Perhaps the sensation of that hand had been too realistic, leaving Su Ce somewhat curious about whom it belonged to.
A bright and piercing light suddenly cut through layers of black mist, stinging his eyes.
Su Ce shook his body violently.
By the time he regained consciousness and his eyes were still heavy with sleep, the sky outside was already bright.
It was only then that Su Ce felt a warmth in his palm the exact same sensation he had felt in his dream.
Seeing him awake, A-Huai looked uneasy and said, “Young Master, I… you were…”
Su Ce stared expressionlessly at the fidgeting A-Huai. The dark circles under A-Huai’s eyes were concealed by his long, thick eyelashes; he clearly hadn’t slept all night.
“How long do you intend to keep holding it? Do you not want your hands anymore?”
Su Ce frowned deeply, his expression filled with disgust and his tone laced with impatience.
A-Huai naturally sensed the strangeness in his tone and lifted his eyelids as if to confirm something, but Su Ce kept his gaze straight ahead, refusing to look at him, acting as if A-Huai were nothing more than a stubborn plaster that could be easily peeled off.
As he slowly pulled his hand away from that tight grip, Su Ce still caught a glimpse of reluctance and attachment in A-Huai’s eyes. This person was always in the habit of appearing utterly aggrieved in front of him.
Su Ce felt a wave of annoyance, as if he himself were the cause of A-Huai’s demeanor. He couldn’t help but shove A-Huai and demanded, “Do you feel like you’ve been wronged?”
“I don’t…” A-Huai whispered in defense.
Before the defense could fully escape his lips, A-Huai heard Su Ce say coldly, “A-Huai, once we return to the capital, take your deed and get out of the Su residence.”
Upon hearing this, A-Huai knelt on the spot for a long time. By the time he came to his senses, Su Ce was no longer in the room.
“Your health recovered so quickly?” Song Yue was shocked to see Su Ce leading a horse toward him, especially since the marks he had seen the day before were truly shocking.
Su Ce was still in pain, especially after telling A-Huai to leave the Su residence. He had actually been afraid that A-Huai would look up at him with those wet, pleading eyes, so he had gritted his teeth and walked out of the room with long, hurried strides to endure the pain.
However, seeing Fu Huaizhi gradually walking toward them, he took a sharp breath, vaulted onto his horse, and said dismissively, “A mere cold; how could it possibly get the better of me? Since I didn’t go hunting yesterday, I’ll show you what I can do today.”
Song Yue naturally didn’t pry, laughing, “A-Ce, you really can boast.”
Su Ce rolled his eyes at Song Yue and asked, “What is the prize for the winner of this year’s hunt?”
Fu Huaizhi was no more than five steps away from Su Ce and naturally heard the question. He smiled and said, “It is said to be a set of South Sea pearl accessories.”
Su Ce gave a very reluctant “Mhm” to Fu Huaizhi, then turned his horse around and whipped it to gallop away. As he passed Song Yue, he didn’t forget to say, “Hurry up and follow.”
Fu Huaizhi watched Su Ce’s retreating figure, his expression turning cold.
The hooves galloped into the forest, kicking up a cloud of dust.
By dusk, Su Ce had already harvested quite a bit of game.
On the return journey, Su Ce and Song Yue rode slowly through the forest. Seeing that no one was around, Song Yue whispered, “What are your thoughts on that person now? If you’re just playing around, send him away sooner—why keep him by your side?”
Su Ce was already irritable, and now, being asked by Song Yue, he became even more vexed: “I know.”
“You don’t know anything!” Song Yue felt a surge of anger just looking at Su Ce.
Just then, the two passed through a dense forest and arrived beside a shimmering lake. The spring breeze carried the scent of grass, and the sound of rustling leaves filled their ears.
As they dismounted to rest, Su Ce suddenly spotted a sika deer behind a tree in front of them. He placed his hand over Song Yue’s mouth, fearing that Song Yue’s constant chatter would scare the deer away.
Fortunately, Song Yue knew better and kept his mouth shut. As they watched Su Ce draw his bow and nock an arrow, looking entirely poised to strike, a flash of silver flew from an unknown direction. Immediately after, a sharp arrow tore through the sky, flying straight toward them.
“Su Ce!” Song Yue shouted, tackling Su Ce to the ground and narrowly avoiding the arrow.
Before the two could react, a group of people wielding blades emerged from the surrounding bushes, shouting, “Give us your lives!”
This terrified the horses drinking by the lake. Before the two could remount, they were left on foot, watching helplessly as their horses fled in all directions.
The two had only one short blade between them, and Su Ce had no strength to fight back. Song Yue shielded Su Ce behind him, looked at the closing black-clad figures, and whispered to him, “I’ll hold them off. You get out of here quickly and find help.”
Su Ce looked at Song Yue, wanting to say something, but after a moment of hesitation, he finally nodded.
At that moment, the black-clad men swarmed in. Song Yue carved out a gap for Su Ce, allowing him to escape.
Su Ce fled halfway, and just as he was about to feel relieved that he saw someone in the distance, he walked quickly toward the two figures and was just about to call for help when he realized they were complete strangers.
He held his breath and hid behind a tree trunk, listening to their footsteps approaching as they spoke.
