Shu Fuyan’s repeated delays in visiting the Prince of Ji’s estate clearly made certain people lose their patience.
And so, Xizhe came to Bamboo Retreat once again.
Inside the room, the two were locked in a stalemate.
Dressed in black, Xizhe leaned against the door panel, having put away his usual playful grin.
Acting as though nothing at all was happening, Shu Fuyan lowered his head to carve a palm-sized pair of interlocking hearts into a piece of jade. Entirely focused, he was completely unfazed by Xizhe’s stern expression.
“Hey! Master Shu, you’re being too disloyal.” The moment Xizhe spoke, it shattered his aura of trying to act like a great martial hero.
Unmoved, Shu Fuyan continued carving the jade stone.
Xizhe had never met someone as stubborn as Shu Fuyan; whatever he said fell on deaf ears, and once he made up his mind, not even a mountain of persuasion from others could change his perspective.
“Good brother, just take a trip to the Prince of Ji’s estate,” Xizhe pleaded. “The Prince has asked about your whereabouts time and time again. If he ever finds out that you’ve become a musician at the Prince of Northern Suppression’s estate, wouldn’t he grow suspicious of you, Master Shu?”
Xizhe’s throat grew hoarse from talking, so he unceremoniously picked up the teacup on the table and drank from it.
Shu Fuyan picked up the half-carved heart jade to inspect it. The white jade had a moist, lustrous texture, and a small, blooming begonia flower was carved onto the surface—so subtle that it would go unnoticed without a close look.
Shu Fuyan put the interlocking heart jade away. “As for going to the Prince of Ji’s estate, wait a little longer.”
Xizhe’s eyes widened. “Wait a little longer? How many days have already passed! And we’re still waiting.”
The Prince of Ji wanted to see Shu Fuyan for two reasons: first, concerning the Crown Prince, and second, because of the list of officials Shu Fuyan had sent over.
The document clearly and explicitly listed the evidence of crimes committed by the Prince of Ji’s faction. Right now, the Crown Prince was deeply mired in chaos and unable to pull himself away for the time being, leaving him powerless to expose the Prince of Ji.
However, once the Crown Prince made a comeback, the people on that list belonging to the Prince of Ji would be uprooted entirely.
Shu Fuyan had no intention of heading to the Prince of Ji’s estate because he naturally had his own plans.
“You should head back; the Prince will not implicate you on account of someone like this humble Shu,” Shu Fuyan said.
Xizhe drew in a sharp breath. Shu Fuyan said it so casually—it wasn’t him who had to face the Prince of Ji’s people! That was why he felt so fearless and confident!
Xizhe slammed his hand on the table, a look of grim determination flashing across his features. “Today, you must come with me.”
Gazing quietly at Xizhe, Shu Fuyan spoke with detached indifference, “Do you have any idea what kind of fate awaits me if I go to the Prince of Ji’s estate right now?”
Failing to understand, Xizhe rolled his fox-like eyes around. “What kind?”
Lowering his gaze, Shu Fuyan cast a shadow with his long eyelashes. “I would die.”
“And die a very miserable death.”
Xizhe suffered a sudden skip of his heartbeat and stammered, “Y-You’re trying to bluff me!”
Shu Fuyan raised an eyebrow, a hidden smile laced within his words. “You don’t believe it?”
Biting his lip, Xizhe stubbornly retorted, “Stop trying to scare me.”
Walking over to the window, Shu Fuyan lifted the white gauze curtain.
“Take a look and see how the scenery outside has changed,” Shu Fuyan turned around and said in a clear voice.
Puffing out his cheeks with a rebellious expression, Xizhe walked over.
Reaching the window, Xizhe peered through the wooden lattice framework toward the corner of the courtyard wall, where he seemed to spot a dark shadow lingering on a tree branch that rose half a person’s height above the wall.
Someone was monitoring Bamboo Retreat!
Xizhe hurriedly batted Shu Fuyan’s hand down, forcing the curtain to drop back into place.
“Why didn’t you say so earlier? How long has that person been here?” Xizhe asked in a panic.
As accustomed to it as if it were routine, Shu Fuyan calmly took a seat.
“They’ve been here for a good few days.”
A twitching sensation rippled across Xizhe’s brow and throbbed in his nerves. His martial arts skills were far from poor, yet he hadn’t noticed anyone keeping watch when he arrived at Bamboo Retreat.
That could only mean one thing: the watcher was extremely cautious, and their martial arts proficiency was no lower than his own.
After pondering for a few seconds with dark eyes, Xizhe said, “Master Shu, you can’t keep living at Bamboo Retreat.”
Catching hold of Shu Fuyan’s hand with an aura of righteous heroism, Xizhe declared, “Here’s what we’ll do: I’ll disguise myself as you, and you escape through the secret passage.”
Shu Fuyan paused in surprise. He had repeatedly declined Xizhe’s good intentions, never expecting the other to still be worried about his safety.
