CH 110

Chapter 110 Oath

Bai Shilei was a frequent visitor of the courtyard. After informing at the door, someone led him to wait outside the study door.

He didn’t pay much attention to it when he came here before, but since his second brother always smelled of sycamore flowers and it smelled so good and he was bored of waiting, he couldn’t help but walk around the roots of the tree twice.

The branches were full of new buds, spring was rushing forward, and it won’t be too long before the sycamore flowers bloom.

He was just stopping to look, when he heard a sound, although the sound was soft, it was very clear in the quiet inner courtyard.

“Second Brother…”

When he was brought in, the servants had said that Shizi and Little Brother Qu had already returned, but was unclear on what they were doing.

He naturally knew the layout of the inner courtyard, even the underground, but he hesitated outside the door and dared not enter.

The crack of the whip came from below, mixed with the sound of struggling and crying. Even if one didn’t look at it, one could still think about what was going on below.

Bai Shilei was as anxious as an ant on a hot pot, and wanted to go back to bring help, but now there was only his one mother in the family, and she can’t move around easily. Even if she rushes over, it may be too late for anything.

He carried the food box around outside the door anxiously, still undecided on whether to kick the door in when he finally heard the cracking of the whip inside stop.

But just as he breathed a sigh of relief, he heard someone inside suddenly crying loudly.

“Don’t hit anymore, please, don’t hit…”

Bai Shilei touched the sweat on his forehead, and couldn’t help muttering to himself: “How did second brother become like this…”

After waiting for a long time, the door finally opened. He opened it, and hurriedly went in to see Liu Zhongming with a calm expression, holding a person in his arms, wrapped from head to toe by a cloak, he could only see that the person inside was still trembling uncontrollably.

“Second brother.” He cast his eyes straight at the cloak, and wanted to say a few more words, but he didn’t dare to make trouble in front of the second brother, so he could only greet half-heartedly: “Ar… Are you done?”

After he finished speaking, he wanted to slap his mouth.

Liu Zhongming glanced sideways, his body was in severe pain, and the person who could be easily picked up at ordinary times was a bit difficult to hold now.

He didn’t want to waste too much energy, so he walked straight to the moon cave gate: “What are you doing here? Tell my aunt to stop cooking, seeing that the months have increased*, she should take care of herself, Chenzhou is not lacking in food.” 

* referring to months of pregnancy

“No, no.” Bai Shilei followed him, “It wasn’t my mother who asked me to give it to you, it was my brother. He said he wanted me to deliver it to you by hand, and you can tell what’s going on at a glance.” 

Liu Zhongming stopped and looked sideways, Bai Shilei hurriedly lifted the lid of the food box.

When he saw the contents of the food box, the contents of the bowl were ordinary, but Liu Zhongming felt as if he saw a poisonous snake.

Sweet Snow Noodles.

He would not forget Qu Chenzhou’s previous divination, and quickly asked: “What did Shiyan say?”

Seeing his serious expression, Bai Shilei looked puzzled: “My brother said that he saw my mother eating this today, and said it was my aunt who brought it when she came to see her. He insisted that my mother not continue to eat it, and had me bring it to you.”

A chill ran up his spine, he had thought countless times where this divination would be fulfilled, but never expected that it would be fulfilled by his aunt.

Liu Zhongming looked down at his arms, the best negotiator was considered useless now, the most important thing was to get rid of this person before liquidating Sweet Snow Noodles.

“Shilei, put the food box in the reception pavilion and I’ll take care of it later,” he ordered, “Tell Shiyan that I know, and I’ll give him an answer, have him take good care of my aunt these days. Not only Sweet snow noodles, everything my aunt eats and uses, he must be careful!” 

“Ah? Oh!” Bai Shilei didn’t know why, but seeing his serious words, he just nodded repeatedly, went down the steps, and turned his head to see Liu Zhongming hugging the person, about to go to the direction of the bedroom, and hurriedly chased after him: “Second brother.”

“Is there anything else?”

