CH 46

October 11, 2022Merchie

The teacup was knocked over, and the remaining liquid inside spilled all over the blanket.

Pei Zheng’s breathing was slightly unstable as he let go of the little man.

Qi Changyi’s eyes were hazy; crystal tears were beading at the corner of his eyes, ready to fall.

“Do not cry.”

“I know,” Qi Changyi choked slightly, and the tears instantly flowed out. “But I can’t hold them in anymore…”

His heart was filled with grief, how could he still be doing this kind of thing? He was about to be married to someone else, yet he was still so deeply entangled with Brother Pei.

In his simple, pure mind, this kind of love could only exist between two people; there wasn’t room for a third.

Pei Zheng tossed a white handkerchief at him and spoke coldly, “Wipe your face. When did you become such a crybaby?”

Qi Changyi picked up the handkerchief and wiped away his tears. He neatly folded the handkerchief into a little square and handed it back to Pei Zheng.

Pei Zheng glanced at it but didn’t take it, that feeling of irritation had suddenly rushed back up again, and his temples had begun to throb in pain.

He pressed his fingers to his forehead several times, but there was no relief. In the past, when Qi Changyi had kneaded it for him, the pain would vanish instantly.

Pei Zheng leaned back against the soft cushions and closed his eyes, “Massage my temples for me.”

Qi Changyi bit his bottom lip and didn’t move.

Pei Zheng opened his eyes and stared at him in silence; his gaze was so cold that it could freeze someone to death.

“That little eunuch of yours, Li Yu…you really like him, don’t you? I wonder what you would do if he died…”

Qi Changyi was stricken with panic. He quickly crawled over and knelt beside Pei Zheng, the long chain dragging behind him. “Brother Pei, don’t hurt Xiao Yuzi, I’ll, I’ll massage them for you.”

A pair of soft, delicate hands began to knead his forehead with just the right amount of strength.

Qi Changyi’s knees were still swollen. It was so painful that he could hardly sit up straight, but he tried his best not to collapse onto Pei Zheng.

The carriage swayed and rattled slightly as it continued forward, Pei Zheng’s eyelids fluttered closed and he dozed off.

A little while passed, and the kneading suddenly stopped. Pei Zheng’s eyes were still closed, but he spoke irritably, “Continue.”

Qi Changyi lifted himself slightly with his hands, and the pain in his knees was slightly alleviated. When he heard Pei Zheng’s command, he hurriedly placed his hands back on the other’s forehead and continued to rub it. All the while, his entire body was shivering in agony.

He didn’t know how long they had been on the road; Qi Changyi’s face was ashen and covered in sweat. At this moment, the carriage finally came to a halt.

“Your Highness, my Lord, it’s getting late. General Zhao suggested that we stop at the inn up front and rest there for the night. We will continue traveling in the morning.”

“Mm.”

Pei Zheng’s eyes slowly peeled open, and Qi Changyi stopped massaging his forehead. Every muscle in his body was sore, and all his limbs felt as though they were about to fall off.

Pei Zheng untied the chains that bound his arms and legs. “Be honest with me tonight.”

With those words, he stepped out of the carriage.

The skin on Qi Changyi’s wrists had been rubbed raw; he clutched his hands to his chest and stood up to follow Pei Zheng. But his injured knees couldn’t handle the sudden movement, and one of his legs collapsed beneath him.

Li Yu hurried over to help the little Highness up. The little man’s face was deathly white, which worried Li Yu.

Pei Zheng had already reached the inn’s front door. He looked back and called out, “Your Highness, what are you waiting for?”

Zhao Litang, A’mu Le and the other barbarian envoys were already inside; the other guards were setting up tents. They all looked up at the sound of Pei Zheng’s voice.

Qi Changyi didn’t want to cause trouble, so he tried his best to stand up. However, he was in so much pain that he couldn’t muster the strength to do so.

Li Yu, upon seeing Pei Zheng’s gaze darken with irritation, swallowed his fear and yelled, “Lord Pei! His Highness is badly injured, he can’t walk, can you think of a way to help him?”

Help him? Help him how?

