CH 44

Chapter 44 Cuan Ju*

* people planning something together

Liu Zhongming felt that he might have been fooled. 

“Did you hurt yourself to gain my trust?” He asked the person directly. 

“Sorry,” The other party admitted his mistake quickly. Thinking that he knew that he would come to know of it sooner or later, he didn’t plan to hide it: “In the future, there will be more walks outside and I might have to rely on them to do some things. If they are too resistant to me, it will always be an inconvenience.”

Being soft hearted and being treated like chopped liver, Liu Zhongming gritted his teeth with hatred: “You know I hate being plotted against the most.” 

“I had no choice, and I hope Shizi can forgive me.” Qu Chenzhou’s apology seemed to have no sincerity. 

Since he couldn’t take back what he said, and thinking Qu Chenzhou could not find anything else to mess around on his site, he was about to end this annoying conversation when he suddenly remembered what happened before. 

“You…” He couldn’t believe it: “When you didn’t ask me for the antidote to  Shuoye, had you already calculated that I would let you go out for this reason?!” 

Seeing him bring out an old account, Qu Chenzhou could only apologetically smile: “I had to…” 

“How easy it is to say “I had to”!I hate being tricked the most.” Liu Zhongming spread his hands with a sullen face: “Return your waist token. From today onwards, you are not allowed to take half a step outside!” 

Qu Chenzhou bit his lower lip and handed over his waist token, and said with great regret: “As your strategist, I can’t always just stay holed up, staying at home and concentrating on scheming on just Shizi.” 

“…” 

Liu Zhongming was speechless. If it was someone else, they might not have the courage to do it, but Qu Chenzhou can definitely follow through on what he said. Why should he have Qu Chenzhou staring at him, when he can release him outside to cause wreckage?!

He was a dignified Anding Marquis Shizi, naturally… he was capable of retreating at the right time. He could only push the waist token back, secretly telling everyone to pay more attention. 

***

“How is it? What did you find out after being with him for so long?” 

Bai Shiyan didn’t know his troubles, but he could think of his goal. With more freedom of movement, the easier it is for there to be a gap in one’s cover. Since Zhongming’s intention was to discover the other party’s true identity, giving the person freedom to move around would be best.

“…”

Liu Zhongming held his forehead in pain, not knowing what to say. 

When Qu Chenzhou asked him for money for the first time, he felt flattered, unexpectedly. He thought that the other party must have been rich in the past, to make a generous request of 3,000 taels. 

As a result, he found out that after a few days of letting this man go outside, he had under his name a blacksmith shop and a wine shop, which made him wonder whether to laugh or cry. 

Of the four deals Qu Chenzhou made for him, none of them were reliable. They were all money-losing goods. He had to halt the crappy businessman’s financial supply and have Steward Lin supervise him a bit more and report to him every day. 

Effectively, Qu Chenzhou indeed became more honest. He went to this other extreme of being more cautious. At most, he would only spend a dozen coins a day when he went out, which made him feel a little stuffy. 

No matter what he did, Zhongming couldn’t have peace of mind.

Seeing that he didn’t say a word for a long time, Bai Shiyan asked, “Is there any trouble on your side? Do you want me to take him to my side? Did he give you a fortune-telling recently? How was it?” 

“Forget it, there’s no need.” Liu Zhongming refused. 

The Bai family held sensitive military power, and they were all straightforward people. Not speaking about anything else, just Qu Chenzhou’s pitiful, forbearing and cute appearance from time to time would have his Aunt and Shi Lei definitely taken care of by Qu Chenzhou. At that time, when they were pulled into the trap, they wouldn’t even be able to react.

He shuddered suddenly. What did he just think about just now? Why did he think he was “cute”? 

Qu Chenzhou’s every move was extremely abhorrent, and the resident doctor had even said that he was too angry recently, even giving Zhongming a prescription for being overheated. 

“Fortune-telling… yes. It was okay.”

In fact, Liu Zhongming himself did not want to listen to Qu Shenzhou’s fortune-telling. Once he was influenced by this, it would be difficult to get rid of. It would be just like a drug addiction, just like the emperor. In the future, if there was no one giving out divinations, it would be difficult for him to sleep and eat, even taking one extra step outside will have him fear an accident. 