He saw Liu Zhongming’s irritability, and bit the bullet and raised his shield: “I…my mother said that Chenzhou should accompany her in a few days, don’t break him…” 

Before Liu Zhongming got angry, he flew out without touching the ground.

“Each and every one…” Liu Zhongming gritted his teeth and said bitterly, “You’ve given them all the enchantment soup!”

He hated the others, and he hated himself even more. If it was the case, he might be the one who drank the most.

The trembling in his arms had gradually subsided. When he put him on the bed in the inner room, Qu Chenzhou poked his head out of the cloak with red eyes, and asked in a crying voice: “Madam Liu sent the sweet snow noodles…”

Liu Zhongming’s unkind expression made him close his mouth quickly, only to realize that his throat was hoarse. Although he couldn’t make a sound, the hysterical crying just now damaged his throat for a while.

He could only hide half of his face in the cloak, and when he raised his eyes, he could see Liu Zhongming’s back, and his heart seemed to be pierced into a sieve by steel needles.

Although he didn’t really hit more than a hundred lashes, the injury was not light.

Liu Zhongming was reluctant to beat him and he was indeed furious so he showed him his ruthless hand.

And he… was a mess, only when he woke up did he realize that he was overly concerned, and he was caught in a trap without noticing, and it was too late to break free.

He was so guilty that he didn’t dare to lift his eyes, but a shadow quickly cast in front of him. Someone forbade him to be a turtle, and stretched out his hand to tear off the cloak. Before he curled up habitually, he pressed his hands on the bed and bent down .

At first it was the warmth of the lips, but soon it reached the tip of the tongue. Qu Chenzhou was so hot that his whole body went limp, and he had no strength to resist anymore.

A hand covered his eyes, teaching him to concentrate on the taste of tossing and turning.

Liu Zhongming was still jerky and reserved at first, restrainedly licking and biting between his lips and teeth, and soon, as if he had learned without a teacher, he opened his teeth and drove straight in, brutally occupying every vacancy he had.

His soul was sucked away by this kiss, his legs were trembling slightly, and his hands were flustered.

“Here,” Liu Zhongming let go of him for a moment, grabbed his hand that had nowhere to rest, and placed it on his back: “Put it here.” 

Qu Chenzhou whimpered, trying to struggle away from that all-too-familiar place, but was pressed hard and unable to move. Once again, he was stirred out of his senses in the suffocating burn.

As if it was still the previous life, every inch of his body and mind was given to the other to control.

The person he had been waiting for ten years finally came before him. His longing was to the extreme, lingering every day.

He couldn’t help but raise his head, trying his best to respond.

When they came back to their senses, both of them were out of breath. Liu Zhongming’s forehead was covered with fine sweat, the crimson crept up to the base of his ears, and his lips were swollen and red from his sucking.

Qu Chenzhou felt ashamed and indignant, wishing he could kill himself on the spot.

“Shizi, I’m sorry… I…”

“What are you?” Liu Zhongming knelt on the bed, with his knees pinning his waist, pressing his hands, not allowing him to move half a cent: “I’m hurt and you are willing to cry for me? Why!”

Qu Chenzhou turned his face to the side. Seeing their hands clasped together, his eyes were red and he didn’t speak.

“You’re willing to kiss me back, aren’t you? Why?” Liu Zhongming turned his face back, making him look directly at himself: “Qu Chenzhou, don’t keep me hanging, just give me the truth, do you hate me?”

Qu Chenzhou tried hard to show his former indifference, but under the scorching stare, he couldn’t help shaking his head: “No… I don’t hate…” 

“Then you…” Liu Zhongming’s breathing rushed up, squeezing out a few words from the gap: “Have you ever liked me?”

Qu Chenzhou gritted his teeth and refused to answer.

Liu Zhongming looked at him for a while, then suddenly became ruthless.

“Since you didn’t say you don’t like me, I will take it seriously! I made it clear in front of my father and uncle that when I’m done, I will marry you as my consort! Whether you are willing or not, I will marry you!”

