The person behind him turned a deaf ear, as if he hadn’t heard a word.
Xueya couldn’t help but regret why he had followed Cui Lingjing out of the palace today. If he hadn’t left the palace, he wouldn’t have known all this. Although he didn’t quite understand what relationship He Xulan had with this temple, he always felt he was approaching He Xulan’s secret.
He wanted to know He Xulan’s secret, but not under these circumstances. Now there were only the two of them, and He Xulan could kill him at any moment, and no one would know.
“This is a sacred Buddhist site, you… you can’t kill me,” Xueya stuttered, “If… if you kill me, it will…”
Before he could finish his sentence, he was turned around.
Xueya came face to face with He Xulan, and out of fear, his breath caught, making it impossible for him to speak. He stared at He Xulan, terrified, not daring to make any moves. But suddenly, he was led to the table by He Xulan.
“Will you drink?” He Xulan asked if Xueya wanted to drink the porridge.
Xueya looked at the porridge on the table and started to think wildly.
Was the porridge poisoned? Was He Xulan going to poison him again?
The memory of being poisoned last time was still vivid in Xueya’s mind, and he felt that he probably wouldn’t survive the night. The more he thought about it, the more upset he became, but he didn’t have the courage to ask the other person to just kill him outright. Instead, he said indirectly, “Brother, I’m not hungry.”
“Just drink a little.”
He Xulan’s tone wasn’t one for negotiation. He sat down on the bench, and Xueya was pressed to sit on his lap. The position made Xueya very uncomfortable, but he didn’t dare resist. He stiffened as he watched He Xulan scoop a bowl of porridge and bring it to his lips.
When Xueya didn’t open his mouth, He Xulan’s eyebrow raised slightly. “Not going to drink?”
Xueya’s face was on the verge of tears. “I…”
He Xulan didn’t say anything, just continued to look at him. Xueya shut his eyes, realizing that he was completely at the mercy of others, and opened his mouth in despair.
Hmm?
The porridge was actually quite tasty.
Xueya quickly licked his lips, opening his eyes. The porridge was still warm, just the right temperature. He could taste the flavor of vegetables and tofu, though there were no visible vegetables or tofu in the porridge.
Well, if this was his last meal, at least it was delicious. But while it tasted good, the thought of dying was still weighing on him. As he drank, his sadness grew, and one of his tears even fell right into the spoon.
He Xulan paused briefly, watching as Xueya cried but still opened his mouth for more, before continuing to feed him. After finishing the bowl, He Xulan finally stopped. Xueya, convinced he was about to die, kept crying to himself. Then, to his surprise, he saw He Xulan start drinking the porridge himself.
He Xulan drank slowly, even more slowly than when he had been feeding Xueya. Xueya stopped crying and stared at He Xulan in a daze, suddenly realizing that the porridge might not be poisoned after all. After all, He Xulan hadn’t prepared it, and the ones who cooked it were monks. How could monks casually poison someone?
Realizing this, Xueya felt a wave of relief. He had been sitting on He Xulan’s lap for quite some time, and his legs were starting to go numb from being so tense. Now, sensing that he might not die, he tried to subtly adjust his position. But the moment he moved, He Xulan’s gaze immediately shifted to him.
Xueya froze.
Fortunately, He Xulan just gave him a glance before turning back to his porridge.
As time passed, Xueya finally saw He Xulan finish the bowl of porridge. He watched as He Xulan wiped his mouth with a silk handkerchief, which reminded Xueya that he hadn’t wiped his own mouth yet. Xueya had always been particular about his appearance, so he instinctively reached for his handkerchief, only to realize he had lost it. He searched all over his body but couldn’t find it.
“What are you looking for?” He Xulan’s voice suddenly broke the silence.
Xueya lifted his head, cautiously looking at He Xulan. He couldn’t tell whether He Xulan was in a good or bad mood. “It’s nothing.”
He Xulan seemed to know exactly what Xueya was thinking. He took the silk handkerchief he had just used and wiped Xueya’s mouth. Xueya didn’t feel happy about this gesture; instead, He Xulan’s overly intimate behavior made him anxious again. He looked at He Xulan, and He Xulan looked back at him. Neither of them said a word. In the end, it was Xueya who couldn’t hold back. In a small voice, he said, “Brother, it’s very late. We should go back. His Majesty is probably looking for us.”
