PCA Chapter 64

Qi Lin looked up at Su Cen, then turned to glance at Qu Ling’er. Ling’er stood there in a daze for a good while before blankly asking, “I get to decide what?”

 

Su Cen couldn’t help but hold his forehead, a clear why-can’t-you-live-up-to-expectations expression written all over his face.

 

What else could it be? Naturally, it was about taking control, flipping the situation, and reclaiming all the grievances from the night before!

 

Su Cen’s own aspirations to someday press Prince Ning under him were far too ambitious, with risks too high and a slim chance of success. Thus, he could only pin his hopes on Qu Ling’er to restore the Su family’s honor and overshadow the entire Xingqing Palace.

 

But seeing Qu Ling’er looking like someone who would help count the money after being sold off, Su Cen sincerely felt he had entrusted the wrong person. With a resigned sigh, he explained further, “It means next time, you get to decide how things go. If Qi Lin dares to trouble you, Brother Su will have your back.”

 

“But he didn’t trouble me,” Qu Ling’er blinked his doe-like peach blossom eyes. “I was… kind of willing, actually.”

 

Su Cen nearly slid off his chair. Barely steadying himself by gripping the table, he stood up.

A family tragedy! This one must have hit his head too hard during that cliff jump years ago!

 

Turning to Qi Lin with a sympathetic look, he asked, “What exactly do you see in him? How can you even go through with it when he’s this dumb?”

 

Qi Lin glanced at Qu Ling’er, a faint smile flickering in his eyes. He replied to Su Cen, “No need for Young Master Su to worry about that.”

Leaving behind a take care of yourself look, Su Cen exited the room. Once outside, he glanced up at the sky and let out a deep sigh. After sighing, he couldn’t help but smile. A fool’s luck, perhaps. People live only once; being too clever isn’t always a blessing.

 

Love’s entanglements—perhaps living a little foolishly was a quicker path to happiness.

Once Su Cen was gone, only Qu Ling’er and Qi Lin were left in the room. Qu Ling’er, who had just been putting on a righteous front, suddenly turned shy. He poured Qi Lin a cup of leftover cold tea before stammering, “So… Brother Qi, about last night… What exactly happened?”

 

Qi Lin raised an eyebrow. “You don’t remember?”

“I remember a little… It seemed like you kissed me.”

 

As soon as the words left his mouth, Qu Ling’er’s face turned bright red. He quickly grabbed the cup of cold tea and gulped it down, wishing he could bury his head in the table.

 

Qi Lin stared at Qu Ling’er’s soft lips for a moment before suddenly raising his hand to wipe them lightly, erasing their dewy sheen. A faint smile played on his lips. “The taste wasn’t bad.”

If only this guy hadn’t thrown up all over him right after.

 

Qu Ling’er blinked at Qi Lin’s warm and open smile, momentarily stunned, and blurted out, “So we really… did it?”

 

“Phoenix Dance of the Nine Heavens?” Qi Lin suddenly asked.

 

“Huh? What?” Qu Ling’er was confused.

 

“Nothing,” Qi Lin chuckled.

 

Clearly, he had forgotten. Forgotten how, after two cups of wine, he had insisted on climbing to the rooftop to perform the so-called Phoenix Dance of the Nine Heavens, pulling a muscle and falling on his backside. Forgotten how he clung to Qi Lin, wailing into the night.

 

Forgotten how, after crying himself out, he had wrapped his arms around Qi Lin’s neck, refusing to let go, his drunken peach blossom eyes misty as he murmured, “Brother Qi, I like you. But you have to keep it a secret for now. When I sober up, I’ll tell you properly.”

 

It was that soft and adorable drunken look, those hazy peach blossom eyes, that had bewitched Qi Lin into leaning down and lightly pecking those lips with their faint hint of alcohol.

 

And then, Ling’er threw up.

 

Thankfully, Qi Lin had pulled back just in time, so only his outer robe got stained. Qu Ling’er, however, wasn’t so lucky—he managed to get himself completely covered. Then, as if nothing had happened, he tilted his head and passed out cold.

