Chapter 160
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“Is… Is that really our master?” Lu Shi asked, tightly gripping Lu Yi’s arm, his eyes red and trembling.
Lu Yi felt the urgency and tension within, but he forced himself to stay calm.
Their master was being treated disrespectfully by bandits, and it was unbearable for them. However, they clearly saw that their master, who was fully capable of fighting back, didn’t resist at all. Instead, he assumed a posture of acquiescence. How could they intervene in such a situation?
It’s no wonder Lu Shi would ask such a question; Lu Yi was even starting to doubt whether their master had swapped the bride at the last minute, and the person in the bridal attire was not their master at all.
Suddenly, Lu Yi inexplicably thought of Lin Qingyang. He considered that perhaps only Lin Qingyang could make their master compromise like this. However, the person in front of them was not Lin Qingyang. How could their master subject himself to such humiliation?
At the same time, the Dai siblings were also dumbfounded. While they knew he was trying to protect his family, this situation was just too awkward.
Seeing Lin Qingyang retreat again, Dai Xueyang quickly shouted, “Second Master is eager to enter the bridal chamber, everyone, don’t block the way!”
Amidst the cheering, Lin Qingyang directly carried Chu Lishu horizontally and stepped out.
The Dai siblings started the revelry, encouraging everyone to drink. Only the Master stared closely at the departing figures, feeling uncertain.
Although there was still a maidservant following them, the situation was relatively safer than in the main hall.
Lin Qingyang leaned close to the red veil and whispered, “Cousin, endure a little longer.”
The red veil turned slightly, a soft response escaping.
Finally back in the courtyard, the maidservant hurried forward, helping to open the door. Lin Qingyang successfully brought Chu Lishu into the bridal chamber, placing him on the festively decorated red bedding.
Chu Lishu lay on the bed, while Lin Qingyang sat on the bedstead. With a wave of his hand, the maidservants exited the room, closing the door behind them.
The room finally quieted down, and Lin Qingyang quickly turned around, only to find Chu Lishu had already lifted the red veil, staring directly at him.
“Why are you here?”
Lin Qingyang immediately grinned awkwardly. Chu Lishu had sat up, extended his hand toward him, and removed his mask, gazing at him with flickering eyes.
Whether it was Lin Qingyang’s imagination or not, the eerie feeling of being stared at disappeared instantly.
“Don’t talk about me first. How are you? Is the paralysis from the drug relieved? I have an antidote here, and I…”
“Why are you here!” Chu Lishu’s voice suddenly became stern, completely devoid of the previous gentleness. He had noticed the bruises in the areas just covered by the mask. It was evident that Lin Qingyang was not unharmed when he came up, and who knew how many injuries he had sustained in places not visible.
Seeing that Chu Lishu was truly angry, Lin Qingyang immediately confessed, recounting the whole sequence of events. At the end, he couldn’t help but say, “I… I’m not happy either. You let Cousin Liu keep an eye on me, yet you encountered such danger yourself. Tell me, if I hadn’t come, what would have happened to the Eldest Prince’s plan and how would you be now? I can still be of help.”
Chu Lishu, however, was distressed by his numerous risks. “You are indeed lucky, but if any of those experiences had gone wrong, would you still be alive to see me? Couldn’t you have listened to me?”
Lin Qingyang pursed his lips, looking at him. Clearly, he wasn’t planning to heed his words. In the past, Chu Lishu could scold him with a cold face, but now, he found it increasingly difficult to be harsh on him. After all, Lin Qingyang was doing all this for him. How could he bring himself to dampen his spirits?
Unable to resist, Chu Lishu reached out to wipe away the dust from Lin Qingyang’s face. “If the Eldest Prince dies, so be it. I’m here to change the future plan. My purpose in entering was to be intentionally captured. I had probed Wu Xin Mountain before, but my knowledge of the internal situation was limited. Knowing that there was currently no possibility of rescue, I entered to ensure that the other two wouldn’t be killed.”
In fact, long before Yuan Ran disguised himself as Chu Lishu and returned to the capital, Chu Lishu had already discovered the situation at Wu Xin Mountain. Based on his understanding of the royal family, he knew that it would inevitably become a training ground for the princes in the future. He had to use everything he knew, observed, and considered to achieve the effect of undermining the three major families. Therefore, at that time, he had already formed a plan to elevate those who needed to be elevated and suppress those who needed to be suppressed. The only thing undecided was when to set this trap in motion.
As a result, the flooding incident triggered conflicts, and Chu Lishu felt that his plan was most suitable in this context. However, as clever as he was in understanding the minds of intelligent individuals, he couldn’t always accurately grasp the psychology of fools. This time, he was completely unexpectedly duped by Yuan Ye and the Third Prince, giving Wu Xin Mountain an opportunity and causing a reversal of the situation.
Having just received the military report, he saw the bandit attack. To control the situation, he pretended to be knocked unconscious and taken away. With the situation changing unexpectedly, Lu Yi and Lu Shi had to hastily return to cooperate with protecting him. Therefore, most of the time, he was playing along with the situation.
