CH 99

Chapter 99 The Wide Gap

“In the past…were you married?”

Qu Chenzhou turned over, turning his back to him: “Shizi, it’s time to go to bed. If you have nothing else to do, you can go back to your room and rest.” 

After spending a lot of time with people with awkward personalities, Liu Zhongming had also learned to dismantle tricks, anyway, he doesn’t need to just tell the truth.

“Auntie said there is no other room, only this one left, we two will make do with it tonight.”

Qu Chenzhou looked back at him, expressed dissatisfaction with his clumsy lie, and turned his head away without saying a word.

Liu Zhongming waited patiently for a long time, only to hear the sound of even breathing, which was obviously not sleeping, so he couldn’t help asking: “What are you thinking of?”

“Not thinking about anything,” Qu Chenzhou knew he could not hide, he looked at the wall and said calmly, “I’m pretending to be asleep.”

“You… are forbidden to refuse to answer, do you remember?”

“I’m pretending to sleep,” Qu Chenzhou reminded him again, “Shizi only forbade me to refuse to answer, but did you also forbid me to pretend to sleep? If I’m sleeping, how can I answer?”

Liu Zhongming suddenly felt it was worthless. Wouldn’t it be better to find a gentle and pleasant flower? Why did he hang himself on this crooked tree?

Since him being soft didn’t work, he can only be tough.

With a stretch of his arm, he grabbed Qu Chenzhou’s shoulders, twisted him around, and faced him, face to face.

“Answer!” He pretended to be grim: “Five hundred taels! Otherwise…”

Qu Chenzhou immediately saved him the effort of the second half of the sentence: “I will speak.”

“…” Liu Zhongming regretted that he was impatient for a while, even wanting to give himself a slap in the face.

He shouldn’t be so generous, and he will save some money in the future.

“Shizi,” Qu Chenzhou looked away without meeting his gaze, and asked, “What counts as marriage?”

This question stopped Liu Zhongming.

Qu Chenzhou continued talking on his own, calmly as if he was talking about a story he heard on the side of the road.

“If you count just going to bed, there is more than one person who I’m married to. If you are talking about completing the six rites, there is no one.” He thought about it for a while: “Not to mention the six rites, there was not even a Nacai*.”

* proposal

Liu Zhongming’s hand hung vainly above his head, he wanted to touch downwards, but he was too ashamed. His momentary selfishness actually uncovered Qu Chenzhou’s scars again.

“I… I see… you go to sleep.”

Qu Chenzhou felt the temperature of that hand, not far from him, and did not turn to sleep obediently.

“But I think we should be considered married.” 

Being lured by him, Liu Zhongming couldn’t help asking: “How can you be considered married?”

“Although no one witnessed it, we drank the heqin wine and bowed together. He promised me peace and happiness for the rest of my life, and I promised him life and death.”

“And then…” Liu Zhongming felt bitter in his heart.

“Then,” Qu Chenzhou turned around, turning his back to him again: “Then, we both broke our promise.”

Liu Zhongming didn’t close his eyes. Seeing that he refused to leave, Qu Chenzhou only regarded him as transparent, not a word was spoken between them.

It didn’t take long for him to notice that the person beside him had fallen asleep.

Qu Chenzhou slept really heavily, always seems to be overtired.

The appearance of sleeping was completely different from that of the day, either curled up in a ball or always liking to grab something. According to Zhiwei, such a person lacked love and had no sense of security.

He slowly moved inside without looking away, and sure enough, not long after, he was hugged by someone with hands and feet.

Even though he knew that this hug was not for him, he still took advantage of the fire and stretched out his hand to put it on his narrow back.

It seemed that only at this time, Qu Chenzhou was his.

In fact, what his aunt said was right, he thought, not only his aunt, everyone was awake. Other people who didn’t know the truth were fine, even Bai Shiyan thought so naturally that he had already slept with him.

And Qu Chenzhou…

He thought that after returning from the South Road Temple, the little wild cat had stopped showing his teeth at him and became obedient, but thinking about it now, Qu Chenzhou just didn’t resist his kindness anymore.

