Chapter 34
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When Lin Qingyang saw Yu Zhang, the latter rushed toward him dramatically, as if he had finally encountered his long-awaited love. His eyes were teary, creating a pitiable scene, as if he were a heartbroken lover.
“Young Master Lin, you finally came. Yu Zhang missed you so much,” Yu Zhang said, his voice filled with emotion.
Lin Qingyang, suppressing his true feelings, patted Yu Zhang reassuringly. “I’m here now, aren’t I?”
Yu Zhang released Lin Qingyang, wiping away tears with a handkerchief while shyly smiling. “Yu Zhang has been waiting for so long. Will Young Master Lin stay with me tonight?”
“Of course,” Lin Qingyang replied with a smile. The familiar fragrance in the air, which had revived his spirits on the journey here, surrounded him.
As Yu Zhang entered the room alone, Lin Qingyang recognized it from the memories of the original body. Whenever he came here in the past, it was always in this room where Yu Zhang would accompany him, making him laugh and cheering him up. After drinking to their heart’s content, the memories would start to blur.
The next morning, he would wake up in bed with a sleeping Yu Zhang in his arms, feeling both physically exhausted and thoroughly satisfied. The events of the night were obvious without needing to be spoken.
Since the first time the original body came here with Qi Yan, encountering Yu Zhang, he had only sought Yu Zhang as a partner from start to finish. Qi Yan had teased him about not trying something new, but it seemed the original body was enamored only with Yu Zhang.
This time, Lin Qingyang had come later than usual, more than half a month overdue. Compared to his memories, Yu Zhang seemed even more passionate this time.
“Young Master, it’s warm inside. You can take off your outer robe,” Yu Zhang said softly, moving forward and reaching out to help Lin Qingyang undress.
Although it was framed as undressing, it felt more like an intimate dance. Every touch and caress exuded sensuality. Lin Qingyang endured the discomfort, cooperating while carefully observing this person.
As in his memories, Yu Zhang liked wearing pink, yet he wasn’t overly seductive. His ink-black silky hair hung loosely, with a single jade hairpin securing a simple bun. His pretty face bore a slight resemblance to Xu Wenze. His fair and tender skin seemed almost touchable, and a captivating smile adorned his lips. When he lifted his gaze, the rippling eyes, especially when they met Lin Qingyang’s, exuded a flirtatious charm.
“Young Master, staring at me like this, are you perhaps planning to devour me?” Yu Zhang teased while delicately leaning against Lin Qingyang. “Young Master, have you lost weight? Have you been feeling unwell lately?”
“Well, I have been experiencing some discomfort…” Lin Qingyang listed a series of symptoms, but Yu Zhang remained unfazed. “Oh, that’s quite serious. But tonight, I see that Young Master’s complexion is good. Could it be that after seeing Yu Zhang, you feel much more comfortable?”
“It does seem like it,” Lin Qingyang said with a smile.
“In that case, Young Master must uphold our agreement and visit me every month. With Yu Zhang to care for you, it might be more effective than any medicine,” Yu Zhang whispered enticingly in Lin Qingyang’s ear.
Lin Qingyang suddenly grabbed Yu Zhang’s wrist, causing him to wince in pain, his expression turning surprised.
Without a word, Lin Qingyang dragged him to the edge of the bed. Before Yu Zhang could react, he was thrown onto the bed, and Lin Qingyang eagerly pounced on him.
However, unlike the earlier ease, Yu Zhang suddenly seemed flustered. He pushed against Lin Qingyang, saying, “Young Master, you’ve hurt me. Even if you’ve been eager after our long separation, there’s no need to be so rough. We have a long night ahead. There’s never been a time when Yu Zhang didn’t serve Young Master to the fullest. Please, Young Master, don’t be hasty. Let Yu Zhang prepare for a moment.”
But Lin Qingyang paid no heed, determined to press Yu Zhang onto the bed. A hint of impatience flashed in Yu Zhang’s eyes, but facing a persistent guest, he had his own ways of handling the situation.
