CH 51

Chapter 51 Suddenly Broken 

Liu Zhongming had already set the venue for the banquet, and when they arrived, they could see the entrance and exit of the restaurant.

The carriage stopped and walked in a big circle, then finally reached its destination, Qu Chenzhou lowered his head and followed Bai Shiyan upstairs.

The banquet over there had already begun, and they needed to wait for a while until the person came out.

After two glasses of wine, Bai Shiyan felt bored and sat down. There was a big living person in the empty room, but there was no movement at all. At last, now he knew what Liu Zhongming had said before—Little Brother Qu, except when he comes up with ideas and was willing to say a few extra words, is usually like a mute. He really is so boring that it can suffocate a person to death.

Luckily it was placed in the Liu Family Courtyard. Even Zhongming can get angry like that every day. If it was him, he believed that he didn’t have that kind of determination, and he couldn’t help but want to get to the bottom of it every day.

He walked around the room twice, then returned to the table. Seeing that Qu Chenzhou was always looking out, he couldn’t help asking, “What did you want when you asked Zhongming to call Ning Wang and Huai Wang out?”

“I don’t know what I can do yet.” Qu Chenzhou’s eyes looked down and did not leave the opposite door: “I have to see them before I can know.”

“This… Qu Chenzhou’s eyes can see everything?”

Besides being curious about Qu Chenzhou’s life experience, Bai Shiyan was also curious about those eyes. When he saw the child who was shy and didn’t dare to look up a few years ago, he never thought that one day he would have such a natural chat with this person.

“Just relying on the heavens to eat,” Qu Chenzhou smiled helplessly: “For example, I can’t see anything about the general right now, presumably the general has nothing big happening in a short period of time.”

Bai Shiyan laughed: “You saying this is no different from Du Quan.”

“That’s true.” Qu Chenzhou also smiled. Seeing that he couldn’t sit still as if there were thorns on his buttocks, he kindly suggested: “I don’t know when the Shizi is going to arrive, does General Bai want to play Go with me?”

Naturally, it’s even harder to speak when playing Go, so Bai Shiyan suspected that the other party was just euphemistically telling him to shut up, but this was not the thing that made him annoyed.

He couldn’t think of many twists and turns, and his chess skills were not as good as Liu Zhongming. Since he was a child, he lost constantly and had gotten used to it.

But Qu Chenzhou in front of him was obviously such a small person, even younger than Liu Zhongming, but he was utterly defeated. It was inevitable that he would not be able to save face.

He messed up the chess game, and finally waved his hand: “I’m not playing, you are obviously bullying people.”

“Why did General Bai say this?” Qu Chenzhou gathered the pieces in a good-natured manner and placed it back in the chess box: “Placing a piece is like one’s heart. General Bai is in charge of Beiya, so your heart should be like a rock. But if you are uncertain when you place your pieces, if you leave future plans to others, are you not afraid of mistakes and the ups and downs of court?”

Bai Shiyan’s eyes narrowed, and his face sank: “Do you know what you’re talking about?”

“General Bai may have misunderstood what I meant. I’m not trying to divide the Bai Liu family. General Bai can also say this in front of the Shizi.”

Qu Chenzhou covered the chess box before lifting up his eyes: “It’s just that General Bai always thinks about relying on the Shizi to charge forward, thinking that you have backing, but this puts all the pressure on the Shizi. The Bai family and the Liu family should go hand in hand. If they encounter difficulties, they can help each other.”

Seeing that he didn’t speak, he said apologetically: “This is just my humble opinion, General Bai, please do not feel bothered.”

Bai Shiyan waved his hand: “Forget it, it’s fine.”

Zhongming’s change is forgivable, he thought.

Some time ago, Zhongming went to Bai Residence on a routine basis. After Zhongming left, his father said that Zhongming had changed.

In the past, Zhongming seemed to be stable but hesitant. The anger in his heart could not be vented, like a small boat that was held up in the huge waves that would overturn at some point.

But now Zhongming seemed to be irritable, but in fact was much more mature, like duckweed taking root and gradually changing back to what it should be.