Qu Chenzhou’s nasal cavity was filled with sourness, and he endured it for a long time before he said softly: “In the future, Shizi will marry a wife, the appearance and talent is secondary, the most important thing is that the family background is noble, the character is virtuous, it would be of great benefit to Shizi and the Liu family, don’t be temperamental.”

“I don’t want to hear your big reasoning today, I just want to ask you, are you willing to wait until then! Are you willing to wait for me…to marry you?”

He laid on his back, tears rolling down from the corners of his eyes, flowing to his temples, his voice choked with sobs: “I am a slave, homeless and jobless…” 

“I don’t care, family property and status, I have all of these, if you want, I will give it to you.” Liu Zhongming hurried and replied confidently: “When my sister becomes the empress, I will ask her to marry us. No one will dare to make irresponsible remarks, and no one will dare to look down on you as a slave.”

“But Lord Marquis…”

“My father, my mother, my sister, my aunt, my uncle, and Qingchi Shiyan Shilei, I’ll go and persuade them, don’t worry about it! I just want to ask you, do you agree or not!” 

“I…” Qu Chenzhou was forced on a path with no escape and could only purse his lips and whisper, “I… have a bad personality.”

Liu Zhongming looked at him for a while, then suddenly put his head on his shoulder. At first his shoulders shook with a muffled voice, then gradually he couldn’t hold back the laughter.

Qu Chenzhou’s face flushed red from the laughter, and he just felt that his answer just now was so stupid.

Liu Zhongming didn’t raise his head until he had laughed enough, and the two of them pressed their foreheads together, facing each other, feeling each other’s breath.

“You have a bad personality, and only I can bear it. Let me take you in so that you won’t harm others.” He wiped away the tears for Qu Chenzhou, and gently smoothed his messy long hair: “You always only think about yourself being a slave, then you should remember that I am your master, right?”

“I…I know…”

“This is your master’s order, wait for me to marry you.”

Qu Chenzhou covered his eyes with the back of his hand, and said in a low voice: “Shizi, you are taking by force…” 

“Yes, I just want to take it by force. Whether you agree or disagree today, I will accept it as your nod.” Liu Zhongming took his hand away.

“Chenzhou, forget about that person from before, I will treat you better, I will take care of you, protect you.” 

“I promise you, I will save you from being lonely, from wandering, and from having no branches to rely on.” 

“Trust me, I will not break my promise.”

In the narrow embrace, Qu Chenzhou suddenly curled up sideways, covered his face with his hands, and sobbed silently under the cover of his arms.

Liu Zhongming knelt and sat on the bed. Being stirred up by the suppressed crying, he couldn’t help but have his eyes turn red, laid down on his side, and slowly pulled the brocade quilt over the bed to cover the two of them.

“Chenzhou,” he gently stroked the hair scattered on the pillow, and whispered, “The future is uncertain. I won’t ask you to follow me all the way to the dark. Today I just want you to make a oath.” 

“In the future, if things work out, I’m willing to give you another chance to choose. If you insist on leaving, I won’t stop you.” 

“If it doesn’t work, I will arrange a place for you in advance. Once you go to the mountains and rivers, you will be free, no one will know about your matters in the capital.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t defile you until we get married.” 

“Even if you leave in the future, you will leave innocently, you…don’t cry, I won’t force you “

His hand was hanging on the edge of the quilt, hearing the sound inside gradually subsided, he was hesitating whether to open it, when outstretched a few slender fingers.

“Shizi…” His eyes filled with water looked at him from under the brocade quilt: “Shizi, how long will I have to wait?”

Liu Zhongming’s heart almost jumped out of his throat, the timid look of this little fox in front of him made his heart jump, and the muffled answer was a ray of light.

But he didn’t know if it was his illusion, but this question was a bit weird, it doesn’t seem like he was forcing a person, but it seemed like the little fox was afraid of being thrown away by him.

“I won’t waste your best days,” he also became cautious: “When you want to leave, I won’t stop you.”

Qu Chenzhou’s hand grabbed his front flap and pulled him down.

“Give me a kiss.”

He kissed devoutly, and heard a vague sentence.

“Zhongming… I promise you that I will follow you in life and death.”