The bright moon hung high upon the branches, casting a layer of silver frost over the lake. However, autumn is a season of heavy rain, and the surface of the lake was pelted with ripples as the downpour continued.
Inside the cave, the burning bonfire crackled fiercely, warming the surrounding air. Yet, Xi Huai’s body remained icy cold, and he could not help but lean closer to Li Jue.
Li Jue immediately looked like a cat whose fur had stood on end. He brandished his fists and shouted, “Stay away from me!”
Xi Huai was freezing to death. He feigned sorrow, clutching his chest. “I just admire you, Ah Jue, and want to be closer to you.”
“You, you…” Li Jue instantly looked like boiling water, his entire face flushing red. “How shameless!”
“Do not be angry, Ah Jue. I did not mean anything else.”
Xi Huai blinked innocently. “It is just that love arises without reason, and it is hard to restrain.”
Li Jue’s face turned livid, and he took a deep breath. When he opened his eyes again, he had regained his composure. He leaned in, reached out to take a strand of Xi Huai’s hair, wound it around his fingertip, and leaned down to kiss it. The scene seemed to slow down; Xi Huai’s senses were heightened to the extreme, and he was completely stunned.
What is he doing?
Is he kissing my hair?
Li Jue had shed the childishness of yesterday, gaining the tenderness he possessed as Li Wan. The vermilion tear mole under the corner of his eye added a touch of charm. Especially when he kissed his hair, his eyes remained fixed on Xi Huai, staring unblinkingly. Xi Huai felt goosebumps all over his body, like a startled bird, and leaped up.
Seeing this, Li Jue let out a triumphant laugh. “Are you a fool?”
Realizing he was being toyed with, Xi Huai glared at him. “Stop laughing!”
“Love arises without reason?”
Li Jue laughed until tears filled his eyes, mimicking Xi Huai’s tone. “Love is hard to restrain?”
Stop it!
I am so embarrassed I could die! Xi Huai had a thick skin, but being teased again and again made him feel ashamed. Fortunately, Li Jue soon stopped mocking him, his flamboyant face showing an indescribable sense of relief.
“I have not felt this relaxed in a long time.”
Is that so? Is your happiness built upon the suffering of others?
Li Jue knew he was being excessive, but he did not care. He proudly lifted his chin. “What is with that look?”
Young man, do not go too far.
Can I not glare at you if I cannot scold you?
Xi Huai said gently, “A look of admiration.” As he spoke, he lied effortlessly, appearing quite happy. “I am very happy to be able to let you show your true self in front of me, Ah Jue.”
Li Jue was stunned. He did not deny it but admitted, “You are right. It seems it has indeed been a long time since I showed my true self.”
Xi Huai: “?”
You aren’t even calling yourself this young master anymore. Is something bothering you?
The troubled young man was indeed full of worries, muttering to himself. “I was born into a merchant family, the only child, raised in luxury since childhood. My parents were deeply in love and treated me with the utmost care.”
Don’t be like this, brother. Don’t force that arrogant CEO persona; I don’t buy it.
But this guy clearly could not hear his inner voice and fell into memories. “However, no one knew that my mother was once a concubine of the Li family.”
“The eldest daughter of the Li family, Li Wan, was taken a fancy to by the foolish ruler of the current dynasty, and she eloped with an adulterer.”
“As the bloodline of the Li family, my appearance is exactly the same as Li Wan’s. In order to have me enter the palace as a substitute bride, the Li family cruelly exterminated my entire family.”
Even though it was his own experience, Li Jue was so calm it was as if he were telling a story about someone else. His words were as cold and calm as if he had ice cubes in his mouth.
“Although I do not remember clearly, I think it must have been then that I eloped with you.”
Understood, understood. Instead of acting as a substitute bride for the foolish Emperor for the Li family, it is better to elope with the adulterer. So he was not a CEO character, but a beautiful, strong, and tragic one. How truly tragic. This beautiful, strong, and tragic character had a vivid imagination, filling in the gaps in his memory.
“Is this your memory from when you were fourteen?”
Even though he knew everything, Xi Huai pretended to be ignorant. “Why are you telling me this? I thought you did not trust me.”
Unexpectedly, Li Jue’s lips curved into an arc. He laughed silently and maliciously. “Xi Huai, I cannot elope with you anymore.”
Xi Huai: “…”
Xi Huai was speechless and fell into a brief silence. What is it now, Miss? He was extremely impatient and perfunctorily replied, “Ah Jue must have his own reasons.”
However, to Li Jue’s ears, this sounded like a joke, and he could not help but laugh. “Pfft, interesting. How can you be so naive?”
Watching the youth with a look of confusion on his face, as if he did not understand why he was laughing, his expression even turning somewhat angry, Li Jue suddenly felt a wave of malice. He leaned into his ear and revealed his purpose.
“I want the Great Qing to assassinate the dog Emperor, and I want the Li family to be buried with me.”
“Only in this way can I avenge my mother and resolve the hatred in my heart.”
“It is rumored that the dog Emperor only knows how to pursue pleasure and does not care about the people.”
“If I kill him, I will not only be having my assets confiscated and family executed, but I will also be removing a scourge for the people.”
Li Jue then noticed a small mole on the youth’s earlobe, hidden behind his ear. The white skin, embellished by that small mole, had an indescribable allure. A flush that was not normal appeared on his cheeks, and he leaned into Xi Huai’s ear.