What Bai Shiyan couldn’t understand was if this person in front of him who had such a big influence on Zhongming, was good or bad.

He sighed, he couldn’t figure it out, and stopped looking into it. He and Qu Chenzhou looked outside in a daze for a while, then he suddenly asked, “Have you said anything weird to Zhongming recently?”

“What weird thing?”

“He asked me a few days ago…”

Of course Bai Shiyan knew not to tell outsiders about Liu Zhongming’s strange dreams, but he couldn’t forget that creepy question.

Except for Qu Chenzhou mentioning it, he couldn’t think of why Zhongming would suddenly ask this.

“He asked me, if the Liu family was convicted and he escaped alone, and the emperor sent me to arrest him, would I choose to pretend to be defeated, die in his hands, and protect him and the Bai family at the same time.”

Qu Chenzhou was pale and stunned. Looking at him, it was as if he had been doused with ice water in the cold winter during the twelfth lunar month.

***

Liu Zhongming was pacing in the room at first, but he quickly lost his temper and went to wander near the side door.

He had already instructed Bai Shiyan to go home separately, but after he returned home, he didn’t see anyone coming back, so he was inevitably anxious, and even regretted letting the two of them get along alone.

In the event of a conflict, wouldn’t only Qu Chenzhou suffer?

While he was thinking wildly, there was a sudden sound from the side door. Bai Shiyan slammed the door with his shoulder, and when he saw him, he shouted, “Call the doctor!”

Just one look and Liu Zhongming’s blood became cold.

In Bai Shiyan’s arms, Qu Chenzhou closed his eyes tightly, his face was like golden paper, and he had already passed out.

“What’s the matter?” Liu Zhongming almost didn’t even think about it. He grabbed the person in his arms, and rushed to order someone to get the doctor while rushing to the bedroom without his feet touching the floor.

It wasn’t until he entered the bedroom that he whispered angrily: “Didn’t I tell you take care of him!? Is it because he saw Huai Wang?!”

Bai Shiyan followed behind him, and was extremely aggrieved by what he said: “You’re the one who let him watch Huai Wang secretly, now you are the one blaming me for taking him to see it? So what do you think I should do?”

Liu Zhongming knew that he was wrong and said those words because he was worried, so he could only ask again: “What happened?”

“I don’t know,” Bai Shiyan explained, “When he saw the two Wang Ye’s coming out, he was fine, just his expression, it was frighteningly serious. I didn’t bother him, I thought he would say something after seeing them, but he just fell straight down.”

“What did you do to him?”

Hearing this, Liu Zongming could hear his heart beat loud enough to scare a person. His fingers were all numb and he wanted to lean over and put Qu Chenzhou on the bed, but the man in his arms shrank and trembled as soon as he touched the bed, as if he was frightened.

He didn’t dare to let go, turned around and sat on the bed, holding the person in his arms and not moving.

Just as Bai Shiyan was about to remind him that this posture was inappropriate, he became angry with this question.

“Liu Er (means Second Liu; calling him this because he was second born), how can you be like this? What can I do to him? I sent him there and when sending him back, he fainted, so I hurriedly brought him back!”

Liu Zhongming knew that he was in anxious and shouldn’t have said that. He took a deep breath and pointed it out to him: “What’s going on here?”

Qu Chenzhou’s shirt was loose and wrapped in haste. There were clear fingerprints on his white skin.

“You don’t know how scary he was at the time, he couldn’t breathe. If I hadn’t touched his acupuncture points, he would have suffocated to death now.”

Liu Zhongming had nothing to say, he could only close the front of the shirt with one hand, and was advised by Bai Shiyan.

“Don’t put it on, I think it might be a heat stroke. The weather is so hot, he can’t speak, so he might feel suffocated.”

“He can’t speak so he became suffocated like this?” Liu Zongming was furious: “In a moment when someone comes, if he is not properly dressed, how would that be appropriate?!”

“I’ve seen heatstroke in the army and it’s like this. He can’t wear the clothes, take it off!” Bai Shiyan commanded him with experience: “Look, he can’t catch his breath, hurry and help him pass air.”