It just so happened that the other party wasn’t keen on it either, so he didn’t ask and Qu Chenzhou didn’t say anything. 

Seeing that his answer was vague, Bai Shiyan couldn’t help worrying: “Zhongming, are you okay?” 

“I’m okay. Shiyan, to tell you the truth, this is the first time I have met such a person. I don’t know what he wants to do.” 

“Would you like me to test it out for you? Where is he now… eh?” Bai Shiyan suddenly gestured  to him to look outside: “Is this a coincidence?” 

The carriage gradually stopped and Liu Zhongming used the fan to raise the curtain, and at the opposite side was the cosmetic shop under his name. A familiar figure was standing in front of, facing him, and the trays in front of him were lined up with all kinds of creams. 

Qu Chenzhou was attentively smelling them one by one, and the enthusiastic lady boss on the side would try the colours for him from time to time. 

When the lady boss’s fingertips brushed past the pale pink lips, Liu Zhongming suddenly turned his face away and stopped looking, his chest thumping a little faster. 

Bai Shiyan watched for a while for unknown reasons. He used his eyes to ask Liu Zhongming, finally knowing what his friend meant by, “I don’t know what he wants to do at all”.

“What is he doing here? Is he trying to please you?” 

Liu Zhongming understood his friend at a glance – with this kind of brain, he wanted to help him understand Qu Chenzhou? 

“Look at these things slowly, don’t worry about his real identity for the time being,” he flipped his hand and took an invitation from his sleeve: “Just listen to what he has to say. You see, at least what he says will be fulfilled.” 

***

“Jiang Xingzhi?” 

“Zhongming, Zhongming, come here!” 

As soon as Liu Zhongming entered the room, he heard someone call his name before he could glance at them. 

When he looked up, someone fanned a gold-gilded fan so fast that his bands were flying. He was casually shoved to one side, then he waved to him again and again: “Zhongming! Come here!” 

People pulled people over without any interest, Liu Zhongming went straight to the center position, smiled and replied: “Wang Ye.” 

“I really didn’t expect to meet you here. It seems that they said that you have been enlightened, and it seems like they were right.” 

Ning Wang, Mu Jingzhao, took a sip of herbal tea handed by the attendant beside him, and heaved a sigh of relief. He complained, “How come it’s so hot this year? It’s only May, so how will I spend the rest of summer?”

Liu Zhongming sat down beside him and tugged at the front of his shirt. “This year is a leap year, the length of time in heat will be longer.” 

“How will I last?” Mu Jingzhao murmured again, looked up and down, and praised, “You’re well dressed.” 

He glanced over at at the slender young man behind Liu Zhongming, who lowered his head slightly, allowing him to see the red rope hanging around his neck. After, the slender young man obediently knelt beside Liu Zhongming. His eyes lit up: “Huh? Zhongming brought someone here?” 

Liu Zhongming closed the fan in the palm of his hand, and used the end of the fan to lift the boy’s chin: “I brought him out several times, the lord hasn’t seen him yet?” 

Mu Jingzhao originally looked at it excitedly, but lost interest again when he saw the face clearly: “This one? I know this one, isn’t it from your Huanyi Building’s, what is it called…” 

“Zhiwei.” 

“That’s right. I thought it was the one you have hidden in your house. Why didn’t you bring it out to see? Why hide it so tightly. “

“Not yet. I haven’t taught it thoroughly otherwise why else would I be here today?” 

Liu Zhongming drank his tea casually and looked at the gathering place that was ten feet away. The venue was still empty, with four nameplates hanging, that is to say there will be four people today. 

“You’re quite patient. What’s there to teach, can’t you just send it to the control department? How hard can his bones be?” 

“It’s not that the bones are hard… it just hasn’t been sculpted into that flavour yet.” 

Liu Zhongming answered without hesitation, then suddenly remembered one thing – he said that he was going to put the person in his house, but he forgot to heal Qu Chenzhou’s scar on his face. After looking at it for a long time, he actually got used to it. 

