Chapter 145
<Previous Chapter<Table of Contents>Next Chapter>
While they were out for dinner, the atmosphere outside had obviously changed from before. There was a continuous flow of people entering and exiting a certain residence, indicating that they had received some urgent news or were sending something. The commoners were not quite sure about the situation and assumed it was preparations for tonight’s prayers. After all, sometimes these psychological aspects could have an impact.
The lantern-lighting prayers were scheduled for later, and when they finished their dinner and came out, Lin Qingyang noticed that the illumination here was quite exceptional. Although there weren’t many lanterns, the strategic placement of each one maximized the lighting effect. It was evident that someone with intent had designed this setup.
Lin Qingyang couldn’t help but glance at the person beside him.
Chu Lishu noticed Lin Qingyang’s eyes twinkling and staring at him, asking, “What’s wrong?”
Because of the hustle and bustle around, Lin Qingyang couldn’t speak directly. He could only lean in towards Chu Lishu’s ear and whispered, “The lighting design here is really amazing.”
Chu Lishu was slightly surprised, and a faint smile appeared on his lips. “Oh, really? It’s just average.”
Seeing Chu Lishu’s reaction, Lin Qingyang couldn’t help but chuckle. It seemed that even the Crown Prince liked to be secretly praised behind his back. After all, it felt more genuine than praise given directly.
“What secrets are you two whispering about?” Qi Yan turned around and shouted, ruining the moment.
Both Chu Lishu and Lin Qingyang suppressed their smiles and shook their heads.
Qi Yan cut in, “Let’s go back first. Anyway, we still have to wait for a while.”
Lin Qingyang was about to suggest that Qi Yan give them some space, as he hadn’t forgotten about his mission. He wasn’t sure if his desperate struggle would be effective. However, Chu Lishu spoke up first, “You go back first. My cousin and I will explore around.”
Lin Qingyang was puzzled, not quite understanding Chu Lishu’s proposal. Was he genuinely interested in exploring or planning something else? However, since he invited Lin Qingyang, it probably wouldn’t involve anything too excessive.
Qi Yan grinned, and his suggestive gaze traveled between them. “Sure, I won’t disturb your romantic moments.”
Lin Qingyang flipped him the middle finger, and Qi Yan returned the gesture.
Turning back, he saw Chu Lishu looking at him. “I often see you two making this gesture. What does it mean?”
Lin Qingyang hesitated, feeling that teaching someone with Chu Lishu’s artistic temperament this kind of gesture was a bit odd.
“Oh, is it a little secret between you two? Something I’m not allowed to know?” Chu Lishu said with a hint of mystery.
Okay, the main character’s suspicious nature was acting up again, not even letting go of such trivial matters.
Lin Qingyang awkwardly explained, and Chu Lishu indeed made a strange expression, then looked at him with an expression of helplessness.
Lin Qingyang chuckled nervously and quickly asked, “You mentioned looking around, what are we looking at?”
“Aren’t you interested in the design here? I’ll show you around in detail.”
Lin Qingyang blinked and, seeing Chu Lishu’s natural expression, began to believe that the male lead didn’t have any ulterior motives. He was genuinely showing him the thoughtful details that Yuan Ran had put into this place. It was as if a child, praised for their possessions, started showcasing their belongings to prove that the other person’s praise was accurate.
Unexpectedly, the male lead had such a side, somewhat cute.
Listening to him speak with a fair tone, casually introducing the ingenious ideas in each detail, Lin Qingyang couldn’t help but suppress his laughter along the way.
“Here is a mechanism. Usually, it stores rainwater. When it accumulates to a certain amount, it flows down below, infiltrating the underground garden. So, it will maintain a constant level inside. The stored water is just enough for emergency firefighting in case of an accidental fire, especially since there are too many books here. Once a fire breaks out, it would be troublesome.”
“So, that’s why there are pipes above each building, precisely controlling where to extinguish the fire? And it can also isolate the source of the fire?” Lin Qingyang was once again amazed.
Lin Qingyang already had talent in drawing, and he quickly grasped the understanding of spatial structures. So, when he saw it, he immediately made connections. This was an advanced fire prevention system in ancient times. No wonder he was the person who discussed waterwheel transformations with the Craftsman God. This idea was truly ingenious, and it probably would have instantly impressed Chang Jun if he had seen it.
Yuan Ran understood the importance of talent, so he cared a lot about the candidates participating in the imperial examinations. Strictly speaking, this place had achieved the pinnacle in terms of soundproofing, lighting, ventilation, fire prevention, and more. It provided the best experience in terms of safety and comfort, a testament to his careful consideration. Moreover, looking at all the designs, they weren’t actually troublesome, nor did they require a large amount of funding or materials. Everything was a meticulous design, like this one, which didn’t even require manual water storage, relying on the natural rainwater supply.