“Pa…pass…”

“You don’t know how? I’ll do it then.”

Seeing that Bai Shiyan was about to snatch the man away, Liu Zhongming pushed him: “I can!”

He looked at Qu Chenzhou’s pale face and took a deep breath. Just when he leaned down and was about to press his lips down, the doctor entered the door.

His breath burst out.

Dr. Qin stood at the door with the medicine box in his hand, watching with a shocked expression how they had torn off half of Qu Chenzhou’s clothes, and the Shizi was still hugging and kissing the person. For a long time he held back the words in his mouth and then greeted them.

“I’ve seen the Shizi, I’ve seen General Bai.”

He looked at Qu Chenzhou, as if not surprised at all, and only sighed: “Shizi, please put the person on the bed, let me see.”

“He can’t be placed down.” Liu Zhongming explained: “As soon as I put him down… he shivers.” 

The residence doctor didn’t say anything, just sat down, took Qu Chenzhou’s wrist, put his four fingers on it, closed his eyes for a moment, then sighed again: “Little Brother Qu is overworked and overwhelmed.”

“Tired?” Liu Zhongming and Bai Shiyan looked at each other.

The doctor had already opened the medicine box, and seeing that the two of them didn’t speak, he couldn’t help saying after all, “Don’t blame the old man for being so talkative, no matter how low his background is, he is still a human being. If you want him to live a few more years, you shouldn’t be doing this kind of tossing around.”

Liu Zhongming: “…” 

Bai Shiyan: “?????”

The residence doctor placed the bottle of medicine on the table then said: “Shizi, can I take a look at the injuries below to find the right medicine.”

“No, you don’t need to check,” Liu Zhongming quickly reacted, holding down Qu Chenzhou’s belt, and explained sincerely: “Doctor, I know he’s tired and it’s fine. He’s fine elsewhere, he’s really fine, he’s not hurt, you can go.”

“It’s bad to avoid your sickness….”

“It’s not that,” Liu Zhongming tried his best to maintain Qu Chenzhou’s innocence, holding on to his belt, refusing to let the residence doctor to take off his pants: “We didn’t do anything, he’s really fine.”

“It’s always bad to avoid doctors….”

Liu Zhongming looked at Bai Shiyan, who had hardened into a stone next to him. Knowing that he couldn’t be counted on, he tried his best to suppress his irritable temper, and explained in a good voice. 

“Doctor Qin, this issue doesn’t matter now. Quickly prescribe a prescription, or nourishing decoction, so I can ask someone to prepare it.”

The residence doctor looked at the disarray clothes of the person in his arms, stroked his beard, then took out the medicine and continued to speak.

“It’s always bad to avoid the doctor. When Little Brother Qu wakes up, let him apply the medicine by himself. The weather is hot and torn wounds that are always covered are not easy to heal. It’s better not to wear undergarments the next little bit.

Liu Zhongming felt tired.

It wasn’t until the residence doctor left that Bai Shiyan reacted from his shock: “What’s going on…Did Dr. Qin think wrongly?”

Liu Zhongming answered him feebly with a face of vicissitudes of the past, “What do you think? ?”

After all, Bai Shiyan was also from an influential noble family, even if he had never seen it, he had heard of some scenes, so he couldn’t help but take a deep breath: “I f*cking… I didn’t do anything!”

Liu Zhongming was exhausted physically and mentally. What is this? Now because of the various exciting stories that were passed down, this is what happens?

To be honest, the stories were really well written, and the supplies did not meet the demands. At first, he was thin-skinned, hated these things so much that he didn’t even look at them, and now his bowels were full of regrets.

It was too late, and there were still two sets that he had not collected, so he couldn’t help wondering in the middle of the night, in those few books that were missing, how did he press down the little fox again.

Otherwise, the book was made up. The little fox wouldn’t cry so sadly and it’s impossible for him to beg for mercy with soft words.

Liu Zhongming looked down at the person in his arms, licked his lips, and coughed lightly.

But he wasn’t sure though.

