Chapter 45
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Suddenly, there was a stiffness in the embrace, and Lin Qingyang was immediately shocked by the echo in his ears after his words.
What did he just say in his excitement? It seemed… he said, “I love you to death”?
Bantering and joking between good buddies is usually no problem. In the past, even the nurse sister would often say to him, “Little Yang Yang, you’re so good, I love you to death!”
The person in his arms seemed to stiffen even more, and Lin Qingyang immediately pushed Chu Lishu away, loudly saying, “Cousin, I was just too happy, I meant to say you’re great and did an amazing job. I was praising you, nothing else, don’t misunderstand!”
“It’s because I take pride in you…”
“It’s just brotherly love, hahaha!”
Why does it feel like things are getting darker and darker? Lin Qingyang didn’t dare to look at Chu Lishu’s face.
“What? Cousin spoke too loudly just now, and I didn’t hear clearly. You said I’m a good person…” Chu Lishu’s voice calmly came out.
“Yes, yes, you helped those innocent women, you’re a good person. You also helped me, even more so, a wonderful person.”
Lin Qingyang could only lower his head and see Chu Lishu’s long eyelashes, covering all expressions like wings.
That’s right, the male lead knows about his ‘secret admiration,’ but due to disdain, he pretends not to know in order to maintain surface harmony. Besides, in ancient times, expressions of emotions were generally more subtle. The way he phrased it might not be easily understood by most people, and maybe he genuinely didn’t understand.
Lin Qingyang silently admonished himself not to indulge in banter, not to get too excited, and especially not to casually hug the male lead. The male lead was still stiff, not to mention the numerous misdeeds hidden in the cabinet. It’s truly a long list of sins. The fact that the male lead didn’t try to harm him and instead helped him made Lin Qingyang feel like the male lead truly considered him one of his own.
Lin Qingyang quickly changed the topic, saying, “Tonight, you took risks for me, shared the hardships, and resolved the trouble. If you encounter any difficulties in the future, feel free to speak up. I will definitely go all out to help you, even if it means sacrificing myself!”
At this moment, Chu Lishu lifted his head, his expression similar to before. “If cousin needs help in the future, I’ll offer it.”
Lin Qingyang nodded in satisfaction. After releasing this breath, he felt a bit unstable. He had recovered somewhat on Yue Chen’s carriage just now, but it seemed like he had used up all his energy.
Seeing Lin Qingyang like this, Chu Lishu spoke up, “Cousin, go rest in your carriage. I’ll go find Shuncai and Young Master Qi. It’s time for us to leave.”
“Yes, we should go back,” Lin Qingyang agreed. As soon as he heard the mention of going back to rest, his brain was ready to stop thinking.
“Also, Yu Zhang…” Chu Lishu suddenly spoke.
Lin Qingyang instantly remembered the existence of Yu Zhang. “Right, you gave him fake medicine, didn’t you?”
“Yeah, I’ll deceive him again later,” Chu Lishu said with a smile.
Lin Qingyang actually felt a bit uncomfortable. Although Yu Zhang was taking money to do things for others, he almost caused his death. He wanted to retaliate, not to the extent of taking a life, but the other party should pay a price. However, at the moment, he didn’t have the energy and spirit to seek revenge. Moreover, the male lead had already spoken, and if he rushed to retaliate, wouldn’t he be leading the male lead in the wrong direction? Since the male lead was ready to become a better person, he decided to let go of Yuzhang. After all, he still had other enemies he truly wanted to retaliate against.
Lin Qingyang lay in the carriage, waiting for Chu Lishu to handle things.
Chu Lishu’s first stop was Yu Zhang. When Yu Zhang saw them return as agreed, he quickly begged for the antidote. Chu Lishu grinned, “This antidote will make you sleep through the night. It’s best to lie down in bed before taking it.”
Yu Zhang didn’t think there was a need for the other side to deceive him, so he obediently followed the instructions. He even told the servants not to disturb him after taking the medicine. Soon after taking the medicine, he fell into a deep sleep.
Once Chu Lishu was sure he wouldn’t wake up, he closed the windows, took out a piece of incense from his pocket, threw it into the censer, and placed it inside the bed curtain. Just like Yu Zhang did each time with Lin Qingyang, the thick bed curtain would trap the fragrance inside. Even if a bit leaked out, it wouldn’t escape the room.
Chu Lishu covered his nose, watching as the smoke slowly seeped out and gradually left the room, closing the door behind him.
Not using the addictive substance to harm others doesn’t mean not using it for retaliation. Lin Qingyang had endured so much; how could the other party escape without feeling any pain? Lin Qingyang’s suffering was vivid, and whoever had caused him misfortune couldn’t be let off easily.
The madam who produced the drug had to die, the person who administered it needed punishment, and the real culprit couldn’t be spared. That’s how it should be.