“Xi Huai, you are very smart. Why do you think I am telling you all this?”
Xi Huai shuddered. The warm breath in his ear made his hair stand on end. He covered his ears and retreated tactically. Yet, a chill still spread through his limbs, as if a cold, venomous snake was tightly coiled around him, refusing to let him leave.
All he heard was a sickly sweet voice. “Because I do not want to die alone. Did you not say you like me?”
“If you like me, you will certainly be like my mother, never leaving me alone, but accompanying me to die together, right?”
Xi Huai: “…”
Are you sick? Do you have an Oedipus complex?
“Scared?” Li Jue added with pity, “How pitiful. It is a pity that the Li family will find us soon.”
Xi Huai was not afraid at all. He interrupted Li Jue’s insane rambling. “Ah Jue…”
“If, I mean if, the little Emperor is not as foolish and incompetent as the rumors say?”
“If that were the case, would you still want to assassinate the little Emperor just to have the Li family confiscated?”
“Not as foolish and incompetent as the rumors say?” Li Jue looked incredulous. “Are you sure you are talking about the dog Emperor?”
It is not that foolish, is it?
Well, he was indeed foolish in the original book, but he had been trying his best to change his character. However, Li Jue’s memory was currently disordered, and his mental age was no more than fourteen, making his rashness greater than his scheming. Being asked this question casually did indeed cause him to be dazed for a moment, falling into deep thought.
Xi Huai patted his shoulder. “Do not worry, Ah Jue. Think about it slowly, and decide after you have thought it through.”
Anyway, there was still one day left. In one day, the side effects of the miraculous medicine would expire, and Li Jue’s confused memories would return to normal. If Xue Fang had not found him by then, he would either be killed by the Li Jue who had regained his memories, or he would have to beg Li Jue for his life. But looking at Li Jue’s crazed appearance, he felt his life was nearing its end.
Perhaps sensing his death was near, Xi Huai tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep. Watching Li Jue’s sleeping face, he only felt frustrated and restless. He irritably opened the group chat, only to see that a newcomer had joined.
Congratulations to the derivative work male lead for joining the transmigrator chat group.
The Apocalyptic Novel Male Lead asked curiously, “What kind of work did the newcomer transmigrate into?”
The Derivative Work Male Lead was very calm. “I must have transmigrated into a derivative work.”
The Palace Drama Female Supporting Character was interested. “Then you must have read a lot of derivative works?”
The Derivative Work Male Lead did not deny it. “Not bad, I have read almost all the Jinjiang works.”
The Palace Drama Female Supporting Character: “Have you ever read a story where the protagonist transmigrates into a political-scheming cannon-fodder little Emperor, but is surrounded by wolves?”
The Derivative Work Male Lead: “There are too many stories about transmigrating into a cannon-fodder little Emperor. Is there any specific indicator?”
The Palace Drama Female Supporting Character recounted the plot that Xi Huai had once told, and only then did the Derivative Work Male Lead confirm it.
The Derivative Work Male Lead: “This is a derivative danmei novel, and the protagonist’s character is a heartthrob.”
The people in the chat group heard this, and how could they not understand? They all understood. The Palace Drama Female Supporting Character was even more triumphant. “See? This palace said it was a heartthrob novel.”
Apocalyptic Novel Male Lead: “A Shura Field novel is not in conflict, is it? By the way, newcomer, which character stock did you buy?”
Derivative Work Male Lead: “Of course I bought the Noble Consort stock, this master.”
House-fighting Male Supporting Character: “Derivative Work Male Lead, you have great taste.”
Apocalyptic Novel Male Lead: “What taste? The General is better, right?”
Derivative Work Male Lead: “House-fighting Male Supporting Character, you are very knowledgeable, I think this master is not bad.”
House-fighting Male Supporting Character: “Falling off a cliff, amnesia, all the elements are here. The Noble Consort has already won, right?”
The Palace Drama Female Supporting Character: “This palace must remind you that you cannot buy stock in Jinjiang.”
Civil Service Exam Male Lead: “How can this be?”
Xi Huai was completely numb. He realized that this group had gradually become abnormal since he started taking the tonic. What kind of derivative danmei novel? Don’t mess with me, I am a pure-hearted high school student, okay? He hurriedly replied, “Stop making fun of me.”
The Palace Drama Female Supporting Character: “Oh my, you are finally online again.”
Civil Service Exam Male Lead: “Brother, haven’t you realized it yet?”
Even the newcomer, the Derivative Work Male Lead, sympathetically sent a special red envelope.
Xi Huai: “?”
Although he did not know why the newcomer sent a red envelope, he still politely thanked him. He curiously poked at the red envelope, only to discover that inside was a piece of intimate lingerie.
Xi Huai: “Newcomer, what do you mean?”
Derivative Work Male Lead: “The person they were talking about just now was you, right? Don’t you read books?”
Xi Huai was furious. He had worn out his three years of practice and five years of college entrance examination papers; how could he not read? He not only read, but also did exercises; the compilation of college entrance examination questions was not missing a single one!
“Guess why I know the plot of the original book?”
“Then why haven’t you realized it until now?”
Xi Huai asked sincerely, “Realized what?”
“Realized that you transmigrated into a derivative danmei novel.”
Xi Huai: “…”
Xi Huai had cracked.