Lin Qingyang was truly amazed by Yuan Ran’s talent. How perfect of a person he was!
“But I haven’t heard of any fires in recent years. This should have been tested during the initial construction, and afterward, there hasn’t been a chance to use it. I wonder if it can still function,” Chu Lishu said as he touched the outer layer of the enormous water tank.
Lin Qingyang looked at Chu Lishu, thinking that perhaps Yuan Ran had stood here years ago, contemplating whether this design might fail due to aging and result in an accident.
“Such an impressive design won’t easily fail. I believe in him,” Lin Qingyang couldn’t help but say.
Chu Lishu turned around, smiled at Lin Qingyang, but his eyes gradually deepened. Leaning against the outer layer of the water tank with a casual and carefree posture, he said, “There won’t be anyone coming here; it’s just the two of us.”
Lin Qingyang was taken aback.
Then Chu Lishu said, “You’ve been wanting to tell me something, haven’t you? Go ahead.”
Lin Qingyang couldn’t help but widen his eyes, but then he realized that it made sense. He had been hesitating to speak several times; he was smart, there was no way Chu Lishu wouldn’t notice.
“Well… I came up with a good plan to set up Yuan Ye,” Lin Qingyang confessed.
They were assisting the Fourth Prince, so it was only natural to find ways to trap people from the other three households. Chu Lishu wasn’t surprised; he just gestured with his eyes for Lin Qingyang to continue.
“After all, his identity is awkward. We can target his reputation and damage it. It might shake his position as the Crown Prince.”
Chu Lishu’s expression subtly changed. He couldn’t believe Lin Qingyang had thought of the same thing. Was it because they were too close, resulting in some kind of telepathy?
“Go on,” Chu Lishu urged.
“I can’t, not right now,” Lin Qingyang replied.
Chu Lishu looked at Lin Qingyang in confusion. Lin Qingyang awkwardly scratched his head, “I’ve only figured out the goal. For the specific plan, we need more input from others. Haha.”
Chu Lishu stared at Lin Qingyang with a helpless expression.
Lin Qingyang chuckled, “Let’s think together, but try not to involve innocent people…”
Chu Lishu had indeed come up with a plan earlier, but he reconsidered later. However, hearing Lin Qingyang’s words, he decided to stick with the initial plan. He couldn’t determine whether that person was innocent or not, but using a woman’s innocence to achieve their goal might bother Lin Qingyang.
While thinking about this, Chu Lishu was about to share his revised plan with Lin Qingyang when suddenly his expression changed. He grabbed Lin Qingyang and hurriedly pulled him to the corridor.
“What…” Lin Qingyang was puzzled, but Chu Lishu turned around, covering Lin Qingyang’s mouth and pressing him against a pillar, trying to minimize their presence and looking alert.
Lin Qingyang couldn’t discern the situation but knew that something was happening. He tried his best to cooperate with Chu Lishu’s actions. Suddenly, several strange gusts of wind blew by, and Chu Lishu’s gaze shifted from one direction to another, clearly observing something.
After a while, Chu Lishu finally released Lin Qingyang.
Surprised, Lin Qingyang asked, “What happened?”
“There’s a group of people passing by on the roof. Either they are shadow guards or assassins,” Chu Lishu said.
Lin Qingyang widened his eyes immediately.
“Rest assured, it’s probably unrelated to us, maybe just passing by,” Chu Lishu said, feigning ease.
Lin Qingyang exclaimed, “It’s really unsafe in the dark night.”
“Anyway, it’s not safe where there are fewer people. Let’s go back.” After saying this, Chu Lishu pulled Lin Qingyang back.
However, when they reached a crowded area, Chu Lishu spoke again, “There’s still some time before the prayer ceremony. You go back to find Qi Yan; I happen to have something to discuss with Mr. Cao.”
Lin Qingyang nodded as usual, but he couldn’t shake off a subtle unease. He watched Chu Lishu hurriedly leave.
Watching Chu Lishu walk away, Lin Qingyang felt inexplicably restless, but quickly realized that his anxiety was unnecessary. Regardless of what Chu Lishu was going to do, he would naturally be cautious. Moreover, Chu Lishu had experienced many dangerous situations before avoiding him, and he always managed to come out unscathed. Therefore, Lin Qingyang had no reason to panic. After all, he still had Lu Yi and Lu Shi, the two guards who protected him.
Lin Qingyang thought about it again and felt that was the case. He decided to go back and wait for news.
Wait a minute, could the male lead be… going to design a scene for catching an affair?
Did he ultimately fail to prevent something from happening?
On the other side, Chu Lishu had already arrived at the backyard. Lu Yi and Lu Shi had been assigned other tasks by him, leaving him to investigate the situation alone.
Utilizing his knowledge of the area, Chu Lishu cleverly avoided all eyes. As long as no one came down to search, there was minimal danger. He reached the spot where the group of men in black had gathered, and a sense of danger permeated the air.