Burning in the room was the addictive substance that Chu Lishu had found in the Chunxiang Building. Originally intended for the guy who had a craving attack when they first met, there was a problem halfway through. That person had overdosed and passed out in the madam’s room. When the official soldiers arrived, the madam immediately sent her subordinates to destroy the incenses. Chu Lishu saw it and took a piece with him on a risky move. He didn’t know the specific effects of this piece, but it was probably more powerful than the Illusion Brain Incense. After tonight, when the craving hit and Yu Zhang sought help in vain, he wondered if he had the ability to quit like Lin Qingyang.
After planting this metaphorical landmine, Chu Lishu went to find Qi Yan and Shuncai.
When Shuncai and Qi Yan saw Chu Lishu, their faces were full of terror. Fortunately, Lin Qingyang didn’t see their current expressions, which were utterly appalling, as if their own master/good buddy had been caught in a compromising position.
It wasn’t until they were brought to see Lin Qingyang, who was curled up sleeping in the carriage, looking completely exhausted, that they got a better understanding. After taking a careful sniff, they detected a mixture of sweat and an indescribable scent, and they became anxious.
“Young Master Chu, what have you done to our young master?!”
“No way, don’t tell me you did something to your cousin…”
The two of them spoke loudly, waking Lin Qingyang abruptly.
“You… are here, huh? Let’s go, I’m so exhausted.”
There was something odd about that voice, but at the same time, it seemed like nothing was wrong. What was going on?
Qi Yan and Shuncai felt baffled. They heard that Chu Lishu was worried about Lin Qingyang, so he came out. The way Chu Lishu looked at Lin Qingyang was almost like the way one looks at an abandoned woman.
Then, Qi Yan called his servant and asked him to drive the carriage along with Shuncai. As they were about to get on the carriage, the pimp rushed out, probably thinking they were leaving so soon due to some dissatisfaction, and offered some items as an apology. It must be said that the operations at the Secluded Courtyard Pavilion were quite well-done.
The carriage moved on, and because there were three people inside, Lin Qingyang couldn’t lie down. He could only lean to the side, feeling drowsy. Eventually, unable to resist any longer, his head tilted, and he fell asleep.
Qi Yan, who had taken a short nap earlier, was now wide awake. He opened the items given by the Secluded Courtyard Pavilion and sneered, “What kind of stuff is this? It’s not as good as what I have in my own collection.”
Chu Lishu, who had originally closed his eyes and planned to ignore everything, couldn’t help but open his eyes upon hearing this.
Seeing him looking over, Qi Yan suddenly became interested and laughed, “Want to learn a bit?” He handed the book over.
Chu Lishu didn’t think much, he just took it and started looking. However, he was shocked by the poses of the two men drawn on it and involuntarily tossed the book away.
Qi Yan laughed aloud.
In reality, Chu Lishu was older than them, and he had naturally seen some explicit art depicting both men and women. He was aware of male-male relationships, but he had never actually seen explicit depictions of such encounters. It was too straightforward, it disgusted him instantly.
“Why are you so disgusted?” Qi Yan was surprised by Chu Lishu’s straight reaction. He thought Chu Lishu already had some intentions towards Lin Qingyang. “What your cousin hides is even more intense than this.”
Chu Lishu’s eyelids were twitching. He decisively closed his eyes, ignoring Qi Yan.
Qi Yan teased for a while and eventually fell asleep in the swaying carriage. When someone called out from outside, Qi Yan opened his eyes, only to see Lin Qingyang leaning on Chu Lishu’s shoulder, sound asleep. Wasn’t he leaning on the other side before?
Qi Yan blinked and saw Chu Lishu wake up. Chu Lishu naturally nudged Lin Qingyang, who then woke up rubbing his eyes. Still drowsy, he followed everyone off the carriage.
On the way back up the mountain, Lin Qingyang seemed to notice Chu Lishu occasionally massaging his shoulders. He asked what was wrong with his shoulders, but Chu Lishu just said it was nothing.
Wasn’t it because Lin Qingyang had leaned on them while sleeping?
Qi Yan followed behind the two, feeling that their relationship was becoming more subtle. Especially in the following days, Lin Qingyang became very clingy to Chu Lishu, almost sleeping in his courtyard. Surprisingly, Chu Lishu seemed accustomed to it. Rumors about their ambiguous relationship in the academy began to circulate. It wasn’t clear who started spreading them.
Five days later.
While Lin Qingyang rested and read books, his body had fully recovered, and life seemed to be returning to normal. However, his half-brother, Lin Qingxu, became increasingly restless, especially with the ongoing discussions about the recent major case that had erupted in the capital.
On the first day, their head master was invited to assist in investigating the case involving the Tianwu Clan’s writings. Many high-ranking officials and celebrities in the capital were implicated, and due to the involvement of the latest type of addictive substance, it was impossible to verify completely. Even people in the imperial palace had been targeted, leading to the emperor’s wrath. Numerous arrests had been made within the first five days.