With a few melodious coos, Yu Zhang effortlessly rolled on the bed like an eel, easily freeing himself.
Lin Qingyang didn’t pursue further, as if the earlier forceful flirting was just a playful act. Once Yu Zhang left, Lin Qingyang reclined on the bed, seemingly waiting for Yu Zhang to return.
Yu Zhang glanced back, teasing a bit more before moving to the side where an incense burner stood.
When they entered, the incense burner wasn’t in use, but the room was evidently infused with a long-lasting fragrance. Whether it was on Yu Zhang or in the room’s decorations, the familiar scent permeated every corner.
As Yu Zhang lit the incense burner, the fragrance in the room intensified quickly, a familiar scent that lingered on Lin Qingyang’s nose whenever he slept here.
Turning around, Yu Zhang’s smile widened. He walked toward the bed, undressing along the way until he was left in nothing but briefs and a sheer veil that half-covered his body in a seductive manner.
Finally reaching the bed, Yu Zhang sensually climbed onto it. “Young Master, let me serve you.”
Lin Qingyang sighed, letting Yu Zhang undress him one piece at a time. But as the last tie of his undergarments was about to be undone, a thud echoed through the room.
Yu Zhang smirked, lifting his head to find Lin Qingyang already sprawled on the bed, fast asleep.
Disgusted, Yu Zhang got up from the bed, holding his breath. Silently, he placed the incense burner, now emitting a stronger fragrance, on the bedside. He also lowered the bed curtain, effectively trapping the entire scent inside for Lin Qingyang to enjoy alone.
With everything set, Yu Zhang picked up his clothes from the floor, intending to dress and leave.
Just then, a sudden movement behind him made Yu Zhang instinctively turn around.
In an instant, a hand swiftly reached out, grabbing Yu Zhang by the throat.
“Ah…”
“Shut up!”
Before Yu Zhang’s scream could escape, the pressure on his throat cut it off abruptly. He was too frightened to make a loud sound, only able to gaze in horror and disbelief at the man before him.
Wasn’t he supposed to be asleep?
Why did he wake up and resort to violence?
“Young Master, what… what are you doing?” Yu Zhang stammered.
“What am I doing? I should be asking you that. What did you use on me? Why are you harming me? Who instructed you?” Lin Qingyang raised a hand, palm pressing down with force, causing the slender neck beneath it to gradually turn red.
The recent events, combined with the lingering memories in his mind, confirmed Lin Qingyang’s suspicions.
He had indeed succumbed to a poison or addiction.
Initially, Lin Qingyang felt puzzled by the various reactions in his body. Coupled with the previous incident of falling into the water, the symptoms converged, disrupting the analysis and leaving him without a clear understanding.
Later, he quickly thought of something, but hesitated to confirm it. The process of addiction and the onset time differed significantly from his previous knowledge. Moreover, in his memories, the original body certainly hadn’t done anything to induce addiction. After all, Shuncai and Qi Yan were by his side. If he had engaged in any suspicious behavior, these two would surely know what was happening. Moreover, when it came to indulgence, Qi Yan was more adept, and they had both frequented the Secluded Courtyard Pavilion. If Lin Qingyang had indeed ingested something, Qi Yan would have been the one to introduce him to it.
Therefore, Lin Qingyang harbored doubts until he came here to verify it for himself.
When he attempted to pull Yu Zhang onto the bed, and the latter reacted strongly, it confirmed that their relationship was not as intimate as Yu Zhang had portrayed. Then, what was Lin Qingyang doing every time he came here?
Yu Zhang mentioned going to prepare, and the only preparation seemed to be lighting incense. This indicated that the act was significant, and he did it every time.
However, Lin Qingyang had observed since entering the Secluded Courtyard Pavilion. The other attendants didn’t carry the same fragrance as Yu Zhang, and most of them shared a similar scent. When Qi Yan took Huanyuan to another room just now, Lin Qingyang lingered at the door for a while. The aroma inside was normal, perhaps with some aphrodisiac effect, but it was definitely different from the fragrance in this room.
