“It really was a bad stomachache…”
Ji Lingfeng muttered as he walked back over, only to see Meng Qing’s face as pale as paper, his hands tightly gripping his collar, looking completely distraught and absent-minded. Sensing that something was terribly wrong, Ji Lingfeng’s heart skipped a beat, and he hurried forward to check on the situation.
“Meng Qing, what’s wrong with you? Are you feeling unwell? Where does it hurt, tell me quickly.” Ji Lingfeng placed both hands on Meng Qing’s shoulders, his expression full of concern as he spoke in a low voice.
“Ah, n-nothing’s wrong.” Meng Qing twitched the corners of his mouth, trying to squeeze out a smile in response. However, that smile was uglier than crying, and even someone as thick-skinned as Ji Lingfeng could tell at a glance that he was simply forcing himself to hold up.
“But you look really unwell, completely out of it.” With that, he reached out to pull Meng Qing along. “Come on, I’m taking you back to the Prince’s Manor.”
The, the Prince’s Manor?
No, not right now.
He still hadn’t figured out how to face Ji Yanche.
He couldn’t go back yet.
“Don’t, Lingfeng.” Meng Qing reached out to grab Ji Lingfeng, pleading almost desperately, “Let’s not go back to the manor just yet, alright?”
“What on earth is wrong, Meng Qing? Don’t you realize something is very wrong with you right now?” From earlier on, every single action of Meng Qing’s had been steeped in weirdness, leaving Ji Lingfeng filled with worry.
If anything were to happen to Meng Qing while he was with him, Third Brother Ji Yanche would absolutely not spare him.
Right at that moment, a round of enthusiastic applause and cheers suddenly erupted. As it turned out, the hour of Shen had arrived, and the grand show in the tavern was finally beginning.
“Let’s go down and listen to the music; wasn’t that what you always wanted to watch?” Finding an excuse, Meng Qing turned the tables and pulled Ji Lingfeng along with him.
“Hey, you…” Ji Lingfeng was caught completely off guard by this sudden chain of actions, and by the time he snapped back to his senses, he was already immersed in the bustling crowd of spectators.
“What on earth are you playing at…”
Ji Lingfeng desperately wanted to get a clear answer, but seeing Meng Qing standing on tiptoe, looking forward with bright anticipation and seeming deeply interested in the singing performance on stage, he hesitated for a moment and swallowed his words back down. Forget it, they would be heading back to the Prince’s Manor shortly anyway, and with him around, Meng Qing wouldn’t run into any trouble.
Dusk descended, and the glazed lamps lit up one after another, illuminating the central stage as if it were floating upon a sea mist. Amidst the dim, shifting lights, the twenty-five strings of the konghou instrument played automatically without wind, emitting crisp, melodious sounds. A young woman leaned gracefully against a bamboo couch, her red lips parted slightly, her alluring eyes brimming with seductive charm as she radiated a peerless, breathtaking beauty. Her jade-white fingertips swept across the ice-silk strings, playing the “Battle Hymn of Prince Lanling.”
The audience below the stage once again burst into a round of enthusiastic cheers and applause. However, Meng Qing’s mind was entirely absent from the stage; his thoughts drifted away uncontrollably, remaining deeply immersed in his own chaotic musings. In fact, had he stepped down just a moment later, he would have heard Shinian saying to the side:
“I say, good lady, could you stop wildly speculating about other people’s marital affection? Have you ever thought that they might be truly attuned in heart and living in complete harmony? Besides, be careful speaking so recklessly about the imperial family; if the authorities hear you, they’ll drag you off to sit in the big jail!”
That older woman glared fiercely at Shinian, but knowing she was in the wrong, she obediently shut her mouth.
What she said wasn’t actually untrue. His cousin had told him that the protagonists of this novel were Prince Ning and his wedding-blessing little consort; the two of them went from an arranged marriage to falling in love, spending all their time kissing, hugging, or being all over each other like glue. Their deeply affectionate state stood in stark contrast to supporting characters like themselves who were mired in a melodramatic love triangle.
Shinian himself felt a bit puzzled as to why he had bothered to talk back to that woman just then. Perhaps it was his professional code of ethics as a police officer at work:
Don’t believe rumors, don’t spread rumors.
“Aigo, look at whose little young master this is, turning out to be so terribly dashing.”
A rough, alcohol-laced voice abruptly rang out, instantly shattering the lively, joyful atmosphere of the tavern.
Everyone looked toward the source of the sound and saw Zhao Tianbao staggering over, the emerald thumb ring on his hand flashing an eerie green light under the lamplight like the venomous tongue of a snake. He stared unblinkingly at Meng Qing, his eyes full of greed and covetousness, as if Meng Qing were already completely within his grasp. Zhao Tianbao casually tossed aside the wine cup in his hand, spilling amber-colored liquor all over the floor.
Drunk as he was, Zhao Tianbao marched straight toward Meng Qing, and his oily hand was just about to make contact with Meng Qing’s shoulder. At this critical, split-second moment, Ji Lingfeng reacted with lightning speed, fiercely swatting Zhao Tianbao’s hand away, followed immediately by a fierce kick that sent him flying back.
This kick and palm strike were fast, fierce, and delivered with tremendous force. Fortunately, guards standing beside Zhao Tianbao managed to catch him in time, otherwise he would have been sent soaring through the air. Even so, Zhao Tianbao’s hand swelled up with visible redness at a speed naked to the eye, the drunken haze instantly evaporating by more than half as he belatedly howled in agonizing pain.