Yue Chen and Huo Luo were specifically ordered to assist in handling the case. In reality, Yue Chen handled most of the investigations. The courtesans involved in the case received the best care, and the safety of Liu Wen’er was particularly ensured.
The intensity of the entire matter had surpassed the gossip about Lin Qinglan’s impending marriage.
Lin Qingxu’s anxiety and unease were clearly visible to Lin Qingyang, who had been waiting for the right opportunity.
Finally, on the fifth day, a letter arrived from the Marquis’s residence, requesting everyone from the Marquis An Nan’s residence to return. The family had agreed to the eldest sister’s divorce. The next day would be the official meeting to handle the matter.
After the martial arts class that day, the young masters and young ladies of the Marquis An Nan’s residence were all preparing to leave. When they noticed Lin Qingyang had not arrived yet, they couldn’t leave.
Lin Qingwei was extremely impatient and asked Lin Qingxu, “Third Brother, where is the Second Brother?”
“When I left, I saw him going to find Lishu,” replied Lin Qingxu.
“This kind of thing doesn’t require Cousin Lishu to go back, right?” With the surname Chu, it was only natural that he wouldn’t attend such formal occasions. It wouldn’t be convenient for him to be present.
“Maybe… they can’t be separated,” Lin Qingxu said quietly.
“Lately, Second Brother and Cousin seem to be stuck together every day,” Lin Qingyao murmured.
Lin Qingwei’s face instantly darkened.
Thinking about the recent rumors at the academy, the expressions of the siblings weren’t good. If it were a younger sister cousin being brought home, that would be normal, but it happened to be a younger brother cousin. This was awkward, especially for the girls from the second and third courtyards who had secretly admired this handsome and talented cousin. Considering this, their hearts sank, thinking that their cousin might have fallen victim to the tyranny of their elder brother. The situation felt quite oppressive.
Sure enough, not long after, Lin Qingyang saw Lin Qingyang with a smiling face, sticking close to Chu Lishu and approaching.
“Everyone’s here, let’s go,” Lin Qingyang said to the other siblings with an attitude that was neither distant nor close. Only when facing Chu Lishu, there was a distinct warmth.
The others looked at each other with strange expressions and got on the carriage.
Lin Qingwei gave Lin Qingyang a displeased look before saying, “Why do you have to bring Cousin with you? It’s our eldest sister’s private matter, after all.”
Lin Qingyang casually glanced at Lin Qingwei, “Can’t I give him a day off conveniently?”
“He’s not you. Studying at the academy is so precious to him. How could he possibly want to rest?” Lin Qingwei disdainfully remarked, evidently instinctively looking down on Chu Lishu’s status, thinking that he had no support other than studying, so he must cherish the days of studying here.
“How do you know?” Lin Qingyang didn’t care about what others thought or said. He just asked Chu Lishu to go home together, so what? It was only three o’clock now. Leaving Chu Lishu for a day would be detrimental to him. Now that their relationship had improved, he couldn’t afford to miss a single day of work. Until a new mission appeared, he had to stick to Chu Lishu.
Ignoring Lin Qingwei’s attempt to scold him, Lin Qingyang urged Chu Lishu to get on the carriage.
Delicious snacks and attractive books were offered to Chu Lishu, all trying to please him.
Chu Lishu furrowed his brows, looking at Lin Qingyang. In fact, he had planned to go out recently to check the traps he set up. However, he got entangled by Lin Qingyang. He initially wanted to refuse, but facing the pleading gaze of the other, Chu Lishu once again found himself helpless. Didn’t he know that there were quite a few rumors circulating about them recently? Wasn’t he aware of the need to avoid suspicion?
However, seeing the other offering him all kinds of good things, trying to please him, Chu Lishu couldn’t say much.
Halfway through the journey, Chu Lishu finally spoke, asking, “What’s your plan?”
Lin Qingyang knew what Chu Lishu was referring to. “They wanted to kill me, so naturally, I won’t let them off. Plotting against the legitimate son is enough to drive them out of Marquis An Nan’s residence.”
Chu Lishu noticed that Lin Qingyang wasn’t someone with a weak character. “I have to go out for a bit tomorrow.”
“Oh? How long will you be gone?” Lin Qingyang became anxious as soon as he heard this.
Chu Lishu helplessly replied, “It shouldn’t take more than a few hours.”
“Make sure to notify me when you come back.” Lin Qingyang hurriedly said.
Chu Lishu felt that Lin Qingyang was getting a bit too clingy, and he had been too indulgent with him. Maybe he misunderstood something. With these thoughts in mind, Chu Lishu had already decided to stay away from the residence for the entire day until the evening. One day of not seeing each other shouldn’t be a big deal.
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