As for Qu Chenzhou, he hoped this person can take care of himself, in the next life. 

“My Lord didn’t hear anyone talking about his face? It’s not easy to treat.” 

“What about the Yulin ointment in your shop? The good thing sent to the palace? It doesn’t work?” Mu Jingzhao stared at him. 

“Yulin ointment…” 

Liu Zhongming pursed his lips and smiled. Someone next to him realized the meaning behind it and hurriedly interjected with a smile: “How much is a cheap slave and how much is a Yulin ointment, how could the Shizi be willing to do so?” 

Mu Jingzhao suddenly realized something, then knocked on the table and laughed until he could not stand upright: “Zhongming, you really…”

The man who interrupted was naturally familiar with Liu Zhongming, and said to Mu Jingzhao, “If the Shizi is so patient, he must be good. Look at the Shizi. Teaching that kid, I’ve seen it in Huanyi Building before, but he is not as spirited as this one now.” 

He spoke while lifting Zhiwei’s jaw, but a fan swatted his hand away. 

“Huh?” Liu Zhongming raised his voice at the end without raising his eyelids. He stopped his fan in front of Zhiwei: “Don’t touch it.” 

Mu Jingzhao turned to him and said to the man, “Disrespectful, you dare to make a move on Zhongming’s things?” 

The man hurriedly apologized and the two of them ignored him. Mu Jingzhao stared at Zhiwei and asked, “Zhongming, if you care about this child, why do you still place him in Huanyi Building and not allow others to touch it? Isn’t this going to just make others envious?” 

“Yeah, it’s so that people can see it but can’t eat it. I find it interesting.” 

Mu Jingzhao pretended to be annoyed and patted the table: “Your b*stard temper.” 

The two laughed for a while, then he picked up his previous complaints and sighed: “It’s a leap year, how can I pass it? Chen Sitian said, beware of leap years, don’t make any big mistakes.” 

Liu Zhongming pondered it a bit. After a while, he remembered that last year’s Zheng Sitian lost his head a year ago, and who knew when the next one had taken his position. 

“Don’t panic, since Chen Sitian said so, there should be a way to avoid disaster.” 

“Who knows.” Mu Jingzhao made a soft sound and gestured behind him with his eyes. Liu Zhongming turned around and saw someone walking around the next table and walking towards him. 

“Your Highness, Shizi.”

Liu Zhongming recognized this person, it was the minister of household affairs who had offended Liao Guangming before. He also got up and cupped his hands: “Cao Shilang, what a coincidence to meet you here.” 

“How is it a coincidence,” Mu Jingzhao smiled next to him: “You are the rare guest.” 

Cao Shilang came here on purpose, of course, to thank him for his help last time. After a few polite words, the two went back to their seats and sat down. Mu Jingzhao listened to it all and asked, “Liao Guangming seems to be stirring things again?” 

His voice was not too loud, but Liu Zhongming’s fan touched the back of his hand, preventing him from continuing to say more. This Wang Ye often used his status to say all kinds of taboo, who knows how many people he has offended. He didn’t want to be implicated. 

“My friend have a drink.” Liu Zhongming smiled and pointed with his chin: “Jiang Changshi is here.” 

There were a few people behind Jiang Xingzhi, holding signs. They first delivered it to their table, then continued sending it to the rest. Jiang Xingzhi sat down next to Liu Zhongming and said with a smile, “Your Highness is a rare guest.” 

“Since you know that I am a rare guest, you should give more benefits,” Liu Zhongming touched the nameplate with two fingers: “Why only give one?” 

Mu Jingzhao laughed: “What’s the matter, you plan to accept them all, so that everyone else can’t get anything? Don’t be too greedy, can you even handle it? Look at me, even I follow the rules and only take one.” 

“Shizi misunderstands me, this is just for everyone’s entertainment. I sent out the invitations but the place is still owned by everyone,” Jiang Xingzhi took a nameplate himself, then towards Liu Zhongming, he helplessly said : “I also only have one.” 

Liu Zhongming just said it casually and he didn’t care anymore, and was dragged away by Mu Jingzhao to chatter. 

