Before long, the lieutenant arrived and reported from outside the door that he had important matters to discuss with Xiao Yi.
Xiao Yi rose and tucked the blanket around Shu Fuyan. “I’ll go out and check.”
Shu Fuyan understood that Xiao Yi needed to handle official business, so he didn’t try to make him stay.
As Xiao Yi walked to the door, he couldn’t help but feel uneasy; he turned back to glance at the frail Shu Fuyan once more.
Xiao Yi then lowered his gaze and closed the door firmly, leaving not even a sliver of a gap.
Seeing Xiao Yi emerge, the lieutenant immediately reported the situation. “General Xiao, the captured thieves have all committed suicide by taking poison.”
Xiao Yi’s face darkened as he carefully replayed the events of the past few days in his mind.
Cai Yan was someone the Emperor had personally ordered to be arrested. On the surface, he was a subordinate of the crown prince, but if one looked closely at the relationships involved, it was hard to say who might have been pulling strings behind the scenes.
And just as he had captured Cai Yan, Lin Baiyi had appeared.
He didn’t come early, and he didn’t come late; he appeared precisely when Cai Yan surfaced.
Lin Baiyi wanted to kill Cai Yan, and he had also wanted to kill him.
Was he acting under the crown prince’s orders, or was he being instigated by Prince Ji?
If the incriminating evidence in Cai Yan’s possession concerned the crown prince, it would be understandable that the prince would want to eliminate the source of the trouble.
But if Lin Baiyi was not the crown prince’s man, could he be Prince Ji’s?
And if he was neither the crown prince’s nor Prince Ji’s, then who else could want him dead?
Xiao Yi’s brow furrowed deeper and deeper. A voice deep in his heart told him that if he continued to follow this thread, he would find the truth unbearable.
Xiao Yi’s hand hung at his side, his thumb unconsciously stroking his forefinger as he continued to search for information in his mind.
Perhaps he could find clues from other sources.
For example, the sudden rain of arrows.
When he was dueling Lin Baiyi, another group of people had suddenly burst out. Judging by their posture, they seemed to want to seize the things in Cai Yan’s hands.
Cai Yan was dead and he had died under Xiao Yi’s control. Therefore, those people had mistakenly assumed the items were in his possession, and their focus had shifted to him.
If you looked at it that way, that group was at odds with Lin Baiyi; they shouldn’t be working together.
The web of relationships was becoming increasingly tangled, and more and more people were entering the fray. Before long, a fierce battle was likely to erupt.
Xiao Yi remained silent for a long time, leading the lieutenant to open his mouth. “General?”
Xiao Yi regained his focus and instructed: “Investigate the matter of the thieves as thoroughly as possible.”
“As for the Drunken Immortal Pavilion, since we couldn’t find the item, shut it down.”
The lieutenant hesitated, his eyes filled with worry. “The master behind the wine restaurant is Prince Ji. If we seal it off entirely, Prince Ji may hold a grudge against you, General.”
Xiao Yi swept a cold, piercing gaze across him, his thin lips parted. “And what of it?”
There were so many people in the capital who hated him; what difference did it make if Prince Ji were added to that list or not?
Seeing that he could not persuade Xiao Yi, the lieutenant said nothing more.
Xiao Yi asked a few more questions about the arrow volley, and the lieutenant presented the drawing of the phoenix mark found on the arrows for Xiao Yi to examine.
Neither of them noticed that the door behind them opened a tiny crack, letting a gust of cold wind blow inside.
After giving the lieutenant a few more instructions, Xiao Yi returned to the room.
Because his concern was heavy, Xiao Yi didn’t notice anything wrong for a moment.
Inside, Shu Fuyan’s face was deathly pale, like that of a corpse.
Xiao Yi frowned, his pace quickening as he approached the bed.
“Why are your hands so cold?” Xiao Yi held the hand that was exposed outside the blanket; it was as cold as mid-winter ice.
Shu Fuyan leaned into Xiao Yi of his own accord, resting his other hand on his palm.
“My hands are a bit cold. If General Xiao warms them for me, they will naturally heat up.”
Shu Fuyan looked sickly, but his mouth was full of seductive words, each one sounding so pleasant that they might as well have been coated in honey.
And Xiao Yi was a sucker for it.
Xiao Yi patted the back of his hand, amused. “You have a glib tongue.”