Listening to Chu Lishu’s explanation, Lin Qingyang found it somewhat unbelievable. “Even so, you shouldn’t sacrifice yourself to marry another man, right?”
Chu Lishu was momentarily stunned but couldn’t help smirking, wanting to tease Lin Qingyang a bit. “What does it matter if it’s a temporary measure?”
“Of course… it’s not okay.” Lin Qingyang was a bit dumbfounded. Could it be that he took things too seriously? Was Chu Lishu really so adaptable?
“I originally planned to assassinate the Second Master before the formal ceremony, framing their Master for the crime.”
Thinking that he would be grouped with other hostages when captured, Chu Lishu was surprised to find that it was the Second Master who personally detained him. The Second Master showed an inappropriate interest in him, kept him in separate custody, and even tried to please him, intending to marry him.
For Chu Lishu, who had just entered and quickly analyzed the situation here, the first thing that came to his mind was the separation plan. The Master here was skilled in poisoning and mechanism formations, so he decided to use poison against him. As long as he poisoned the Second Master on the spot, suspicion would naturally not turn to him as the immobilized hostage. A conflict would arise between the head of the family and the Master. At that time, nobody would pay attention to him, and he might be placed with other hostages. He could then wait for the situation to become chaotic before proceeding with other plans.
Listening to Chu Lishu’s original plan, Lin Qingyang felt instantly embarrassed.
Chu Lishu looked at Lin Qingyang, feeling a flutter in his heart. In fact, he knew that Lin Qingyang didn’t want him to be married to someone else. He reached out and grabbed Lin Qingyang’s hand, saying, “I won’t argue with you this time. In the future, don’t take risks without contacting me, okay?”
Lin Qingyang felt awkward with this statement. Indeed, he didn’t want Chu Lishu to marry the bandits; that would be a great insult to him. However, the main concern was the fear that the Master would harm Chu Lishu. If he had known that Chu Lishu was the one who made the first move, he would have chosen to watch from the outside, not wanting to disrupt Chu Lishu’s plans.
“I didn’t mean to be so reckless. In fact, the Dai siblings told me that Master would definitely poison you during the ceremony. And just then, I happened to knock out the Second Master…”
“What did you say?” Chu Lishu’s tone suddenly changed.
Lin Qingyang was taken aback. “The Second Master, didn’t I just mention it? I knocked out the Second Master with Dai Heng.”
Suddenly, Chu Lishu grabbed Lin Qingyang’s arm, pulling them closer. “You said Master wanted to poison me. What about the toast… What did you do? You’ve been poisoned!”
Chu Lishu, being very intelligent, quickly realized what Lin Qingyang had done. His mood took a sudden turn, a rush of anxiety overcoming him. He hastily searched for the antidote he had brought with him, but then remembered that he had already used it earlier to counteract the effects of another poison.
Chu Lishu’s face changed drastically.
Seeing his urgency, Lin Qingyang quickly grabbed him and said, “I’m fine. I took an antidote; the wine was indeed poisoned, but the poison has been neutralized.”
Chu Lishu stared blankly at Lin Qingyang, a hint of redness in his eyes, as if he had been hurt.
Seeing this expression, Lin Qingyang suddenly felt at a loss.
“I told you not to… for me…” Chu Lishu spoke slowly, each word seemingly fueled by flames, but then suddenly, his pupils contracted.
Surprisingly, Lin Qingyang coughed, and there were traces of blood at the corners of his mouth. The expression on Chu Lishu’s face instantly turned hollow.
“It’s okay, it’s okay, the blood is from vomiting out the detoxified blood,” Lin Qingyang said hastily, wiping it away with his hand.
But in the next moment, he was captivated by the overwhelming aura enveloping him.
Lin Qingyang looked at Chu Lishu, who was emitting a hostile aura, feeling somewhat uneasy, as if he had genuinely angered him.
However, Chu Lishu, with vacant eyes, stared at him. At that moment, he looked remarkably like he did every time he lost control.
Just as Lin Qingyang was about to speak, suddenly, Chu Lishu swiftly pulled him into an embrace, tightly holding him with one hand and cutting off any escape route. With the other hand, Chu Lishu gripped Lin Qingyang’s chin, lifting it forcefully.
In that instant, Lin Qingyang was left stunned.
What is happening? Why does this posture feel so familiar?
His field of vision seemed to narrow in an instant, and Lin Qingyang could only see the approaching, slightly parted lips.
Instinctively, Lin Qingyang wanted to pull back, but Chu Lishu’s hand was like a vice, firmly holding him in place.
In that moment, a sensation of pain spread through his lips.
For the first time in such a clear state of mind…
Lin Qingyang was utterly dumbfounded, so much so that he forgot to close his teeth, and in an instant, an intrusion occurred.
The kiss, carrying a heated intensity, began almost like a punishment.