“Zhongming, we have a good relationship. I’ll explain it to you first, so that you won’t feel unhappy that I didn’t inform you in advance.” Mu Jingzhao allowed him to look at the four plates on the stage: “This place doesn’t have a last call. Whichever one everyone wants to go first will be the one that goes first.” 

“There’s no last call? Then how do we observe?” 

Jiang Xingzhi explained on the side: “For the sake of harmony and because everyone has no shortage of money, if they all wait for the last one, we won’t be able to play.” 

“Yes, yes,” Mu Jingzhao said. He took a sip of tea and took the headless sleeved arrow tied with red silk from the drawer under the table: “I would like to admit defeat.”

Liu Zhongming was thinking about the sleeved arrow, while looking at the people on the stage coming and going. They all quickly retreated, leaving only four wooden boxes of an arms length and width with their tops open. Their names were written on them and someone on the side of the stage began to beat drums. 

The sound of the drums went from slow to urgent, and the atmosphere gradually became heated. Ning Wang shot the first arrow, which landed on the box with “Yi Qing” written on it, and the other talents followed suit. 

There was laughter for a while and all the boxes had some arrows and Liu Zhongming also threw out his, on a box with “Dan Lang” written on it. 

The sound of the drums fell slowly. Someone quickly came up to the stage and counted the numbers. The one with Ning Wang’s arrow, Yi Qing, had the most number of arrows. The drums rang three times again, and a few people carried a boy down on the stage. 

That young man was only fifteen or sixteen years old, with delicate features and red lips. He had been educated a long time ago. He was shy and easy-mannered, exactly the type that was most attractive. He walked a few steps on the stage and turned around. After two laps, he stood still. 

“See if my eyes are poisonous or not,” Mu Jingzhao smugly turned his fan: “Just looking at the name, I can tell it would be a stunner, with affectionate ecstasy eyes. I love this the most.”

Liu Zhongming was staring at the person, listening to him say this, then he asked, “What is ecstasy eyes?” 

Mu Jingzhao smiled proudly, the tip of his fan turned, then the boy on the stage also turned around obediently. 

The clothes on the boy’s upper body were extremely short. His ribs can be clearly seen, and the ribbons on the waist were loosely tied and fell to the crotch, revealing a thin and slender waist in the middle that also looked softer.

On both sides of the deeply sunken back bone, two dimples were clearly visible. 

“That’s it.” 

Liu Zhongming only felt that the tip of his tongue was dry. He lowered his head to take a sip of water when he heard Mu Jingzhao ask, “Are you interested, Zhongming? This is your first time here. I’ll give you a hand.” 

“No,” he weighed his arrow: “What, I touch them every day, it’s not new, I’ll wait for the next one.” 

“Touch it every day.” Mu Jingzhao clicked his tongue. It was unclear whether he was envious or unbelieving, but he returned his attention to the stage. 

If Ning Wang took a fancy to it, the others just joined in for the fun and raised the price. The young man was then led to stand beside him. 

Mu Jingzhao smiled and pulled that person to sit on his lap, took a sip of wine, and another round had already started. 

This time it was a girl. Liu Zhongming watched, while also observing that since Ning Wang had someone, he no longer bothered about what was being sung on the stage. He only whispered and talked to the person, which made the boy blush and purse his lips laughing.

The wine was poured, one cup after another, and the already thin clothes were thoroughly wet. The clothes attached to the body showed the light color of his skin, which was more deadly than the unobstructed part of his waist. 

“What? Are you interested?” Mu Jingzhao looked up at him, and was about to push the person over: “I’ll let you play for a while. He’ll be drunk after two cups and will be soft.” 

“No,” Liu Zhongming poured out the residual tea, then patted his clothes: “I’ve had too much tea, I’ll go out.” 

After a long time in the room, the noise was causing a headache. He took this opportunity to calm down, but after a short walk outside, his lower abdomen started to swell. He looked for privy, but when he unbuttoned his belt, he froze for a moment. 

Qu Chenzhou, this b*stard! 

The author has something to say: 

Xiao Qu: I forgot to tell Shizi, every time I suffer, I always have to get everything back, principal and interest [smile.jpg]