At this point, it might be possible to think that Yu Zhang used some special incense as a little trick to retain his regular customer. Lin Qingyang had subtly asked the pimp about it earlier.
The pimp wanted to praise Yu Zhang for his thoughtfulness, so he mentioned that every time Lin Qingyang came, Yu Zhang would specially prepare different kinds of incense, claiming that it was because Young Master Lin liked it. As a servant, he naturally needed to remember the preferences of his clients.
So, it seemed this practice was exclusive to Lin Qingyang.
Who could have thought that it didn’t need frequent use? Smelling it once a month was enough to last for an entire month, completely inconsistent with real addiction. Moreover, the use of incense was very common in ancient times, making it difficult to guard against. In the original body’s memories, he hadn’t paid any attention to the use of incense during his visits.
To investigate, Lin Qingyang sacrificed two points and exchanged them for a stimulant pill. It felt like he had consumed ten cups of energy drink, making him alert and preventing him from being overwhelmed by the incense. He witnessed everything firsthand. Finally, he came to a conclusion: this was a fictional world, and he couldn’t measure things here using examples and standards from the real world. Damn it, he really had become addicted.
Now that he was sure it was an addiction, he needed to figure out what substance he was addicted to, the success rate of quitting, and who intentionally caused him to become addicted.
Although the original body was the second son of Marquis An Nan, it wasn’t worth a diligent attendant’s effort to specifically target him. Moreover, he had no grudges with Yu Zhang, so someone must have bribed this attendant to do it intentionally.
But the current attendant had no intention of admitting anything. Instead, he burst into tears, clinging to Lin Qingyang’s arm. However, the attendant’s strength was minimal, and it didn’t pose a threat. This was one of the reasons Lin Qingyang dared to take action.
“What is Young Master saying? Yu Zhang doesn’t understand. Yu Zhang thought Young Master was tired and didn’t want to disturb you. Yu Zhang genuinely admires Young Master, how could Young Master treat me like this?”
“Don’t play dumb with me! The incense you placed at the bedside is something addictive. I haven’t come for a month, exceeding your expectations. You were afraid I wouldn’t regularly inhale the incense, leading to a strong reaction. So, you urged my friend to bring me here, even sent the undergarment tainted with the fragrance to alleviate any symptoms I might experience. You did all this to prevent me from getting suspicious, didn’t you?”
Yu Zhang’s pupils couldn’t help but contract sharply. He never expected that the seemingly foolish person in his eyes would immediately pinpoint his concerns during this period.
Lin Qingyang decisively stated, “I didn’t notice any issues with my body before because you used my infatuation with you to induce me to come here at least once a month, regularly inhaling this incense. As long as I continued to do so regularly, it would be difficult for the poison or addiction to flare up, and I wouldn’t realize I was being manipulated until my body and mind were completely devastated by this incense.”
The reason the memories of accepting this body weren’t complete was because the original body’s mind had long been eroded by this substance. If it weren’t for a new soul and consciousness taking over, the original body would likely have gradually become a mentally impaired person or a fool, in any case, with an unfortunate outcome.
In the original plot, the original body was crippled, lying in bed, constantly getting angry. At that time, it was impossible for anyone to distinguish whether he was genuinely angry or experiencing withdrawal reactions.
Lin Qingyang had never expected that his lowly status not only required him to guard against the male lead but also had inherent dangers in itself.
Seeing Yu Zhang’s panicked and nervous expression, Lin Qingyang knew he was right.
“Young Master, Young Master, you’ve misunderstood. This is really just ordinary incense. It’s… it’s because I wanted Young Master to cherish me more that I did this. I don’t understand what you’re saying. If Young Master doesn’t believe me, you can ask a physician to verify this incense,” Yu Zhang anxiously explained.