Soon, the scent of blood and some faint noises reached him.
A corpse dropped silently, landing in the courtyard, dressed in the attire of the palace’s Shadow Guards.
Silently and without a trace, the slaughter began.
Chu Lishu knew that one of the factions must be the Shadow Guards specifically guarding Yuan Ye. Yuan Ye had secretly come here, which meant that someone knew about Yuan Ye’s whereabouts and sent people to assassinate him. Such covert actions were indeed prone to assassination attempts.
For the weakest Fourth Prince’s faction, assassinating one of them would only lead to the rapid expansion of the other two. For the weaker side, the best approach was to gradually turn the other three into weaker factions.
So, the ones attempting to assassinate Yuan Ye were likely from the Eldest Prince’s and the Third Prince’s factions.
Chu Lishu’s expression turned slightly grim. Trouble. If Yuan Ye were to be killed here, the plan for manipulating the imperial exam through cheating would undoubtedly be ruined.
However, Chu Lishu wasn’t foolish enough to risk getting involved for Yuan Ye’s safety. It seemed he could only hope that Yuan Ye’s subordinates would be useful. Both sides preferred to avoid making a scene, and as long as Yuan Ye’s people eliminated the assassins, the situation here would return to normal.
Chu Lishu knew he couldn’t control the situation here and needed to withdraw quickly for safety. At least, he had obtained firsthand information, and he needed to figure out how to maximize the advantages of the situation for himself.
Just as he was about to retreat, a sudden gust of cold wind swept through, and Chu Lishu swiftly rolled to the side. He had been discovered.
The intruder was dressed in an assassin’s black attire, devoid of any distinguishing marks, but unquestionably a formidable expert. Chu Lishu lacked inner energy and relied solely on his techniques and finely-honed senses developed through training. Against ordinary martial artists, like the typical palace guards, he could catch them off guard with a surprise move, but facing a true master, he could only resist a few strikes at most.
The assassin narrowed his eyes, launching a ruthless attack.
It was evident that he had been sent down to find Yuan Ye, representing the superior strength of the assassins. Yuan Ye’s people were simply no match.
Chu Lishu’s mind raced, finding it unreasonable. Even if Yuan Ye engaged in illicit activities, he should be aware that many people wanted him dead. He should have brought enough security guards with him. Were the guards not stationed in more than one place?
In the midst of his escape, he had exhausted all the hidden weapons on his person and could only barely fend off the attacks.
Suddenly, a powerful kick struck him in the abdomen, causing significant injury, and he tumbled to the ground.
As a glint of cold light flashed, Chu Lishu’s expression changed. Was he going to die? To perish in an assassination meant for someone else. Perhaps he shouldn’t have taken this risk.
He still needed to go… see the lanterns…
Rapidly, an unusual shade of red accumulated in Chu Lishu’s eyes, as if something were about to break free.
At that moment, a familiar figure swiftly passed through his field of vision.
Chu Lishu quickly regained clarity. His pupils shook as he sensed someone approaching behind the assassin. Turning abruptly to defend, the killer found a lantern flying towards him, disrupting his vision.
Although he managed to split the lantern, it turned out to be filled with sand. In the dispersal, it directly blinded the assassin’s eyes.
It was Lin Qingyang wielding a blade he had picked up, his face pale faced with urgency.
Even though the assassin’s eyes were temporarily impaired, facing Lin Qingyang, who lacked martial skills, was still effortless. With a swing of his blade, Lin Qingyang’s knife was knocked away.
With the next strike, he could end a life.
Suddenly, a different killing intent emerged from behind. The assassin felt a chill in his heart. The person who was just incapacitated should have had broken ribs from his kick. How could he still move?
As the assassin faced his demise, he managed to give a signal to his comrades.
Lin Qingyang didn’t react in time and was pulled away from the scene by Chu Lishu.
They couldn’t escape the assassins, so Chu Lishu, relying on his familiarity with the area, led Lin Qingyang in circles. Suddenly, he noticed a partially open window. After confirming no one was inside, Chu Lishu jumped in, bringing Lin Qingyang with him.
Lin Qingyang quickly closed the window, relieved that neither of them had any visible injuries. However, when he turned around, he saw Chu Lishu clutching the side of his abdomen, leaning against the wall, visibly weakened.
“Cousin…” Lin Qingyang exclaimed, quickly approaching Chu Lishu, concerned about the severity of his condition.
Lin Qingyang had located the male lead quickly by using the system’s navigation function, and he didn’t expect such an unexpected event to occur.
Normally, the male lead rarely faced accidents in the original plot unless there were deviations due to the butterfly effect. Could there be some plot changes here?
Chu Lishu’s face was pale. He looked up at Lin Qingyang with a mixture of shock and urgency. “Didn’t I tell you to go back just now?”