Lin Qingyang felt like he was in a dream, unable to believe what he was experiencing.
Every part of his mouth was explored, as if a wildfire had swept through, taking away Lin Qingyang’s breath and leaving behind Chu Lishu’s essence.
He was completely taken over.
Chu Lishu, already overwhelmed by his emotions, didn’t care about anything anymore. Even if it meant revealing his true feelings, he didn’t mind.
Seeing Lin Qingyang spitting blood, thinking about how he had drunk the poisoned wine on his behalf, it made Chu Lishu lose his rationality even more than Lin Qingyang’s disobedience had. It felt like a piece of his heart had been knocked out. He didn’t want Lin Qingyang to get hurt for him; he just wanted Lin Qingyang to stay safe by his side.
Poisoned wine?
Then he would absorb all the remaining poison from Lin Qingyang’s mouth, reclaiming the cup of wine they had shared. He wanted this fool to know that if he dared to take risks for him, then he was ready to face life and death together.
Let’s see if he would still dare to act recklessly.
At this moment, it felt like only such a deadly kiss could suppress the anger raging within Chu Lishu’s body.
However, at that moment, a warning signal sounded from the roof, indicating that someone was attempting to break in.
Chu Lishu impatiently opened his eyes, a wild restlessness flashing in them, as if a tiger interrupted during its meal, full of a murderous aura.
The determination to protect Lin Qingyang prevailed over his spiraling emotions.
Taking advantage of the embrace, Chu Lishu rolled into the bedding with Lin Qingyang, burying them both as a response to the intrusion.
The kiss didn’t stop.
In no time, there was a faint sound of opening windows, quickly passing by.
As the blanket covered them, their vision turned completely black.
Lin Qingyang didn’t know what was happening, but he slowly began to process the recent events, feeling a buzzing sensation in his head.
How could Chu Lishu… how could he… was his head stuck by the door?
Did he lose his sanity again? Didn’t he used to resort to violence first when he lost control before? How did it escalate to this now?
Chu Lishu pressed down on him, keeping an eye on the situation outside, gradually regaining his composure. The idea of absorbing the poison gradually faded from his mind. He should have let go of Lin Qingyang, but the soft and vulnerable sensation between their lips made it hard for him to resist. It shattered his self-control, and he couldn’t help but want to continue savoring the moment.
Only the ambiguous sound of ripples escaped from their lips. Chu Lishu could sense Lin Qingyang’s struggling resistance, but there was also an element of yielding, creating an effect that stirred his emotions.
“Lin… Qingyang?” Suddenly, a voice came from outside. The person seemed uncertain about the scene before them.
These two people… are they acting? Why are they rolling inside the blankets? Those exposed strands of hair, it seem like they’re entwined together?
And that voice, it’s…
Dai Heng blushed uncontrollably at the unexpected sight.
Upon hearing the voice, Lin Qingyang immediately snapped back to reality. Already embarrassed to the point of brain freeze, he felt even more stimulated now. He quickly pushed Chu Lishu away.
Chu Lishu also guessed that it might be the Dai siblings who had helped Lin Qingyang. He directly lifted the blanket.
In that instant, Dai Heng, standing by the bed, instinctively covered his eyes, as if afraid of witnessing any provocative scenes.
“Dai Heng!”
Lin Qingyang felt a mix of confusion and couldn’t bring himself to look at Chu Lishu beside him. He couldn’t make sense of the recent actions, so he desperately tried to divert his gaze, feeling utterly embarrassed. Even the occasional stolen thoughts made him feel self-conscious. Now that it was actually happening, he felt like finding a hole to hide in. What is Chu Lishu thinking?
Looking at him now, it doesn’t seem like he completely lost his sanity!
How could he have gone through with it?
Could it be… that he was influenced by his own character setting and became bend?
Impossible! A typical male lead character setting, a potential homophobe, how could…
Listening to Dai Heng speak, Lin Qingyang could only reluctantly focus on the conversation. However, Chu Lishu’s presence beside him was still too overwhelming. He couldn’t get his head around it, feeling a distinct sensation between their lips.
This time was different from before; he felt like everything was not okay.
“Are you both okay? Currently, the patriarch hasn’t discovered anything, but my sister said that Master is acting strangely. He should have poisoned the wine just now. Haven’t you been poisoned?”
As soon as this was mentioned, Chu Lishu quickly grasped Lin Qingyang’s pulse. However, Lin Qingyang’s heart suddenly tightened. Although he wasn’t skilled in medicine, he could still sense a bit. Lin Qingyang’s pulse…
“Why is it so fast? The poison hasn’t been neutralized yet. What antidote did you take?” Chu Lishu immediately became anxious.
But when he looked up, he saw that Lin Qingyang didn’t dare to meet his gaze. With red ears, Lin Qingyang stammered, “No, I’ve been detoxified. It’s really detoxified. I didn’t…”
Chu Lishu also realized what happened. It was… the kiss… that caused the accelerated pulse.
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