Shu Fuyan smiled without a word, shifting his body to empty the space beside him.
“Sleep for a while, General Xiao. This time, it’s my turn to guard you.”
Xiao Yi had not slept for many days; there were dark, bruised circles beneath his eyelashes, and one could only imagine how exhausted he was.
Xiao Yi removed his outer garment and cautiously slipped into the bed, his movements gentle and slow, trying his best not to touch Shu Fuyan’s injured arm.
Xiao Yi was considerate, sleeping on the very edge of the bed and leaving a gulf as wide as the heavens between them.
Shu Fuyan’s eyes dimmed; he had never intended to keep a distance from Xiao Yi.
If Xiao Yi wouldn’t come to him, then he would approach Xiao Yi.
No sooner had Xiao Yi closed his eyes than a hot, firm sensation pressed against his waist.
He opened his eyes to see a face of peerless beauty.
“You!” Xiao Yi was rendered speechless.
“General Xiao’s body is warm, and I couldn’t help myself.”
Shu Fuyan licked the corner of his mouth, his smile deepening.
Xiao Yi was helpless against him and allowed him to stir up trouble.
Who would have thought that Shu Fuyan would be so restless? Even while injured, he didn’t forget to tug at Xiao Yi’s inner garments. The belt that had been firmly tied was suddenly pulled away, exposing his solid, resilient chest muscles.
A body hardened by years of martial arts was well-built; it didn’t have the rough, darkened skin of a coarse man. Instead, because it was usually wrapped in clothing, his skin was as white as porcelain, and even the blood vessels on the inside of his arms looked exceptionally seductive.
Shu Fuyan swallowed his saliva and touched him without a second thought.
The hand on his chest was icy, and the tense stimulation sent Xiao Yi’s nerves into overdrive. He let out a muffled sound but did not push him away.
Shu Fuyan’s ears twitched as he lifted his head to admire his own handiwork.
Xiao Yi’s hair was disheveled, helpless and pitiful. This fragile General Xiao was his own creation, and Shu Fuyan felt a great sense of satisfaction for the desires hidden deep in his heart.
“General Xiao, sleep well. Leave the rest to me.”
Xiao Yi felt his scalp tingle. When had Shu Fuyan become so bold? He spoke so lightly of letting him sleep, but then turned around to ignite a fire within him.
How was he supposed to sleep like this?
Xiao Yi exhaled deeply and closed his eyes to calm himself.
When he opened them again, his eyes were clear.
“Fuyan, don’t do something you’ll regret.”
To be so bold while still wounded, Xiao Yi really didn’t know whether to call Shu Fuyan foolish or blinded by lust.
Shu Fuyan pouted, blinked his eyes, and lay back down.
“General Xiao, I won’t tease you anymore. Come over and sleep.”
Shu Fuyan innocently retreated to the very inside, leaving the spot empty again.
Xiao Yi scoffed, picked up his clothes from the bed, and walked behind the screen.
Before long, the sound of a low, hoarse male voice drifted into Shu Fuyan’s ears.
The ambiguous, unintelligible moaning sounded as if he were engaged in something shameful. Shu Fuyan knew even without looking: Xiao Yi had been teased to the breaking point by him and could no longer control himself.
Shu Fuyan looked at the wound on his arm, his eyes dark.
If only he weren’t injured, he could have helped the General resolve his need.
After about an hour, when Shu Fuyan was almost falling asleep, Xiao Yi finally returned to his side, looking refreshed.
Neither of them spoke, staring face-to-face at the other’s features.
Shu Fuyan was the first to lose his composure; he burst out laughing.
Xiao Yi reached out to brush the hair that had fallen over his eyes, asking with amusement: “What are you laughing at?”
Shu Fuyan’s gaze was infatuated as he muttered to himself: “General Xiao is so handsome. I really want to hide you away.”
Xiao Yi flicked his forehead. “With a body like yours, you want to hide me? Don’t even think about it.”
Shu Fuyan narrowed his eyes, his fingers tightening subconsciously as he whispered: “If I recover my strength, can I hide you away then?”
Xiao Yi only took it as a joke, rubbing his hair and telling him to hurry up and sleep.
Xiao Yi had been guarding Shu Fuyan for many days, and now that he was in bed and had just finished engaging in intimate play, he was so exhausted that he fell asleep the moment he touched the pillow.
The soft, steady sound of breathing filled the room, and Shu Fuyan felt at ease.