It was as if what he handed over was just a piece of clothing and a bite of food, nothing special.

Even that lingering and deep kiss disappeared like fireworks dissipating.

It’s not because of his appetite, but because of his sobriety.

Maybe it’s because of the person in Qu Chenzhou’s heart, or maybe it’s because Qu Chenzhou understood better than anyone else that it’s impossible between them.

One was the Marquis Shizi, who was born high above and had thousands of clansmen behind him, and the other was prostrated in the dust, and even his life was controlled by others.

How could they cross this wide gap?

This was a one-man show, and everyone was watching it coldly, only he got carried away and fully played out the performance.

But there was always a time when the show would end, and today his aunt’s reminder was the sound of drums that signaled it’s end.

Tomorrow when Qu Chenzhou wakes up, they will still be bickering and discussing calmly how to plot against others as before.

He will still patiently pick fishbones for Qu Chenzhou at home, and be a stern and indifferent master outside, yet cooperating with Qu Chenzhou tacitly.

However, their relationship may end there.

He will not take another step forward, let alone touch Qu Chenzhou, it doesn’t matter what others think, at least they know that Qu Chenzhou was pure.

Waiting until the day in the future when he will release Qu Chenzhou from slavery and entrust him to his aunt, maybe he will see that person marry a wife and have children one day.

At that time, if he saw Qu Chenzhou in a happy outfit holding another girl, what should he say?

——May you… be happy forever.

Liu Zhongming opened his eyes wide in the dark, imagining the festive scene, and wanted to practice the smile he should have at that time, but there was an uncontrollable sob in his slightly moving lips.

He gently stroked Qu Chenzhou’s back.

——May you… be happy forever.

He held up the hand on his chest again, lowered his head and kissed him, tears rolling down his cheeks, falling to his mouth, bitter and astringent, with the sweetness of his palm on the tip of his tongue.

——May you… be happy forever.

That’s all, that’s fine.

Someone was outside the door, and the sun cast walking shadows on the ground, climbing up the screen.

Liu Zhongming lightly put down the hands and feet hanging on his body, touched the clothes on the bed and put them on, and stretched fiercely a few times when he got out of bed.

Qu Chenzhou didn’t move all night, so he couldn’t sleep, and he didn’t dare to move, his whole body was stiff.

Bai Shilei was outside the door, worrying about how to call him out; seeing him open the door, he was relieved.

“Second brother, why haven’t you gotten up yet?” He looked at the sun, then at the room, and coughed: “My mother scolded me, saying that I only listen to you, even what she says I won’t listen, and next time she won’t let you live in our house.”

“What’s the matter?” Liu Zhongming rubbed his arms and asked. It was indeed getting late, but Bai Shilei wouldn’t wander outside the door because of this.

“Ling He is looking for you. I told him several times that you haven’t gotten up yet, but he won’t leave.” Bai Shilei pushed him to the door: “Hurry up and change your clothes and take him away. My mother needs quiet now.”

Without seeing the person, Liu Zhongming knew the purpose of Ling He’s visit, and immediately put in a sleeve: “Where is the person? I will take him away, so he won’t disturb my aunt.”

“At the side door, he said he was in a hurry to find someone, but he refused to enter.”

“Okay, I’ll go right away.”

When he was about to put on the other side, he realized the strange look that Bai Shilei gave him—— What he took was actually Qu Chenzhou’s clothes, no wonder it was so small.

“I…” Liu Zhongming couldn’t argue, he clearly remembered that when they fell asleep last night, both of them were still well dressed, when did they take them off?

“Don’t talk nonsense with Auntie!” He threatened fiercely, and was about to turn around and enter the door when he turned around again: “Shilei, go and tell Auntie for me, I agree with what she said yesterday.”

“Yesterday… ” Bai Shilei couldn’t figure it out, so he could only nod his head ignorantly: “Oh, okay.” 

Ling He got angry waiting outside the door, but it was not good to make a move in the Bai residence, and followed Liu Zhongming silently. After going out, he gritted his teeth and asked in a low voice: “Shizi, did you bring up the case of Rong Jiuan to the emperor!”