From the physicians at the academy, it could be learned that the addiction from this incense couldn’t be detected. Even if symptoms appeared in the body, they couldn’t identify them.
It truly was a case of committing murder in an invisible manner.
Lin Qingyang coldly looked at him as he tried to justify himself and directly threatened, “Seeing is believing. Fine, I’ll take care of you for the next month. You’ll lie on a bed filled with this incense every day, allowing you to inhale it properly for a month. Then, you can personally verify whether there’s a problem or not.”
If Lin Qingyang guessed correctly, as long as the absorption wasn’t too intense, this kind of incense wouldn’t have much impact. Therefore, even if Yu Zhang often carried a faint fragrance, he wouldn’t become addicted. The reason the original body became addicted was due to the intense fragrance during that one night each month, being locked in bed and inhaling it throughout the night.
Yu Zhang’s face indeed changed drastically. “Young Master, you’re humiliating Yu Zhang. If you don’t like me anymore, you can simply stop looking for me. There’s no need to treat me like this.”
Yuzhang stubbornly refused to admit it, insisting on acting innocent and pitiful. In any case, he bit his tongue and refused to acknowledge that the incense was a problem. It seemed as if he believed that this would deceive the man in front of him, who he considered foolish.
Lin Qingyang’s patience ran out, and he sneered, “Still not telling the truth?”
“Yu Zhang is wronged, there’s nothing to say!” Yu Zhang remained stubborn, probably knowing that Lin Qingyang wouldn’t dare to harm him fatally. Enduring it would likely let him off the hook.
Lin Qingyang had no sympathy for the man, especially considering that he was the one who caused trouble for him. Just as he was about to take action to teach him a lesson, everything suddenly blurred before his eyes. Yu Zhang in front of him transformed into three, and the surrounding environment began to distort.
Was this the hallucinogenic effect of the addictive substance? Or was it because he hadn’t fallen asleep, causing him to appear in reality?
A figure and some sudden movements appeared abruptly beside him. Lin Qingyang instinctively went on guard, swinging his hand backward, only to find it swinging through thin air, confirming that there was nothing there.
Sweat started to bead on Lin Qingyang’s forehead. This was an unfamiliar situation for him, and a sense of unease began to rise within him. He couldn’t discern which aspects of the scene before him were real and which were illusions. The only certainty he had was the touch of Yu Zhang in his hands.
Regret began to creep over Lin Qingyang. Venturing alone into this risky situation might not have been a wise decision. In his current state, he couldn’t even go out to find Shuncai and Qi Yan. If Yu Zhang discovered his condition, he had no idea what might happen.
Lin Qingyang hastily considered checking the Exchange Shop for medicine, but there was none specifically for this situation.
What should he do? Continue pretending?
However, evidently, Yu Zhang was unaware of Lin Qingyang’s condition. He only felt the hand around his neck tightening. “Let… let go of me!”
Lin Qingyang’s eyes flickered, ultimately deciding to gather his courage. He couldn’t let himself be at a disadvantage. He tightened his grip around Yu Zhang’s neck, exerting force and slamming him onto the table.
Yu Zhang was hit so hard that his bones seemed about to shatter. He screamed, pleading for mercy.
However, Lin Qingyang showed no mercy. He continued to hold Yu Zhang’s neck, pinning him to the table so he couldn’t get up. With a cold and dominating tone, Lin Qingyang said, “Scream all you want; it won’t help. If you don’t give me a satisfactory answer tonight, we can have some fun. After all, I’ve booked you for the entire night. I don’t believe your petite frame can withstand it!”
“Bang!”
Suddenly, a loud noise echoed from the doorway. Lin Qingyang, who was just intimidating Yu Zhang, was instantly startled. Could it be his accomplice arriving? He was still in a hallucination; how should he respond? His luck seemed to be extremely bad.
He turned his head to look!
Lin Qingyang: …
The four individuals who just heard Lin Qingyang’s bold words at the doorway: …
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