Qingyang lifted the water jug, he rolled up his sleeve, revealing a whip mark on his plump arm that had already started to discolor.
Upon the reminder, Lin Qingyang lowered his head and only then noticed his own injuries. The whip he received was more of an afterthought, causing a sudden pain and leaving a mark, but it didn’t draw blood. Since it didn’t hurt afterward, he had forgotten about it once his sleeve covered it.
“It’s just a minor injury,” Lin Qingyang said as he put down the hot water and touched the mark. The sudden pain distorted his facial expression.
Xu Wenze quickly remarked, “Why are you pressing on the wound?”
Chu Lishu added, “Second Cousin, the medicine.”
Lin Qingyang chuckled, “No need to worry about mine. It will heal by tomorrow. Keep the ointment; we don’t have much of it….”
“Medicine.” Chu Lishu extended his arm, and a small medicine box lay in the palm of his hand.
Lin Qingyang sensed that Chu Lishu’s tone was unusual, and when he looked up, he saw an expression on Chu Lishu’s face that he hadn’t seen before—serious and not open to refusal. Lin Qingyang took the ointment, stunned.
Standing on the side, Xu Wenze glanced back and forth between Lin Qingyang and Chu Lishu, feeling that their relationship had changed significantly this time. Especially Lin Qingyang, he really seemed different from before.
That night, Lin Qingyang indeed slept on the luxurious couch.
When he woke up, he found that Chu Lishu was already awake. Yesterday, Shuncai had gone to his courtyard, bringing back a set of clean clothes. Hence, Chu Lishu could depart directly from his room this morning.
Chu Lishu turned his head and found Lin Qingyang huddled on the luxurious couch, looking at him with half-opened eyes in a drowsy manner.
The morning light streamed through the window, casting a leisurely and lazy demeanor on him, giving off a tranquil vibe.
“Did you sleep well last night? How does the wound feel?” Lin Qingyang, just waking up, spoke somewhat unclearly, as if casually inquiring between friends, making Chu Lishu feel a bit uneasy.
“Thanks to Second Cousin’s care, it’s nothing serious.”
“That’s good.”
Lin Qingyang, still half-asleep, stretched lazily and suddenly jolted awake. He quickly checked the system interface, relieved to find that this time no points were deducted. It seemed that being with the male lead wouldn’t result in point deductions.
However….Lin Qingyang found himself in a new predicament. With only two points left, he couldn’t stick to the male lead every day like he did yesterday. Now that the male lead had recovered, there was no reason to forcibly cling to him. It seemed he needed to find other excuses.
Switching to a different mode, he got up briskly, tidied up, and then joined the other two to go to the dining hall.
At the dining hall, Xu Wenze naturally had his own companions for the meal. Those who usually dined with Chu Lishu didn’t dare to approach him at the moment.
While Lin Qingyang’s group of friends were still lazing around and hadn’t gotten up yet, Lin Qingyang and Chu Lishu sat together for their meal.
However, once they sat down, a constant stream of discussions started around them. It seemed that Chu Lishu’s argumentative prowess was quite powerful.
Before long, a group of figures cast shadows on their dining table. Lin Qingyang looked up.
It was Cheng Yi.
“You recovered quite quickly.”
Lin Qingyang knew that Cheng Yi was looking for trouble. Just as he was about to speak, a rough voice came from behind. “Who’s so blind, blocking the middle of the road.”
The hatred was instantly diverted as Cheng Yi, with a stern face, turned to look. Coming towards them was the representative of the Crown Prince’s faction, Wang Tong’en. He’s from the Wang family, one of the four major families.
These two were among the most involved in yesterday’s conflicts, and their relationship had reached a point where they were like water and fire.
Wang Tong’en naturally saw that Cheng Yi was picking a fight with Chu Lishu, so he deliberately interrupted. If he could make Cheng Yi unhappy, he would be quite pleased.
The two engaged in a verbal sparring match, and it quickly escalated into a physical altercation.
Unfortunately, Lin Qingyang was sitting on the outer side and got knocked down when the two factions clashed. He ended up colliding with Chu Lishu.
Feeling wronged, Lin Qingyang quickly called Chu Lishu to move away a bit.
However, in the next moment, Wang Tong’en suddenly slipped, as if stepping on something, and collided directly with Cheng Yi. The two of them hit their noses together, instantly causing bleeding. The spark was ignited, and the two men started fighting on the ground. The dining hall was thrown into chaos while the girls from the neighboring tables hurriedly fled.