Pei Zheng gazed at the pitiful little figure kneeling on the ground. Although he was annoyed, he had already begun to walk back toward him.

He bent down and picked Qi Changyi up bridal-style. Then, in front of everyone, he carried the little man into the inn.

Zhao Litang and the others were still standing in the lobby. They were all shocked when the two of them entered.

Qi Changyi was embarrassed to be seen by so many people in such a position. He struggled weakly and whispered in a quiet voice that only Pei Zheng could hear, “Brother Pei, there are too many people here, you can let me down now, I can walk by myself.”

Unexpectedly, Pei Zheng hugged the little man even tighter. “If you keep moving around, I’ll throw you out of the window.”

Qi Changyi didn’t dare to move again and allowed himself to be cradled in Pei Zheng’s embrace.

Zhao Litang’s fists clenched. Just as he was about to step forward, he was pulled back by the lieutenant beside him. He shook his head lightly, and Zhao Litang’s fingers slowly uncurled.

A’mu Le merely smiled and observed the scene unfolding before him.

The innkeeper’s assistant came out. At a glance, he knew that Pei Zheng and Qi Changyi were both distinguished guests. He quickly led them upstairs to the second floor’s best guest rooms.

“My Lord, we’ve reserved the entirety of our humble inn just for you! We are truly honored by your presence.”

The assistant was extremely chatty, “My Lord, the girl you’re holding is so beautiful, she must be your wife. Tsk, tsk, tsk, so many customers come through the door every day, but I’ve seen anyone as pretty as her before! You’re so lucky, ah…”

“Get out.”

These two concise words were filled with undisguised irritation. The assistant immediately ran out of the guest room in fear.

Pei Zheng placed Qi Changyi on the bed and called for one of the Imperial Physicians. He still had to make sure that the little man would arrive at the borderlands in one piece.

Qi Changyi’s eyes widened slightly when he saw Jiang Yubai come in with his medicine box.

“I-Imperial Physician Jiang, you came too?”

He was in such a strange new place, yet seeing a familiar face immediately put Qi Changyi’s heart at ease.

“Greetings to Your Highness and Lord Pei.”

Pei Zheng nodded lightly. He walked over to the side of the bed and ordered in a deep voice, “Stay here. Wait for me to come back.”

After those words, he turned and walked out of the guest room.

The moment Pei Zheng left, Jiang Yubai sighed in relief. He hurried over to examine Qi Changyi’s knees and rummaged through his medicine box to find the ointment.

“Your Highness, you shouldn’t walk on your own for the next few days. Make sure to take good care of your knees, otherwise it will become chronic pain in the future.”

Qi Changyi sat at the edge of the bed, and nodded obediently.

Jiang Yubai looked at his pale face, and his heart began to hurt. Anyone who met the sweet little Highness would want to scoop him up into their arms and protect him. Only Pei Zheng would be so coldhearted, and continue to hurt him.

Someone knocked on the door. It was Zhao Litang, who had personally come to deliver some food. Jiang Yubai bowed his head and left the room.

“Changyi, are you feeling a little better now?”

Zhao Litang walked over to the side of the bed. His voice was filled with concern, “It’s not convenient for you to go downstairs, I had the cook make something for you. Come here and have a taste.”

Qi Changyi’s hadn’t eaten anything all day; his belly was completely empty, but he had no appetite.

“Thank you, Brother Tang. Just put it over there, I’ll eat it later.”

Even his voice sounded so weak. Zhao Litang insisted firmly, “No, come here and take a few bites. I’m going to watch you.”

Qi Changyi stood up cautiously, and slowly limped his way to the table and sat down. It was only a few steps, yet his forehead was already covered in a thin layer of sweat.

He picked up a small pastry and stuffed it into his mouth. It had once been one of his favorite foods, yet he chewed it as if it were wax1.

Before he could swallow, Qi Changyi felt his stomach curdle. He leaned against the table and desperately tried to vomit, but there was nothing in his stomach to vomit out. The room was filled with the sound of coughing and dry-wretching.

Zhao Litang was both frightened and shocked. He quickly slapped Qi Changyi on the back, “All right, all right, Changyi, you don’t have to eat it if you don’t want to. Eat it later, okay?”

