I, The Substitute, Am With The Main Character Chapter 102

Although he felt a little embarrassed, Xueya was already used to Yin Qingxuan’s cold sarcasm, as the latter never had kind words for him. Turning his face away, Xueya pulled his chin out of Yin Qingxuan’s grasp and returned to his previous seat, keeping a good distance between them.

Not only did he sit far away, but he also turned his back to Yin Qingxuan.

There’s a saying: “When conversation doesn’t flow, even one sentence is too many.” Xueya understood this, yet Yin Qingxuan acted strangely the rest of the day. Whenever Xueya turned to pour tea, Yin Qingxuan was staring at him with a displeased expression. While Xueya ate, if he happened to look up, Yin Qingxuan’s gaze was still on him, that perpetually sour face bringing him nothing but bad luck.

Xueya couldn’t ask outright why Yin Qingxuan kept staring at him, knowing the man would only mock him again, accusing him of being vain. So, Xueya lifted a hand to half-cover his face while he ate. But this only prompted Yin Qingxuan to speak.

“What are you doing?” Yin Qingxuan asked.

“Nothing,” Xueya replied, continuing to eat with his face half-covered.

“Why are you covering your face?” Yin Qingxuan pressed.

“Because I want to,” Xueya said, biting into a piece of meat with force.

From Yin Qingxuan’s angle, he could see Xueya’s lips moving as he ate—lips that were naturally rosy and delicately shaped. Xueya’s small face, with its dainty, refined features—except for his large eyes—showcased both his lips and his pale, snow-white ears.

Yin Qingxuan put down his jade chopsticks, took a large sip of tea, and suddenly said, “The day after tomorrow is Little New Year’s Eve.”

Hearing those words, Xueya froze.

Time had passed so quickly—it was already his birthday again. After this birthday, he would turn twenty years old. But would he even live to see Little New Year’s Eve? Tomorrow, they would reach the capital, and Cui Lingjing certainly wouldn’t let him off.

At that thought, Xueya began stuffing meat into his mouth at a faster pace.

Yin Qingxuan noticed this odd behavior. “You still have the appetite to eat?” he asked.

“Whether I eat or not, you’re not going to let me go. You’ll take me back to the capital no matter what, and I’m going to die anyway. So, I might as well eat more before I die so I won’t be hungry on the road to the afterlife.” Xueya stuffed a large piece of meat into his mouth, his cheeks puffing up like a hamster’s.

Though Xueya tried to act like he didn’t care in front of Yin Qingxuan, his eyes reddened involuntarily, and by the time he reached the end of his meal, he was silently crying, unable to eat any more.

The day passed quickly, and soon they arrived in the capital.

Three years ago, Xueya had also been brought to the capital in a carriage. Back then, he secretly lifted the curtain to peek outside. Today, he openly opened the carriage window and looked out, his feelings both similar and different from before.

At that time, the unfamiliar capital filled him with fear, but there was also a hidden excitement in his heart. Now, he still felt fear, but there was no excitement—only a sense of longing.

But it wasn’t the capital he was longing for—it was his life. He wanted to live. He hadn’t yet fulfilled the vow he made at his mother’s grave, and he wanted to see He Xulan again.

No, not just see him—he wanted to spend the rest of his life with He Xulan.

But that seemed far too difficult.

Suddenly, Xueya recalled something the courtesan from Red Moon House had once said. Back when he was happily packing up his belongings to leave with the former emperor, she had asked Xueya:

“Little Xueya, what do you value most?”

At the time, Xueya hadn’t even hesitated. “Gold. Mother said gold is the best thing in the world.”

The courtesan had smiled and shaken her head. “No, the best thing is your heart. When you leave here, guard your heart well. Only then will you not suffer.” After saying that, she had stopped smiling. “But why am I telling you this? You’re too young to understand now. When you grow up, you’ll know.”

Xueya had looked up, disliking being called small. “I’m already grown. I understand what you’re saying. I won’t fall in love with anyone. I only love gold.”

The courtesan hadn’t argued, just smiled again.

Now, Xueya didn’t regret that sentiment—only that he hadn’t spent more time with He Xulan.

As he gazed out at the scenery, Xueya rested his chin on the windowsill. It was a clear winter’s day, and the sunlight passed through the fringes hanging from the carriage roof, casting warm light on his pale face, so clear that even the fine, short hairs on his skin were visible.

Yin Qingxuan took in this sight, then suddenly leaned over and closed the window.

The view outside vanished, leaving only the noisy sounds of the streets. Xueya, dissatisfied, reached out to reopen the window, but his hand was grabbed by Yin Qingxuan.

“We’ll be entering the palace soon,” Yin Qingxuan said, looking at Xueya. “You know what to say when you meet the emperor.”