Soon, guards from the Imperial Academy came in and separated the two factions, dragging them out for punishment.
Lin Qingyang rubbed his aching waist and said, “How unlucky. The food is wasted.” He was about to ask Chu Lishu if he wanted to continue eating when he noticed that there was only one chopstick left in Chu Lishu’s hand.
Seeing Lin Qingyang looking over, Chu Lishu smiled faintly, “I got a little scared just now, didn’t hold the chopsticks steadily, and dropped one.”
I don’t believe it!
Lin Qingyang remembered the fall that Wang Tong’en had just taken, and his back tensed up. Even though the male lead temporarily lost his martial arts due to medication, his skills were not to be underestimated. The precision, control of angles, and the silence in his movements were remarkable.
Afterward, the two of them didn’t eat, and they went straight to Bamboo Garden to wait for the literary class.
Shortly after, Qi Yan also arrived. Although he didn’t join the commotion, he witnessed people being punished.
“Hey, let me tell you, it was so exciting. Wang Tong’en and Cheng Yi actually broke their noses, it was like they both met their match. I was laughing so hard. Both of them were taken away by their families. They probably won’t be able to come back for quite some time. But I heard that before leaving, these two guys made fierce vows and directly scheduled a cuju match a month later. They plan to settle their scores when they return!”
Lin Qingyang really wanted to applaud. Chu Lishu not only avenged him but also intensified the conflict, killing two birds with one stone.
After class, Lin Qingyang maintained a good mood until lunchtime when Shuncai found him.
When Shuncai saw Lin Qingyang not with Chu Lishu, he felt somewhat puzzled. “Young Master Chu…”
“He went to report the matter of being punished to the head master, what happened?”
Shuncai quickly explained the situation. Upon hearing this, Lin Qingyang’s expression changed slightly, and he immediately rushed to Chu Lishu’s courtyard with Shuncai.
On the way, they encountered Xu Wenze in a friend’s courtyard.
Seeing Lin Qingyang in a hurry, Xu Wenze thought something had happened to Chu Lishu and followed him.
Upon reaching the door, they found that there were luggage bags stacked in front of Chu Lishu’s courtyard.
Shuncai approached and knocked on the door. A student with an unhappy expression opened it. Upon seeing Lin Qingyang outside, his face immediately turned unpleasant. “What do you want again?”
“Who gave you the right to touch Chu Lishu’s belongings? What qualifies you to throw someone’s things out? Is this your personal courtyard?” Lin Qingyang exclaimed angrily.
If it weren’t for Shuncai discovering and delivering the items in advance, when Chu Lishu came over, it would be equivalent to being publicly humiliated. Although there was the barrier of the Moon Cave Gate between their courtyards, their location had a lot of foot traffic, and the potential impact was terrible.
“This is my freedom, right? I don’t want to be roommates with him. After he wrote that kind of thing, I don’t want to be implicated, and I definitely don’t want to offend Young Master Cheng,” the other person retorted.
He was just an ordinary young master from a prestigious family and naturally didn’t want to get into trouble. Chu Lishu’s status was not significant enough in his eyes, so he took action against Chu Lishu to draw a clear line.
“Everyone is from the same school; there’s no need to act like this. It’s not the behavior of a gentleman,” Xu Wenze also heard and naturally stepped forward to help mediate.
“We are from the same school, but I am of low status and easily criticized. Please don’t make things difficult for me. I just want to peacefully finish my studies without causing trouble for my family,” the other party insisted with a sense of grievance.
Although Lin Qingyang was angry, he couldn’t force the other person. After all, their concerns were valid. Just as he was troubled, a sudden sound echoed in his mind.
【Main Mission 1, Mission 2: Help arrange for the male lead to share a courtyard with the character Xu Wenze.】
Share a courtyard? The male lead and Xu Wenze as roommates?
At that moment, Xu Wenze said, “It seems we can only exchange courtyards. Let’s just switch.”
Lin Qingyang’s eyes lit up instantly. The first three missions were indeed simple; were they giving him points? Xu Wenze was truly his lucky star.
“Oh, that would be inconvenient,” Lin Qingyang suppressed a smile, maintaining his expression.
“I don’t mind at all,” Xu Wenze said modestly, then turned to the other person, “I’ll be your roommate. Is that okay?”
Lin Qingyang: ????? Wait a minute? Something seems off. If Xu Wenze comes here… doesn’t that mean I’ll be roommates with the male lead!
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