CH 4

Rescued

Wen Chan remembered that he hadn’t been this close to Liang Yanbei for a very long time.

So close that just by turning his head, his eyes will not be able to accommodate anything else, filled with only Liang Yanbei’s handsome side profile.

A surge of warmth rushed straight into the top of his head, and his whole body became agitated.

Liang Yanbei’s eyes deepened. He quickly removed his hands from Wen Chen’s waist to break open the buttons of his cloak and then threw it on the ground casually.

The Liang Yanbei before him resembled the image which was buried deep in his memory. Liang Yanbei was wearing a Chang Pao today. The long sleeves and robe edges were decorated with snow-white fur. And now, without the vermillion overcoat’s bright lining, Liang Yanbei suddenly became spotless and as clear as the moon.

After he removed the cloak that had been hindering his movement, his eyes narrowed, and his figure hastily pounced onto the assassin!

The assassin clearly didn’t expect that a guy would appear midway to attack him. So he hastily raised his blade to fight, only to feel a flash of silver light passing right in front of his eyes. And then a tremendous force slammed on his chest, making him almost splurt out a mouthful of blood. His body rushed back several steps by brute force.

Wen Chan’s kick only managed to make the assassin stumble, but Liang Yanbei’s kick to the chest was brutal enough to make him fall back more than that.

When the assassin saw Liang Yanbei, the pair of eyes, the only part showing out from his mask, became wide open. Looking as if he was greatly shaken by something. He only got one kick from that person, but he became sure that he couldn’t beat the other party[LY]. So he retrieved his blade and then turned around to disappear into the darkness.

Liang Yanbei saw the assassin fleeing, but he did not look like he wanted to chase after him. He looked sideways, and his gentle gaze fell on Wen Chan, standing not too far from him.

The young Liang Yanbei had a unique nickname – “The Jade-Faced Youth”. Right now, he was still a pampered young master who had not matured from going through war and was innocent and frank. Once he smiles, it can topple the world and mesmerize the people.

Wen Chan felt that his eyes were drawn to him. He could neither move nor turn away.

He really liked to stare at Liang Yanbei. His every movement was pleasing to Wen Chan’s eyes. If he wasn’t afraid of any consequences, then he would stick his eyes on Liang Yanbei’s body for a whole day.

Liang Yanbei was not aware of Wen Chan’s thoughts. He walked over to Wen Chan and conveniently took up the coat he threw onto the ground earlier. He shook away the dust on it, placing it on the crook of his arms.

“Ninth Highness, are you injured anywhere?” Liang Yanbei carefully sized up Wen Chan. Although he did not see any apparent injuries, he still opened his mouth to ask the question.

This remark pulled Wen Chan back into reality. He blinked, then turned his gaze elsewhere, “Many thanks to you. Bengong is not seriously hurt anywhere.”

“It is unexpected to find that there are assassins hidden in the important places of the palace. We need to report this matter to the emperor.” Liang Yanbei knew the seriousness of this matter, so he intended to take Wen Chan along to find the emperor.

“No.” However, Wen Chan spoke out to stop him.

Liang Yanbei raised his eyebrows in confusion, “Why not?”

He knew that in his past life, the annual banquet went very smoothly. No one else knew, but there was no case of assassination. That means that this assassin hadn’t come to the palace to assassinate anyone.

Although Wen Chan did not know the reason behind the assassin suddenly trying to kill him. Since he escaped, he could not have caused any trouble in the palace. And he may even have fled the palace in a hurry because he was found.

But if the assassin’s matter is reported to the emperor, it will surely give rise to turmoil. And the annual banquet will be ruined, causing changes to the occurrences in his previous life. This may also lead to a string of unknown consequences and can even affect the Liang family’s promotion.

This comparison showed that it wasn’t worth reporting the matter to the emperor.

But, Wen Chan did not know what explanation he could give to Liang Yanbei. He thought for a while, and his brows knitted together in a frown. And at last, he could only say, “Do as Bengong says.”

He couldn’t think of a reasonable excuse, so he could only use his identity to pressurize him.

A bit of surprise surfaced over Liang Yanbei’s beautiful eyes. He smiled at him and said, “Okay, I’ll do as Your Highness said.”

This was the signature smile of Liang Yanbei. He could smile at anyone like an old friend. Wen Chan raised his eyes to look at him and blurted out his farewell.

Liang Yanbei didn’t try to stop him this time. He just stood there watching Wen Chan take a few steps, and then slowly asked, “Ninth Highness, are you not going to look for the thing that you lost?”