“I don’t know. I know nothing.” Xueya tried to pull his hand away, but it wouldn’t budge. Unable to vent his frustration on Yin Qingxuan, he could only sulk in silence.

Yin Qingxuan was clearly not satisfied with Xueya’s response. He still held Xueya’s hand and turned to look out the window. “Speak honestly, and you might still have a chance to save your life. Weigh the pros and cons yourself.”

Xueya didn’t respond. The whole time, he was focused on trying to free his hand, but despite it turning red, he couldn’t succeed—not until the carriage came to a stop.

“Minister Yin, we’ve arrived.”

Only then did Yin Qingxuan release Xueya. He stood up, lifted the carriage curtain, and stepped outside. Xueya’s face paled significantly when he heard the noises outside, especially as he was dragged out of the carriage.

Several eunuchs bound his hands with rope, gagged him, and stuffed him into a sedan chair.

When the sedan stopped, Xueya was yanked out again. The first thing he saw were the large characters on the palace sign:

“Fengrui Palace.”

He was back here again.

There was no time for Xueya to think much about it before the eunuchs hurriedly escorted him into Fengrui Palace, stopping only at the door of the imperial study. The eunuchs respectfully called out to the tightly closed door, “Your Majesty, the person has been brought.”

After a brief moment, the door opened from the inside, revealing the chief eunuch. He glanced at Xueya, whose face was ashen, and gently flicked the dust off his whisk. “Take him inside.”

The eunuchs responded swiftly, dragging Xueya into the room. As soon as he entered, the strong smell of medicine hit him. The closer they got to the inner chamber, the stronger the smell became.

The eunuchs threw Xueya to the ground, bowed respectfully, and quietly left, closing the door behind them.

Xueya knelt on the floor, not daring to lift his head, until he heard a voice.

“Crawl over here.” The voice was weak, barely audible.

Xueya recognized the voice immediately and, shocked, lifted his head. The moment he did, he saw Cui Lingjing.

Cui Lingjing was slouched in a large chair, wrapped in a thick fox-fur blanket. His once delicate and pretty face was now devoid of any color—his skin and lips were ghostly pale, with only his eyes retaining a hint of darkness. Those eyes seemed especially cold and menacing when they noticed the surprise in Xueya’s gaze.

“Surprised? You should be familiar with this sight. After all, when you served the late emperor, didn’t he look just like this?” Cui Lingjing slowly straightened up, reaching out to pick up a jade dish of medicine pills. His wrist was so thin it looked like it was all bone.

Xueya snapped out of his daze and quickly lowered his head, not daring to look any further.

Cui Lingjing tossed a pill into his mouth, chewed it, and swallowed. The bluish-white hue of his face finally improved a little. He glanced at Xueya kneeling on the ground and said coldly, “Wretch, crawl over here.”

***

At the year’s end, the guards of Kangwu County were preparing to change shifts when they suddenly heard the sound of approaching hooves. Startled, they looked up and saw a tall man on horseback heading toward the city.

Seeing that the man intended to charge into the city, the guards immediately raised their weapons. “Who dares to break into Kangwu County!”

The tall man tugged on the reins, and the horse, nearly rearing backward, skidded to a halt. The guards were alarmed, but the man showed no reaction. He simply pulled out a wooden token from his sleeve and tossed it to the head guard.

The head guard examined the token and then looked up carefully to confirm the man’s appearance. After a moment, he immediately called for someone to lead the horse inside.

“I’ll take you in,” the head guard said, mounting his own horse to guide the way. When they reached a mansion, the head guard dismounted and was about to announce their arrival when he heard a loud thud from beside him.

Turning around, he saw that the tall man had fallen off his horse. The head guard rushed over to help him up, but before he could touch him, his hand was grabbed.

The hand that held him was like iron, and he felt as if his own hand would break. The tall man, who had just moments ago had his eyes shut tight, suddenly opened them, filled with suspicion and hostility. But when he recognized the head guard, his grip slowly loosened.

The head guard immediately withdrew his hand, not daring to help the man again. He went to knock on the mansion’s door instead.

A moment later, the door opened. The head guard whispered a few words to the servant inside, and several attendants came out to carry the tall man into the mansion. The head guard breathed a sigh of relief, ready to head to the city’s medical clinic to check on his hand. But then he noticed the bloodstains on the ground.

The bloodstains were where the tall man had been lying, and there wasn’t just a small patch—it was almost enough to outline the man’s entire body.

Can’t wait until next week to see more? Want to show your support? Come to my Patreon where you can get up to 5 more chapters of I, The Substitute, Am With The Main Charactere right away ! Or go donate at Paypal or Ko-fi to show your appreciation! :)