He stared at Xiao Yi’s sleeping face and whispered a silent I’m sorry.
Shu Fuyan braced himself up, cautiously climbed over Xiao Yi, put on his outer robe, and left the warm room.
He hadn’t been out long before he bumped into the steward.
“Scholar Shu, why have you come out?” Seeing Shu Fuyan, the steward was very nervous.
The news of Shu Fuyan’s injury had cast a funereal gloom over the entire estate. Now that he had regained consciousness, why was he wandering about?
Shu Fuyan was calm and composed. “I wished to wash my hands.”
The steward’s anxious face changed, becoming unusually stiff. “Is that so? Should I accompany you, Scholar?”
Shu Fuyan pursed his lips. “That won’t be necessary.”
Washing one’s hands was a private matter; how could he let someone accompany him?
The steward felt agitated, fearing that something might go wrong.
Under Shu Fuyan’s gentle refusal, the steward had no choice but to give up.
It was already the hour of shen (3:00–5:00 PM); in two more hours, it would be dark.
Xizhe had led Lin Xi’e around the Marquis of Zhenbei’s estate for a long time, but they couldn’t even find a hole for a dog to crawl through.
Xizhe felt deflated. If he couldn’t see Shu Fuyan, he would go mad.
His friend was in trouble, but he couldn’t help his heart was nearly bursting with anxiety.
What if Shu Fuyan died…
Xizhe shook his head, insisting that it was impossible.
Good people don’t live long, but pests live for a thousand years.
Shu Fuyan couldn’t die that easily.
“Shall we come back tomorrow?” Lin Xi’e could no longer hold out; she sat on a stone pier nearby and massaged her legs.
Waiting indefinitely was not a solution, and it was difficult to sneak in while bringing Lin Xi’e along.
A flash of inspiration struck Xizhe. He pulled out a piece of hemp rope, his smile turning sinister.
“Good lady, I’ll have to wrong you for now.”
Lin Xi’e’s expression suddenly faded. “What are you going to do!?”
Xizhe didn’t say another word. He tied Lin Xi’e up, found the nearest small alleyway, hid her inside a wicker basket, covered it with straw, and stuffed a cloth into her mouth.
Even if she wanted to escape, no one would be able to find her.
Having done all this, Xizhe decided to break into the Marquis of Zhenbei’s estate alone.
I will see him if he is alive, and I will see his body if he is dead.
The moment Xizhe vaulted over the outer wall of the estate and landed, he saw Shu Fuyan staring straight at him.
Xizhe felt awkward, raised a hand, and gave a greeting: “Hey…”
Wait it’s Shu Fuyan!
“You’re alright!”
Overjoyed, Xizhe grabbed Shu Fuyan by the shoulders.
Shu Fuyan drew a sharp breath, quite annoyed. “You pressed on my wound.”
Xizhe realized his mistake too late and dared not touch him again.
“The item is in the Drunken Immortal Pavilion.”
Xizhe frowned and rubbed his nose. “What item?”
Shu Fuyan pinched his fingertips, striving to remain calm. “The thing the Prince wants is in the Drunken Immortal Pavilion.”
Xizhe was astonished. “Scholar Shu, you were able to get this information even now! I will tell the Prince good things about you when I return; all the credit will be recorded under your name.”
Xizhe smiled broadly, mindless and simple-hearted.
Shu Fuyan was just about to say it wasn’t necessary, but seeing the patrol guards coming, he hurriedly pushed Xizhe away.
“Go, quickly!”
Not daring to implicate Shu Fuyan, Xizhe used his lightweight kung fu to vault back over the wall.
“Scholar Shu?”
The lead guard arrived in a hurry with his men. Hearing movement nearby, he thought someone had broken in and had already drawn his sword. When he saw it was Shu Fuyan, he sheathed it again.
“I lost my way for a moment; I am just returning.”
Shu Fuyan spoke without the slightest panic, weaving a lie as easily as breathing.
The guards were personally selected by Xiao Yi to protect the estate’s entrance; naturally, they knew that Shu Fuyan held a position of no small importance within the府, so they dared not be negligent.
Therefore, the guard dispatched four men to escort Shu Fuyan back, while the rest continued their patrol.
Fortunately, Xizhe had left quickly, and no one noticed that anything was amiss.
Dark clouds pressed down from above; a sudden rainstorm was about to arrive.