Wen Chan thought it was just a worthless trip. But when he heard these words, he turned around quickly to see Liang Yanbei calmly standing there. With the fingertips of his right hand, he picked up a gold tasseled jade pendant and gently spun it in his hands.

“So it was you who picked it up.” Wen Chan said, a little surprised. When he recalled the way the servant girl cried out before for injustice, he suddenly regretted it a bit – not only had he wronged someone, he had also made them faint in fright.

“Earlier that day, Your Highness walked away too fast. So, I really couldn’t find an opportunity to return it to you.” Liang Yanbei walked up to him slowly, with the jade pendant swaying in his hands.

“Did you follow me here?” Wen Chan asked.

“Yes, I was watching Your Highness for a long time.” He was a lot taller than Wen Chan. So when he approached Wen Chan, he had to bend down his head slightly to meet Wen Chan’s eyes, “I always feel like I’ve met Your Highness somewhere before ……”

Wen Chan’s heart jumped when he heard this. Panic was clearly visible on his face when he hastily took back the jade pendant. He quickly turned his eyes somewhere else and said, “I …… I have been living in the capital since I was a child. I have never gone anywhere else before.”

Liang Yanbei grew up in Jinling, which was thousands of miles apart from the capital. They couldn’t have met before.

In his previous life, they only had the opportunity to meet each other after Liang Yanbei came to the capital. So at this time, Liang Yanbei saying he looked familiar is an impossible thing.

Wen Chan took the jade pendant and placed it inside his sleeves. He then promptly turned and walked away but stopped after taking a few steps. He turned his head slightly to softly say, ”Thank you very much.”

Watching him walking farther and farther away, the corners of Liang Yanbei’s mouth hooked up into a mysterious smile.

When Wen Chan returned, the emperor was drinking merrily and hadn’t realized his brief departure. But this made Ah Fu anxious.

After he took his seat, he first sent Qin Qi and Shu Hua to go around the forest to see if anyone strange was there. Although he knew that the assassin would not cause a mess in the palace tonight, he was still not sure about this person.

Both Qin Qi and Shu Hua accepted his order and came back after searching the forest. They reported to Wen Chan that they were not able to find anybody there. Even the palace maid who had fainted was also nowhere to be seen.

After listening to their report, Wen Chan nodded with a calm face and continued to look at the annual banquet in front of him.

And finally, it was time for the gifts to be presented. The eunuchs took out the list, and one by one, read out the names of the ministers who had brought gifts for the emperor.

Wen Chan’s gaze suddenly became enthusiastic. The hand hidden under the table slightly made a fist as if he was expecting something.

“Your Majesty, the son of the Liang family has a solo flute performance to present in front of Your Majesty.” The eunuch’s voice sounded.

The emperor gladly agreed, “Let him in, let me have a look.”

“Calling Liang Yanbei–” the eunuch responded in a loud voice.

Wen Chan was able to hear his heartbeat one after another. It became louder and louder, faster and faster, and clearer and clearer. His eyes landed on the open space in the middle, seeing a silver-clothed youth coming from the crowd, walking in slowly.

Liang Yanbei’s eyes always carried a slight smile. He held a flute in his hand, walked in to stand below the emperor. He bowed first and said, “I wish my emperor to welcome a good new year by letting go of the previous year. And I hope that the holy body is always in good health.”

The emperor was full of smiles, “Come on and play a song for me to hear.”

“Yes”. Liang Yanbei circled the flute once among his fingers and gently placed it against his lips. A sound immediately slipped out.

He doesn’t know how long it has been since he last heard the sound of Liang Yanbei’s flute.

After many years, he was having his first meeting with the youth on the stage again. He had thought that this memory was very indistinct in his memory. But unexpectedly, he remembered things when the exact copy of the music performance from his past life played in front of him.

After he fell in love with Liang Yanbei in his last life, he began to collect all kinds of flutes. After becoming the emperor, he intensified his efforts. He searched all the rare flutes from every place of Xi Liang and hid them in his bedroom.

But after Liang Yanbei married his wife, Wen Chan did not get to hear his flute’s sound for several years, and the last time he heard it was when he was about to die.

The sentimental sound of the flute came quietly and surrounded the Nanling Garden, indistinct and touching. Wen Chan couldn’t help but have a sour nose, unexpectedly wetting his eyes.

Fearing that he will lose control of himself, he hurriedly lowered his eyelids to cover the tears that would come out. Until the end of the song, he did not dare to open his eyes again.

Liang Yanbei was an addictive poison for him. He shouldn’t try to get the benefit of touching it. If he does touch it, then he would have to give away his life.

For the whole night, Wen Chan was in a trance. His thoughts drifted far and wide, and his mind was not in the lively annual banquet.