“Who else but me?” Liu Zhongming rubbed his stomach, not in a good mood either.

After dawn, he fell asleep in a daze, and he hasn’t even had a bite of food until now.

Ling He had never dealt with Liu Zhongming before, only heard of his money-loving reputation, but because of Dan Lang’s incident, his impression was greatly reduced.

But early this morning, as soon as he arrived at Dali Temple, he heard an oral order from the palace, saying that the case of Rong Jiuan had nothing to do with the Criminal Division and would be handed over to the Civil Division for disposal.

To him, this news was like a thunderbolt.

“Shizi,” since it was the emperor’s oral order, it could not be changed, so he could only suppress his temper and discuss softly with the other: “The case of Rong Jiuan is complicated and the file is long. It will definitely take a lot of energy to review it again. Shizi, I already know it by heart, can I…”

“No,” Liu Zhongming refused, “If Master Ling is required to bother about a case that had been included in our civil affairs department, wouldn’t it make people think that I, Liu Zhongming, is incompetent?”

“No…” Ling He had always treated people coldly, and he had never begged anyone like this: “Rong Jiuan was wronged! I know what he is like!”

Liu Zhongming stopped, watching the servants of the Bai Mansion pull his carriage out, and said slowly: “Lord Ling, when is the phrase ‘know what he’s like’ a reason for exoneration?”

“Rong Jiuan is not guilty!”

“Whether there is a crime or not, we will have to check it out.” He squinted at Ling He: I heard that Rong Jiuan had been detained in Dali Temple for several months, and Master Ling had been interrogating him. Master Ling had always been very careful, but have you found anything? Have you cleared Rong Jiuan’s name?”

Ling He was poked at a sore spot and his face flushed instantly, and he pursed his lips and did not speak.

The carriage had already been rushed to the front. Liu Zhongming stepped on the saddle stool, turned around and asked: “I also just need to go to Dali Temple, and take Rong Jiuan to Civil Affairs, does Master Ling want to come with?”

“No!” Ling He subconsciously stopped the carriage.

Liu Zhongming naturally knew that he didn’t want to take Rong Jiuan away, but he said along the way: “Since Master Ling has a different path, then I will go first.”

“Shizi! Can you let Rong Jiuan stay in the Criminal Division, I …”

“Is the criminal department better than mine?” Liu Zhongming whispered a command to the outside, and then said: “The prisoners are all vicious, tortured and screaming every day. Isn’t it a disservice to Rong Tanhua?”

The boy who led the horse pulled the reins out of Ling He’s hand, Ling He could only grasp at the window, and whispered eagerly: “Shizi, Jiuan mentioned to me before, saying that Shizi is upright and righteous, and won’t take unjust money, a befriendable person.”

He had never bowed his head to others like this, and he didn’t know whether it was for the sake of Rong Jiuan or for his own shameful plea but the circles of his eyes were red.

“I hope that Shizi will treat Jiuan kindly because of your friendship in the past.”

Liu Zhongming had already sat firmly in the carriage. He listened to him calmly, and then spoke slowly.

“I’ve heard that Master Ling was raised by the Rong family since he was a child, and you and Rong Jiuan are as close as brothers, very close.” He chuckled lightly: “Unexpectedly, Master Ling, who is known for his toughness and coldness, will also have a day when you think about favoritism. Let’s go.”

The groom in front shouted, and with a whip, the carriage started to move, leaving Ling He behind.

Liu Zhongming leaned against the window with his eyes closed.

Too rigid is easy to break.

An overly stubborn person like Ling He actually had such a fatal weakness, but that’s fine, if he really can’t hold a grain of sand in his eyes, how can he tolerate the future him?

Instead of folding elsewhere, it was better to let him break him, using Rong Jiuan as a weapon.

His index finger was groping for the ring on his thumb, and he couldn’t forget the anxious look on Ling He’s face just now.

If…

He couldn’t help but come up with a strange thought, what would he do if one day Qu Chenzhou was in Rong Jiuan’s situation?