CH 27

Chapter 27: All Of A Sudden, You’ve Changed Hearts.

As they left the crowd behind, stepping through the cold breeze of the night, Qi Ci followed Xu Run towards the wing room. After the maid lit the candles in the room, she was called back by Xu Run.

At that moment, the two of them were left alone in the wing room.

Xu Run took a deep breath as he looked up at Qi Ci. With an extremely soft tone of voice, he said: “Are you…. really Qi Ci?”

Qi Ci was silent.

After all, he didn’t know what to say.

Qi Ci felt that he should be angry, that he should ask Xu Run why he treated him like that. Were the three years of friendship they shared fed to a dog?

But in the end, Qi Ci couldn’t get angry. He felt more uncomfortable than angry, as if the anger and madness he felt before had slowly disappeared. As if a basin of cold water was poured on top of him, leaving him with a cold heart.

Qi Ci looked at the wing room with carved beams, the paintings, and the royal clothes on Xu Run. Looking at this, he really wanted to ask him some questions.

‘Is this wing room comfortable to live in?’

‘Are those clothes warm to wear?’

‘These days, have you ever thought of the three years we lived together, in that shabby house? Have you even thought about the time when the three of us could laugh for half a day after sharing a piece of delicious oil cake?’

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When Xu Run saw that Qi Ci wasn’t speaking, he stepped forward gently. His eyes looked hesitant as he stretched out his hand, as if wanting to pull Qi Ci inside the wing room, since he stood frozen in place in the door. However, as soon as he stretched out his hand, he suddenly remembered something, making him withdraw his hand: “I, I, I’m going to change clothes. Sit down and rest for a while.”

After saying that, Xu Run turned around and went into the inner room.

Qi Ci felt puzzled. He hadn’t said anything yet, so why was Xu Run suddenly going to change his clothes?

However, When Xu Run came out of the inner room, Qi Ci couldn’t breathe. As if his neck was being fiercely strangled.

Xu Run had changed into ordinary cotton and linen clothes. These clothes looked extremely old, the fabric looked washed out, and it even had some patches on the elbows.

It was the first time, even since meeting each other, that the three of them would spend the first day of the first month of the Lunar New Year together. It was said that one should wear new clothes on that day, but all the money Xu Run had obtained from his work was used to buy Xu Li’s medicine. Since he was short on money, Xu Run had to borrow from Qi Ci. After borrowing a few taels of silver, Xu Run bought Xu Li a big red coat as a new dress.

At that time, Qi Ci asked him: “Why didn’t you buy one for yourself?”

Xu Run had replied: “I’m a big man, I’m not that picky.”

At that, Qi Ci nodded thoughtfully.

Then, on the first day of the Lunar New Year, when Xu Run woke up early in the morning, he saw a cotton and linen garment neatly folded on his pillow.

Qi Ci had hugged his arms around the door, leaning against it, with a big smile that showed his teeth: “If you don’t have the money to buy expensive ones, then I can buy this one for you. I don’t mind.”

Xu Run had cherished that garment a lot, and he was completely reluctant to throw it away, even after wearing it for 3 consecutive years.

He was wearing that same garment right now.

Just now, Qi Ci felt a chill wrapping around his heart, making him suddenly feel short of breath. His chest was violently raising up and down, and his eyes turned red. His emotions were like a monstrous river that could overflow into the earth, with just a little rain, it would be able to break the dike.

Xu Run lowered his head, so he didn’t notice Qi Ci’s changing mood. Xu Run then said awkwardly: “It’s still…. more comfortable to wear this. Ah, right…”

After saying that, Xu Run took out a wooden box from his bosom, opened it, and put it lightly on the table.

In the wooden box, there were some beads and jewelry lying quietly inside.

“These…. are… your mom’s relics. I didn’t touch them. Qi Ci, when Xu Li’s disease is cured, I’ll give the Prince’s title back to you. I swear….” Before Xu Run could finish his words, Qi Ci suddenly grabbed him by the collar and violently pushed him against the wall.

“Xu Run, what are you pretending to be?! Who are you pretending to be?! You‘re afraid that I will expose you, am I right? Fuck you! Why did you dress like this? For me?!” Qi Ci was so angry that he almost lost his mind. As he pulled Xu Run’s clothes, he shouted: “Why are you trying to look like you miss the old days? Why?!”