Gently shaking him off, Shu Fuyan freed his hand. “There’s no need. There is someone behind him. You can hide for a moment, but you cannot hide for a lifetime.”
With his mouth dry and parched, Xizhe flopped down in agitation, grabbed the teacup, tilted his head back, and gulped down the remaining tea in one go.
“Master Shu, be honest with me just what kind of person have you provoked?” Xizhe panted, wearing a grave expression.
Having no intention of hiding it from him, Shu Fuyan laid the truth bare: “The Prince of Jin’an.”
“Boom.” A stool crashed to the floor.
Rising too abruptly, Xizhe had trodden on the edge of the stool and tumbled head over heels onto the ground.
“Ouch, my backside! It feels like it split into two halves,” Xizhe cried out in protest while clutching his rear, tears welling up at the corners of his eyes proof that the fall had truly hurt.
“No, my good brother, how on earth did you manage to provoke the Prince of Jin’an?” Xizhe’s complexion turned sallow, resembling someone who had swallowed spicy, tongue-burning raw ginger.
Casting an indifferent glance at Xizhe, Shu Fuyan gave him a subtle look to interpret on his own.
“Those who achieve great things do not sweat trivial details. Borrowing the power of others for one’s own use—how can that be called provoking?” Shu Fuyan spoke with an icy detachment, as if he completely cast aside all concern for the boundary between life and death.
Xizhe wanted to say something, but he realized that any persuasion would be wasted on Shu Fuyan. Sighing heavily, he muttered, “Suit yourself then. At least the one suffering disaster won’t be me.”
Leaving wasn’t an option, and staying at Bamboo Retreat wasn’t either.
Plagued by worry, Xizhe wondered how he ought to arrange a safe place for Shu Fuyan.
With flickers of light and shadow dancing in his eyes, Shu Fuyan glanced sideways and instantly read the thoughts spinning in Xizhe’s head.
Thus, anticipating Xizhe’s idea, Shu Fuyan spoke first: “Send me to the Prince of Northern Suppression’s estate.”
Xizhe’s jaw dropped, his teeth trembling as he stared at Shu Fuyan in disbelief.
“Master Shu, what on earth are you doing going to the Prince of Northern Suppression’s estate?”
Connecting the dots with Shu Fuyan’s abnormal behavior over the past few days, a sudden flash of realization hit Xizhe. “Y-You… could it be that you… harbor feelings for Xiao Yi?” Swallowing hard, Xizhe blurted out, “Are you falling in love with Xiao Yi?!”
Shu Fuyan’s pupils constricted violently at first, but he quickly suppressed the surging emotions inside him. Gradually, color returned to his cheeks, and traces of delight bloomed at the corners of his brows.
Turning his head slightly, Shu Fuyan wore a gentle smile on his lips. “Your brain finally decided to be useful for once.”
Frowning, Xizhe inhaled and exhaled deeply, telling himself to remain calm.
Caressing his own cheek unbothered, Shu Fuyan shed a sliver of his usual chilling aloofness and murmured softly, “My intentions are impure, and I have already tried to control myself and hide my defilement. Now that you have pried it open and exposed my flaws, what about him will he ever come to know?”
Pressing his tongue against his back molars, Xizhe thought to himself: The heavens have fallen; Shu Fuyan is beyond saving!
“You really harbor those feelings for Xiao Yi… that kind of… that kind of thing?” Xizhe couldn’t bring himself to say the word “man-lover,” but he stubbornly wanted confirmation.
“Xizhe, I like him.”
“I want to be with General Xiao.”
Lifting his head to lock eyes with Xizhe, Shu Fuyan spoke of his full devotion with earnest sincerity, desperately wishing to look through Xizhe’s eyes to see his own reflection mirroring back at him—clearly telling himself that he simply could not do without Xiao Yi.
“It’s over, the world has turned upside down.” Xizhe’s mind was spinning.
Even though Xizhe had plenty more to say regarding this shocking secret, judging by Shu Fuyan’s temperament, whatever he said would prove completely futile.
After a long pause, Xizhe awkwardly forced out a question: “What about Xiao Yi? Does he… hold any feelings for you?”
Manoeuvring his thumb over the scar on his little finger, Shu Fuyan felt a mixture of bitterness and sweetness in his heart.
Xiao Yi probably remained oblivious to his filthy intentions and didn’t like him at all.
Shu Fuyan suppressed a self-deprecating smile at the corner of his mouth.
The moment he saw Shu Fuyan’s desolate and lost expression, Xizhe understood everything.
Xiao Yi had most likely never thought in that direction, perhaps merely treating Shu Fuyan as an outsider. No matter how close their relationship grew, it was still just that between a general and a musician—and even if it grew closer still, could it ever surpass the Prince of Yu!
“Master Shu, it’s not that I want to lecture you. But of all the people you could fancy, why did it have to be Xiao Yi?”