Bai Shiyan saw that his face was as red as a burning cloud, and from those eyes, it was full of spring love, he could clearly see what was going on in his mind.

“Zhongming, you…” His fingers gestured between the two in front of him, and he stammered and asked, “You…you and he wouldn’t be…”

“It’s all a misunderstanding!” Liu Zhongming was ashamed and annoyed: “This is what outsiders say, what can I do about this misunderstanding?”

“…” Bai Shiyan was at a loss for words, and was sluggish for a while: “No, I have to explain it to Doctor Qin.”

Liu Zhongming wanted to tell him, based on his own experience, this matter would only get worse and worse, explaining is useless. However, Bai Shiyan disappeared in a blink of an eye.

The door closed, and the room fell silent.

Knowing that Qu Chenzhou was just too tired, Liu Zhongming’s heart finally calmed down, but now that he thought about it, he felt a little upset.

He always thought that he had done his best, and Shi Yan was spurring him, but when he saw someone who was more desperate than him, he didn’t know whether to try hard to catch up, or to gently hold the other party and say – don’t panic .

Moreover, Qu Chenzhou’s situation seemed wrong. He didn’t know whether to say it was too hard or too brittle. He always had a feeling that this person who seemed to be made of steel and iron bones would be scattered into dust the next moment.

The medicine bottle was on the table, but he couldn’t reach it, so he tried to gently put the person on the bed again. This time Qu Chenzhou didn’t shrink back uncomfortably.

But when he got up, he saw a few slender fingers clutching his shirt, but the person was yet to awake.

He looked at it for a long time, but still couldn’t bear to pull those fingers apart. He sat back on the bed and stared at the bedpost of the sarong for a long time, then suddenly realized that he had never been so patient with anyone.

Qu Chenzhou curled his body slightly, and slept next to his legs, very close to him. If he had a big fluffy tail, he would probably really be a domestic fox.

He couldn’t help touching the tips of his pink and white ears, which were thin and soft, the earlobes were as soft as cotton.

When his fingers slid down uncontrollably onto his butterfly bone, he suddenly woke up. He didn’t go down any more, but just stuck to the person in front of him.

He wanted to go back to the inner room several times, looked back, and was afraid that the person on the bed would fall down since he was out of it. Thus, he could only turn around, pick up the person and put them inside. He also laid in the sarong, feeling relief.

Today’s banquet was not only for Qu Chenzhou, but he also re-examined Huai Wang, who he thought he was familiar with.

His father was not keen on committing to the people in court, and he also deliberately reminded him to pay attention to propriety in his dealings – although he was not the head of the Liu family, his every move was related to the Liu family. Could it be that his father saw that he was interested in Huai Wang’s thoughts?

Looking at it and carefully thinking about it today, he still didn’t know how to describe Huai Wang.

In the previous conversation with Qu Chenzhou, he could clearly outline what kind of character Qi Wang and Ning Wang was.

As for Huai Wang, in his impression, he was always friendly and did not dispute with others. During the great waves of Qi Wang and Ning Wang’s fights, he would be floating along.

He would also often be affected with the emperor punishing him, yet he would be suspended within his doors without complaining. When the emperor returned his innocence, he would thank the emperor, as if nothing happened.

Being pushed around like this, there is only one person who catches their eye for this. Even he and Bai Shiyan saw it this way, so how many exceptions could there be?

But Qu Chenzhou’s words were like a slap in the face.

——If Huai Wang really had no desires, he should request his land to be held as a vassal. He was not the current emperor, so standing in his position, he could lose his head if he is not careful. He can’t even beg for mercy.

He didn’t know if he was influenced by Qu Chenzhou or not, but he thought this was very reasonable. Everything happened logically, but he didn’t think about why it happened like that.

He didn’t know how many people have been wronged and died, how can there be so many clear-cut principles.

He was fascinated by his thoughts, but was interrupted by the moving person around him. He thought that he was occupying too much space and was about to move out, but he saw Qu Chenzhou who had his eyes closed, turn over groggily, then put his arms around his waist and hug him.

His soft cheeks rubbed against him, and the little fox spat out a word to him gently.

“Mother…”

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