Qi Changyi’s body straightened slightly. With red eyes, he nodded silently.

Zhao Litang walked around the room a few times. He opened the window and observed the surrounding area.

“I’ll have someone help you move to the room next to mine. That way, I can take better care of you.”

Pei Zheng’s words flashed through Qi Changyi’s mind, and he immediately shook his head, “Brother Tang, you don’t have to do that, I can stay here…”

Zhao Litang ignored his protests. He opened the door and ordered someone to change the little man’s room right away.

Li Yu and two other eunuchs came in and supported Qi Changyi as they walked to the guest room next to Zhao Litang’s.

Everybody in the lobby had finished eating, so they also returned to their rooms. The entire inn was plunged into silence.

Li Yu helped Qi Changyi lie down on the bed. He took off the little man’s heavy red robe and undid his ink-black hair.

“Your Highness, don’t worry. Lord Pei is still discussing things with Envoy A’mu Le, it’s unlikely that he will return to his room tonight. Rest well, we’ll be back on the road tomorrow.”

The uneasiness in Qi Changyi’s heart lessened slightly at Li Yu’s words. He nodded lightly, wrapped himself in the quilt, and closed his eyes.

Once Pei Zheng came out of A’mu Le’s room, he immediately pinched his eyebrows with force.

At this time, everybody had already gone to bed; the inn was swathed in silent darkness.

Pei Zheng began to walk back to his guest room.

The negotiation with A’mu Le did not go smoothly. He asked for too much, and Pei Zheng would not agree to his demands. In the end, both sides parted unhappily, having resolved nothing between the two of them.

He suppressed the agitation in his heart and pushed open the door. But the moment he stepped inside, his eyes immediately traveled to the empty bed. His expression changed in an instant.

Qi Changyi had just fallen asleep. He was suddenly yanked out of bed and pressed onto someone’s back. The sudden pressure made his stomach ache.

The black-clad Cheng Feng didn’t say a word. In two or three steps, he had already carried Qi Changyi back to Pei Zheng’s room. Pei Zheng was sitting at the table. In his hand, he held one of Qi Changyi’s half-eaten pastries.

Cheng Feng placed the little man back onto the floor. He walked out of the room and stood outside to guard the door.

Qi Changyi’s knees were aching the moment his feet touched the ground. He held onto a nearby chair and slowly began to sit down.

“Keep standing.”

Qi Changyi froze. He bent over slightly and clutched his thighs, his body racked with tremors.

Pei Zheng walked to the chair beside him and sat down. The little man was trapped between his long legs.

“I thought I told you to wait for me here. Who let you leave?”

“It, It was Brother Tang, he said it would be safer if I was closer to him-“

Pei Zheng squeezed his slender wrist. “Oh? But you were kidnapped right under his nose. Looks like I’ll have to deal with him for shirking his duties as a guard.”

Qi Changyi looked up, his eyes filled with fear, “Brother Tang meant well, Brother Pei, please don’t punish him…”

“You dare to beg on his behalf? I am acting on His Majesty’s will! Not even you can stop me from punishing him!”

“I, I…”

“I thought you said that after you got married, you wouldn’t think about other men anymore. Yet you are still thinking about Zhao Litang! Could it be that those words were only meant to get rid of me?”

Pei Zheng’s grip tightened, and the delicate wrist in his hand was on the verge of being crushed.

“I, Brother Tang is like a big brother to me. He’s very nice to me. I don’t want him to get hurt because of me. Even, even though I’m about to get married…I…He…Brother Tang, he’s like my family.”

Pei Zheng’s eyes turned scarlet. The little man was always trying to avoid and escape from him, but his bond with Zhao Litang had never changed. He was so angry, his fist clenched and he couldn’t control his strength-

Crack. That terrible sound echoed in the darkness; the delicate wrist in his hand had been dislocated.

Notes

Sorry for the late upload hnggh

Nothing better than listening to a TTS reader butcher all these names (I really do need a proofreader though jeesus)

Thanks for reading~ Do let me know if there are any issues.

1: 味同嚼蜡: basically means that it doesn’t taste good