Lin Qingyang was surprised. He expected the male lead to question him about why he was following him since, in the past, the male lead would become suspicious whenever he noticed Lin Qingyang’s mysterious movements. However, this time, there was no suspicion, which was unexpected.
“I went to find you at Mr. Cao’s place, couldn’t locate you, got lost, and heard some commotion, so…”
“Hush.” Chu Lishu interrupted Lin Qingyang, signaling him to be quiet.
Lin Qingyang thought the assassin had arrived, but then he heard several muffled grunts from outside. Soon after, a proud voice echoed, “Humph, attempting to assassinate me? Investigate thoroughly who these people are!”
That was Yuan Ye’s voice.
Judging by the footsteps, he had brought another group of experts to help him clear out this place. Apparently, the ones on the rooftop initially weren’t all his subordinates.
Since the assassins chasing them had been dealt with, Yuan Ye probably wasn’t aware of their presence here.
Soon after, Yuan Ye’s voice was heard again, but this time the tone was completely different. “Rouyin, I’m sorry for scaring you.”
Immediately, a weak voice sounded, “You should leave, don’t come looking for me again.”
Sure enough, Yuan Ye was entangled with Jing Rouyin.
Just as they were pondering, footsteps approached their location. Lin Qingyang was alarmed to realize that the room they were in was actually Jing Rouyin’s inner chamber. It seemed like the system had cleverly arranged for the male lead to follow the plot.
They couldn’t afford exposure. In such a situation, being exposed would undoubtedly lead to being silenced.
As Lin Qingyang fretted, Chu Lishu gave him a tug.
Turning around, Lin Qingyang saw Chu Lishu covering his abdomen with one hand, guiding him further into the room with the other.
Lin Qingyang thought they were going to find a hiding place, but after a quick glance inside, he realized there was no good place to hide. However, Chu Lishu insisted on pulling him onto the bed.
Was he supposed to hide under the blankets? That would only work if the person coming in was blind!
The sound of the door opening came from the outer room, and inside, Chu Lishu had already climbed onto the bed.
While Lin Qingyang was getting anxious, he saw Chu Lishu turning something, and suddenly, the wall on the side of the bed opened with a swoosh. Inside, there was a small space, the same length as the bed but a bit narrow and short, filled with gold, silver, jewels, and antique paintings.
Now, Chu Lishu didn’t need to pull Lin Qingyang; he quickly squeezed into the space. Due to the limited space, the person entering first had to lie down, and Lin Qingyang ended up on top. However, Lin Qingyang remembered that Chu Lishu was injured, so he tried to hover over him without putting too much pressure.
The secret door swooshed closed, and the two were completely confined, unable to move, but the sounds from outside were clearly audible.
As Yuan Ye arrived with Jing Rouyin, the room’s door closed.
“Crown Prince, please stop bothering me. Your actions are making things difficult for me. Have you forgotten my past identity? Please leave,” Jing Rouyin’s voice sounded, with a firm tone.
“Rouyin, I sincerely love you. I’ve liked you before, as you know. It’s just that the current circumstances limit me. Once I ascend the throne, I will definitely marry you as my queen,” Yuan Ye earnestly declared. “And please, don’t call me Crown Prince; call me Yuan Ye. When you address me like that, it feels like you’re calling someone else. Are you still thinking about him?”
“The dead are gone, and the lights are extinguished. Crown Prince, it’s better not to bring up the past,” Jing Rouyin replied.
“Rouyin!”
“Ah, no, please, Crown Prince, you promised never to offend me!”
“Lin Qingyang was a man.”
“Chu Lishu is Chu Lishu.”
“Rouyin, I liked you. Let me hug you gently, just a light hug.”
“Yuan Ye… don’t be like this. My status will bring trouble to you. We won’t have a future. Give up on me.”
Lin Qingyang listened with a burst of anger, feeling that Yuan Ye was shameless. He was about to exchange glances with Chu Lishu with his eyes, but in the instant her gaze shifted downward, Lin Qingyang froze.
Although there was only dim light, it was enough to see the person’s pale face. He exhaled slowly, moistening their lips, seemingly adjusting to the pain on their body. Hus ink-black eyebrows slightly furrowed, eyes filled with the watery glow of pain. He looked at Lin Qingyang with a weak gaze, a fragile and pitifully alluring sickly beauty perfectly displayed. This sight made Lin Qingyang momentarily dazed, neglecting everything happening outside.
If you love what Ciacia is doing, then consider showing your support by supporting a cup of tea for her at Kofi. If you can’t wait for the next release chapter, subscribe to advanced chapters membership on her Kofi to get access to up to 10 chapters!
<Previous Chapter<Table of Contents>Next Chapter>
Lin qingyang was a man, chu lishu is chu lishu?
I don’t quite understand this dialogue