The clothes were already ruined with the way Qi Ci pulled on them, causing the cotton in the fabric to tear a lot.

The cotton wool, which had turned gray over the years, reminded Qi Ci of the bitterness of the insults and beatings he had received in the brothel.

Light as a feather, something that had cost only a few taels, was now floating in the air.

The Imperial Guards outside the wing room heard the commotion inside and rushed in as they shouted: “Let go of the Prince!”

Surprisingly, Xu Run didn’t ask for help. Instead, he shouted angrily at them: “Get out of here! No one is allowed to enter without my order!”

The Imperial Guards froze for a moment, hardly believing what they just heard: “Your Majesty?”

Xu Run scolded: “Are you all deaf?! Get out!”

The Imperial Guards had no other choice than to obey the order as they hurriedly left the wing room.

After venting his anger, Qi Ci calmed down a little. As he clenched his teeth, he pushed Xu Run away and closed his eyes, trying to quell his anger. However, as soon as he opened his eyes, they were still as bloodshot as before.

Xu Run hurriedly knelt down to grab the cotton wool on the ground with red eyes. The cotton was stained with dust and was dirty now, but he wasn’t thinking as he grabbed the dirty cotton anyways, stuffing it into the crevasses of his clothes little by little.

Qi Ci looked at him for a while before saying: “Don’t stuff it. It can’t go back to what it used to be.”

Xu Run’s body was trembling and his hands were shaking as he tried to stuff the cotton into his clothes. But that only made the holes in his clothes become even bigger and larger, so even more cotton wool flew up. With a low voice, he said as he kept on stuffing: “Sorry, I’m sorry….”

Qi Ci breathed a sigh, trying to be as calm as possible, but his voice still shaked faintly: “Xu Run, I came to the Capital to look for you, just to tell you one thing. That day, before you drugged me, I told you that I wanted to discuss something with you. Do you remember?”

Xu Run nodded his head and said with a dumb voice: “I remember. I remember everything.”

Qi Ci clenched his teeth fiercely and continued: “But in the end, I couldn’t say it. Because I fainted right after drinking the tea you poured for me. That day, I was trying to tell you that I wanted to sell my mother’s relics to send Xu Li to the Capital for treatment, with you.”

Xu Run suddenly stiffened, and the cotton in his clothes flew all over him, in a dirty and annoying way.

So, as long as Xu Run’s evil thoughts appeared a bit later…

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Everything would’ve been different?

Xu Run didn’t need to deceive Qi Ci? Nor did he need to fail Qi Ci’s good intentions? And he would’ve still been able to bring his sister to the Capital for treatment?

“Xu Run.” Qi Ci grabbed Xu Run by the collar again, pulling him up on his knees and locking his eyes on him. Then he squeezed one word after the other from his clenched teeths: “Why did you heartlessly sell me to the brothel? Why?!”

“What?!” Xu Run shouted out loud.

That was the first time he had spoken to Qi Ci so loudly even since meeting him for the first time.

Xu Run then grabbed Qi Ci’s wrist, as if he was afraid Qi Ci would suddenly run away: “What brothel? What are you talking about?!”

Qi Ci punched Xu Run’s face, making his head tilt: “You needed 10 taels of silver to take Xu Li to the Capital, so you sold me to the brothel, in order to save enough money for the journey!”

Xu Run, who was just punched in the face, felt the pain growing on the right side of his face. But he doesn’t care about that now. As he turned back his head, he shouted: “Who said that to you?! I just wanted to bring Xu Li to the Capital for medical treatment, so how could I sell you to a brothel?!”

At that, Qi Ci froze.

After all, that was what the Madame had said to him.

Xu Run suddenly remembered something as he hurried to say: “Before I left, I went to meet the Madame of the brothel to sell a pearl and a hairpin for 10 taels of silver. Yes, since the Madame saw me leaving, she must’ve thought that you’ll be alone, that nobody will care about you. At that moment, she must have decided to take you away! Qi Ci, believe me, I even sent someone to the Northern border to look for you and bring you back to the Capital, so that I could return the Prince’s identity to you. Qi Ci, I’m so sorry for what happened to you, but I would never hurt you like this! You have to believe me!”