“Damn it, you motherfucker dare hit me? Do you know who the hell I am?” Zhao Tianbao’s face flushed crimson with fury as he roared angrily.
The surrounding patrons stared at this scene in absolute, dumbfounded shock.
“Has this punk lost his mind? He actually dares to provoke Zhao Tianbao, the gambling den owner’s son—he’s simply courting death!” Everyone scrambled backward in a hurry, terrified of being caught in the crossfire of this conflict and bringing disaster upon themselves.
Meng Qing’s heart tightened as well. He hadn’t expected to run into such an arrogant, tyrannical ruffian right beneath the feet of the Son of Heaven. Looking at Zhao Tianbao’s unmasked, shameless behavior, it was clear this wasn’t his first time pulling such stunts, and goodness knew how many innocent people had suffered tragic victimization at his hands.
“This Prin—I don’t give a damn who you are! Get lost right now if you don’t want to die!” Ji Lingfeng shielded Meng Qing behind him in a posture of complete protection.
No matter how big the identity of this Zhao-whatever-bastard might be, he, Ji Lingfeng, could afford to provoke him.
“This is outrageous, the world has truly turned upside down! Men, beat them up!” Zhao Tianbao had never encountered anyone who dared to openly defy him like this; instantly driven into a blind rage, he frantically ordered his subordinates to attack.
“Fine by me, Young Master here will just play along with you lot today.” Ji Lingfeng loosened up his joints, cracking his knuckles as he prepared for a major brawl.
Seeing this posture, the tavern owner muttered that things were going badly.
Oh no, they’ve genuinely come to smash the place up.
She hurriedly shot a look at the person beside her, who instantly caught her meaning, turned around, and hurried up toward the second floor.
“Aiyo, honored guest, please don’t lose your temper. Harmony brings wealth, harmony brings wealth~” The proprietress swayed her waist, pinched her voice, and stepped forward with a face plastered in ingratiating smiles.
“Isn’t this Second Master Zhao? I haven’t seen you in a few days, and you’re looking more ‘dashing and heroic’ than ever.” The proprietress spoke without changing her expression as she flattered Zhao Tianbao’s fleshy, undulating face. Then, leaning in slightly, she whispered, “I’ve prepared something good for you, it’s ready in the usual place.”
Zhao Tianbao narrowed his eyes. Hearing her say that, his anger subsided slightly, and he snorted coldly. “You know how to read the room.” He glared fiercely at Ji Lingfeng once more. “I’ll let you off the hook this time, but you won’t be so lucky next time. Let’s go.”
“Take your time, Second Master.” The proprietress flicked her handkerchief, rolling her eyes the instant Zhao Tianbao turned away. Yet when she turned back to face Ji Lingfeng and Meng Qing, her face instantly switched back to a slick, smiling expression. “I’m terribly sorry for disturbing the two honored guests. How about this, the two of you eat to your heart’s content, and today’s tab is entirely on me.”
Seeing her put it that way, Ji Lingfeng didn’t press the matter further, simply declining with a curt “no need” before returning to the table with Meng Qing to continue eating.
Hmph, when we get back, I’ll make sure Third Brother teaches this lawless bully a lesson.
The proprietress gazed at Ji Lingfeng’s retreating back, a strange, thoughtful gleam flashing through her eyes.
Upstairs
“Young Master, the Prime Minister has returned to the estate, so you should head back as well,” the page boy reminded him cautiously.
“Damn it, there’s even a curfew? That accursed Bai Wujou.”
Reluctant though he was, Shinian had no desire to make things difficult for the page boy. What a hateful feudal society; why was it always these bottom-layer commoners who bore the punishments? “Let’s go, back to the estate.”
“It’s simply lawless! When I get back, this Prince is going to ask the Patrol Office how they’ve been managing things.”
With all the commotion Zhao Tianbao had caused, Ji Lingfeng temporarily pushed Meng Qing’s earlier anomaly to the back of his mind, his heart entirely consumed by anger toward Zhao Tianbao.
“Stop getting angry, drink some tea to cool down.” Meng Qing forced himself to muster some energy, pouring a cup of water for Ji Lingfeng before picking up his own teacup to take a sip.
“Still, those few moves I pulled just now were truly dashing, fully displaying the demeanor of a great hero,” Ji Lingfeng said with self-satisfied pride.
Watching his peacock-like display, Meng Qing was amused despite himself. “Yeah, yeah, yeah, Hero Lingfeng.”
However…
Meng Qing suddenly felt something amiss. As he rolled up his sleeves, a surge of burning heat rushed straight to his head, and his vision began to grow heavy and dizzy.
“It’s so hot.”
“So sleepy.”
At the exact same time, Ji Lingfeng emitted the same words. He felt his eyelids growing increasingly heavy and his limbs turning limp, completely devoid of strength.
Oh no, it was that cup of tea!
Panic struck Meng Qing as he tried to struggle to his feet, only to realize it was already too late. Ji Lingfeng likewise woke up to the danger, trying desperately to rouse his spirit, but his body refused to obey. In the final second before his eyes closed, Ji Lingfeng saw a waiter attempting to drag Meng Qing away.
No.
He couldn’t, he couldn’t fall asleep…
What should he do about Meng Qing? What about Meng Qing?
Ultimately unable to resist the overwhelming power of the drug, Ji Lingfeng slowly closed his eyes and plunged into absolute darkness.