“Tell me, with that look, what do you think he tastes like?”
“Are you crazy? He is not someone we can touch, and besides, he’s a man! Just like us, he’s got all the parts!”
“I’m just talking, aren’t I? Why else would the Crown Prince order us to capture him?”
“This Su Ce is truly lucky. So many people like him.”
After listening to their conversation, Su Ce’s legs went weak. His body slid down uncontrollably, and as he collapsed to the ground, he accidentally triggered a steel animal trap that someone had placed there.
In the silent, eerie mountain forest, the trap made a loud, echoing sound.
The two men, who had been moving away, stopped. They looked at each other and began to tiptoe back toward the sound.
Su Ce scrambled to his feet and fled in a panic. The moonlight was hidden behind clouds, making visibility poor. He couldn’t recognize the forest paths he once knew and could only stumble forward to save his life. The thorns in the mountains tore his clothes and cut his skin, drawing beads of blood.
The footsteps behind him grew closer. Overwhelmed with panic, he tripped and fell heavily to the ground. An assassin’s hidden weapon struck out from behind; he instinctively rolled to avoid it but still had his left arm grazed. Fresh blood instantly surged out, staining his robes.
He gritted his teeth and forced himself to stand, only to find a sharp, shooting pain in his ankle.
Fortunately, just a few meters away, he discovered the entrance to a narrow cave.
He tumbled into it, and in the gaps between his heavy gasps for breath, a chaotic sound of footsteps echoed outside the cave. Perhaps they assumed no one was around and changed direction to search elsewhere, and the area slowly grew quiet.
Su Ce’s spirit instantly relaxed, and the pain immediately took center stage, causing him to hiss through his teeth.
He sat in the cave for an unknown amount of time, worried about Song Yue, who was facing the attackers alone, while also feeling anxious and desperate for someone to notice he hadn’t returned to camp and come looking for him.
However, that hope had already been extinguished, given his notorious reputation.
Everyone would rather he had suddenly died.
Perhaps because he was too desperate and his illness hadn’t yet cleared, Su Ce felt his forehead burning. It was so hot that his mind began to wander, and he unexpectedly thought of A-Huai. To be honest, deep down, he felt that A-Huai was actually quite good. He couldn’t help but think that if A-Huai could come to find him, he might reconsider letting A-Huai stay by his side though he would certainly have to force A-Huai to cut off those filthy, ulterior thoughts.
He didn’t know how long had passed. Exhausted, Su Ce gradually closed his eyes, and in his dazed state, he truly heard A-Huai’s voice.
He mocked himself; as expected, one’s dying hallucinations were truly unrealistic.
But as the anxious calls drew nearer, Su Ce suddenly realized it wasn’t an auditory hallucination. He used the wall for support, slowly pushed himself up, and hobbled out of the cave entrance.
By then, the dark clouds had scattered, revealing a bright crescent moon that illuminated the path ahead.
A-Huai was wearing the clothes Su Ce had given him last time. He held a lantern and stood at a fork in the path, looking around in a state of anxious panic.
Su Ce pursed his lips, his eyes suddenly welling with tears, and he called out to A-Huai, half-sobbing: “A-Huai!”
A flash of relief and joy crossed A-Huai’s eyes. He walked quickly to Su Ce’s side, saw Su Ce’s disheveled state, and reached out to grab his injured arm, checking him over—but he accidentally pressed against the wound.
The pain caused Su Ce to cry out. A-Huai let go in a panic, his tone hurried and desperate: “Young Master, I’m sorry. I’m too clumsy. It took me this long to find you, and I’ve let you get so hurt.”
Su Ce looked at A-Huai’s apologetic and sincere face. In the end, he didn’t pull away from the hand that was holding him. However, his tone remained as annoying as ever: “So you know you’re late! What were you doing before this?”
A-Huai heard Su Ce’s reproaches. He had spent the afternoon seeking out others to plan matters regarding the imperial court, but for Su Ce, this matter was too dangerous, and he didn’t need to know.
He lowered his head and whispered, “I’m sorry, Young Master… please, please give me one more chance. I will do better.”
Su Ce stared at A-Huai for a long moment, then asked with extreme distrust, “Really?”
A-Huai nodded like a chick pecking at rice, saying “Yes” several times, as if afraid that Su Ce might change his mind immediately.
“Then carry me back.”
Hearing such a simple request, A-Huai blurted out, “Is it that simple?”
“Are you going to do it or not?” Su Ce felt a bit annoyed; he was already struggling just to keep his spirits up to talk to A-Huai.
Under the cover of night, the forest path was treacherous and muddy. Every so often, the howling of wild wolves echoed from the depths of the woods. Being carried on A-Huai’s back, Su Ce felt a sense of peace, as if someone had once carried him through the night just like this.
Unknowingly, Su Ce’s head rested on A-Huai’s sturdy shoulder, and he mumbled vaguely: “A-Huai, if you force me again in the future, I will never see you again.”
Su Ce clearly felt A-Huai’s footsteps falter. He lifted his head and asked, “Are you unwilling?”
Feeling Su Ce’s breath, A-Huai answered in a hoarse voice, with an emotionless tone: “I won’t. I never will again.”