Xiao Yi’s reputation preceded him. Although he hadn’t crossed any boundaries since arriving in the capital, a fierce god of war who had slaughtered thousands on the battlefield could hardly possess much tenderness; his heart was forged from iron, devoid of ordinary romantic sentiment.
Xiao Yi carried an overwhelming aura of masculine vigor, and at a single glance, he looked nothing like someone cut out to be a man-lover.
Shu Fuyan prided himself on being cold-hearted and detached, never having worn himself out or agonized over anyone. Whenever things went south in his hands, he always had a chance to start afresh—yet when it came to Xiao Yi, Shu Fuyan dared not gamble.
He only wanted to succeed once and for all.
“Xizhe, I want to see him.”
This marked the first time in all the years Xizhe had known Shu Fuyan that he witnessed him baring his heart so openly.
Xizhe’s lips moved in a momentary daze.
Then, as if a sudden realization cleared his mind, Xizhe let out a lingering sigh.
“Oh well, since we only live once, it isn’t easy to find a true match. Master Shu, I support you!”
Shu Fuyan’s gaze brightened momentarily before dimming just as quickly; when he would ever truly possess Xiao Yi was something Shu Fuyan could not foresee.
Seeing that his friend was unlucky in love, Xizhe tapped his own forehead and began brainstorming ideas for Shu Fuyan.
“Master Shu, listen to me, and I guarantee General Xiao will be wrapped around your finger.”
Xizhe’s words instantly piqued Shu Fuyan’s interest.
“What makes you say that?” Shu Fuyan leaned closer to listen.
Replete with mischievous plots, Xizhe chuckled craftily and whispered a couple of spicy suggestions directly into Shu Fuyan’s ear.
Whatever lurid remarks Xizhe uttered, Shu Fuyan’s pupils underwent a dramatic change in color, and his cheeks flushed an uncharacteristically shy shade of pink, spreading down his neck in a peach-blossom blush.
“How about that, give it a try!” Xizhe puffed out his chest with a victorious grin.
With a chaotic storm of thoughts whirling in his mind, little figures fought inside Shu Fuyan’s head.
No matter how reserved he usually was, it ultimately failed to conquer his deep-seated desire to win over Xiao Yi.
Meeting Xizhe’s playful, smiling gaze, Shu Fuyan gave a slow nod.
“Thank you, Xizhe, for opening my eyes.”
Shu Fuyan inwardly chided himself; he had still been far too slow-paced and sluggish, lacking the boldness to proactively seduce his target. If he delayed any longer, the fish in the pond would swim right away.
With the plan devised, Xizhe volunteered himself to act as a matchmaking intermediary. He instructed Shu Fuyan to leave Bamboo Retreat while he stayed behind in the room to keep up appearances and deceive the Prince of Jin’an’s watchers.
Xizhe’s proposal aligned perfectly with Shu Fuyan’s wishes.
Hastily changing out of his outer garments, Shu Fuyan slipped on a pale purple robe and escaped quietly through the secret passage.
However, just as Xizhe assumed Shu Fuyan had successfully departed, a flash of pale purple appeared outside the outer wall of Bamboo Retreat. He gave a wave of his hand, and shortly after, the person stationed in the tree vanished.
And of all this, Xizhe remained completely unaware.
With a profound and somber gaze, accompanied by a look of apology, Shu Fuyan stared briefly at a corner of the house before letting the urging wind sweep him away toward the distance.
There were many things Shu Fuyan could not voice aloud.
Xizhe treated others with sincerity and loyalty, making him a rare and cherished confidant. Yet because he was a man of the Prince of Ji’s estate, their paths diverged in the end, and Shu Fuyan dared not risk making a single mistake.
The matters he had set out to accomplish were far too perilous; a single misstep meant plunging into an abyss. Keeping Xizhe from being dragged into the muddy waters was the greatest extent of Shu Fuyan’s soft-heartedness.
As evening twilight approached, Shu Fuyan arrived at the Prince of Northern Suppression’s estate.
A servant hurried inside to announce his arrival, but instead of Xiao Yi, the estate steward came out to meet him.
“Master Shu, you have arrived,” the steward greeted, bending his waist and back.
“Is General Xiao not here?” Habitually, Shu Fuyan looked past the steward.
In the past, whenever Xiao Yi was in the residence, the steward would always direct Shu Fuyan to go straight inside rather than greeting him with the words “you have arrived.”
The steward nodded. “The General is out on an inspection duty by imperial order. Master Shu should please return another day.”
Pausing for a brief moment, Shu Fuyan offered a polite smile. “It’s no matter. This humble Shu will simply wait here until General Xiao returns.”
Finding it difficult to chase a guest away, and knowing that Shu Fuyan had grown close to Xiao Yi over recent days while also recognizing him as the estate’s musician, the steward invited him inside to sit and wait.