As he spoke, he observed He Xulan’s expression. Seeing no immediate response from He Xulan, hesitating briefly, he took the initiative to hug He Xulan. He pressed He Xulan’s head against his shoulder and lightly patted He Xulan’s back with one hand, as if comforting a child, saying, “Brother, if you’re in a bad mood, I can share your burden. I… truly regard you as my own brother… Ah!”
Xueya screamed in pain because He Xulan suddenly bit him.
Just now, He Xulan had looked up at Xueya’s swaying snow-white neck and heard Xueya’s insincere words. Without hesitation, he bit down. Xueya was caught off guard. He screamed in pain and trembled all over. He feared that He Xulan might bite through his neck and his voice was filled with fear, “Brother!”
He Xulan bit Xueya’s neck, his eyes calm and tinged with weariness, like a well-fed wild beast toying with its chosen prey, neither eating nor letting go, savoring the fear radiating from the helpless prey.
After a while, He Xulan released Xueya without breaking the skin, but it left a red mark, making the wound on Xueya’s snow-white neck very conspicuous.
“Do you remember what I said to you last time? Lies have consequences. Do you really regard me as your brother?” He Xulan lifted his head from Xueya’s embrace, looking at him coldly.
Xueya grimaced in pain, clutching the wound on his neck. After being tossed around all night, even a rabbit should have its own temper. He glared at He Xulan and, disregarding everything, said, “I never regarded you as my brother. Do you think I don’t want to do to you what you want to do to me?”
Xueya was still somewhat cowardly, not daring to directly say he wanted to kill He Xulan, but what he didn’t expect was He Xulan’s reaction to his words—he actually curled his lips.
That didn’t seem like the reaction of someone furious with anger.
Could He Xulan be sick?
Xueya had heard people say he was exceptionally intelligent, but sometimes his mind seemed a bit off.
“Why… why are you smiling?” After making a bold statement, Xueya’s tone softened again.
He Xulan curled his lips again, but instead of answering Xueya’s question, he released him and got up to walk to the bed. With his freedom regained, Xueya immediately moved towards the door, but after taking a few steps, he heard He Xulan’s voice.
“If you wander around, I’ll break your legs.”
Xueya stood frozen in place.
“Come here,” He Xulan ordered again.
Xueya turned around and saw He Xulan sitting on the edge of the bed, holding a jar of ointment. He quickly moved closer. The wound on his neck still hurt badly. He approached the bed and stopped a step away from He Xulan, “Is this for me to apply?”
“Mm.” He Xulan glanced at the spot next to him. “Sit down.”
Xueya wasn’t very willing, but he obediently sat down. However, he deliberately kept some distance. Yet after he sat down, He Xulan’s eyes noticeably cooled, staring at him without saying a word. Xueya had mustered his courage earlier to speak boldly to He Xulan, which was the most courage he’d shown tonight. Now, he could only move towards the other cautiously.
The cool ointment was applied to Xueya’s neck, reducing some of the pain. After applying the ointment, Xueya wanted to quickly move away from He Xulan, but suddenly, a hand was placed on his knee.
“Take off your pants,” He Xulan said coldly.
Xueya looked sharply at He Xulan. “You…”
“You were riding a horse just now, and your legs were chafed. If you don’t apply ointment, how will you ride a horse back later?” He Xulan threw the jar of ointment into Xueya’s lap and walked out.
Seeing He Xulan leave, Xueya immediately wanted to run, but after taking two steps, he sobered up.
He couldn’t run away at all.
He didn’t know how to ride a horse, and the abbot of this temple knew He Xulan, so he definitely wouldn’t protect Xueya. Therefore, Xueya could only reluctantly sit back on the bed. He stared at the jar of ointment in his hand for a while, thinking it best to apply it first to avoid scarring.
Xueya lifted his skirt and pulled down his trousers. His thighs were already scraped and bleeding, the inner sides of his pants stained. He had been frightened all night and hadn’t noticed the injury until now. Seeing the wound, he cursed He Xulan in his heart, believing it was deliberate.
As Xueya carefully examined the wound, the door was pushed open from outside.
Entering was He Xulan, carrying a basin of hot water. Because the bed faced the door, He Xulan immediately saw Xueya sitting on the bed, tending to his injuries by candlelight.
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! :)