 

And so, the famously fearsome Qi Lin, whose name struck terror even among the Turks, was left to boil water in the middle of the night to clean up the mess. Silently, he swore to himself:

never again would he drink with someone who had such appalling drinking habits.

 

Qi Lin refocused his thoughts, looked at Qu Ling’er, and nodded. “Yes, we did.”

 

“Th-then…” Qu Ling’er’s face turned redder than the ripe fruits hanging on trees that day as he shyly asked, “How… was I?”

“You were too tense,” Qi Lin replied seriously. “Next time, relax a bit more.”

 

“Oh.” Qu Ling’er nodded earnestly, immediately discarding the “you get to decide” opportunity that Su Cen had worked so hard to win for him.

After Qi Lin left, Qu Ling’er spent the entire morning in a daze, alternately rubbing his sore backside and giggling foolishly. Su Cen watched this with a shake of his head. A textbook case of being completely infatuated, hopelessly so.

By lunchtime, Qu Ling’er was still grinning stupidly while holding a bowl of rice. Su Cen didn’t bother engaging and instead instructed Ah Fu to pack his things—he needed to leave for a trip.

 

Normally, masters and servants didn’t eat at the same table, but with only the three of them in the Su household now, Su Cen didn’t care about such formalities. He had Ah Fu and Qu Ling’er join him for the meal to make things livelier.

 

Ah Fu paused his eating to ask, “Second Young Master, where are you going? How long will you be away? Do you need any attendants? I can prepare accordingly.”

 

Su Cen glanced at Qu Ling’er before replying to Ah Fu with a smile, “Just you and me. We’re heading to Yangzhou. Ling’er will stay behind to watch the house.”

 

“Got it, I’ll watch the house.” Qu Ling’er agreed cheerfully. Once everyone was gone, no one would control him anymore. Then he could invite his Brother Qi over for drinks every other day—what a delight that would be!

 

“Yangzhou?” Ah Fu perked up with interest.

 

“Yangzhou is so close to Suzhou. Can we visit the Master and Madam while we’re there? Even if we can’t, the eldest young master is in Yangzhou now. Seeing him would be wonderful too! Should we prepare anything to bring to him? I can go shopping this afternoon. When do we leave?”

 

“I’m going to Yangzhou on official business, not for a family visit,” Su Cen replied. “Bring my official attire and seal, along with some everyday clothes for changing.” Turning to Qu Ling’er, he added, “You’d better remember this: while I’m away, the courtyard and front gate must be swept daily. Everything must remain as usual. Also, my departure must be kept secret—don’t tell anyone, not even Master Zhang or Master Song next door. If you dare get drunk like last night and let someone take advantage of you again without even realizing it, the first thing I’ll do when I return is sell you to the south district’s pleasure house.”

Although Qu Ling’er’s thoughts were elsewhere, he still caught on to something. “Not let anyone know? Brother Su, what are you going to do? Is it dangerous?”

 

“You’ve got Brother Qi now. Do you still care if your Brother Su is in danger?”

 

Su Cen’s tone was joking, but the words were true. His journey to Yangzhou was fraught with uncertainties. If the Yangzhou officialdom was as chaotic as Feng Yiming claimed, going there as an imperial official would be like walking into a lion’s den, putting himself under their watchful eyes, and hindering his every move. Instead of conducting an open investigation, it would be far better to investigate covertly.

 

However, conducting a covert investigation wasn’t easy. The forces in Yangzhou extended as far as Chang’an. Su Cen had already witnessed this firsthand during the court assembly.

 

The Minister and Vice Minister of Personnel both sided with Xue Zhi, the governor of Yangzhou, meaning that any movements in the court would undoubtedly reach Yangzhou.

 

Fortunately, as a minor fifth-rank official, Su Cen wasn’t required to attend daily court assemblies. His absence for ten days or half a month wouldn’t attract much attention. He had also instructed Zhang Jun not to disclose anything. Although Zhang Jun had seemed annoyed, as a seasoned official, he surely understood the subtleties of the matter.

 

Thus, only a handful of people knew about Su Cen’s trip to Yangzhou. As long as nothing went wrong in the capital, he could quietly conduct his investigations there.

 

This matter had been one he had volunteered for, but in truth, Li Shi no longer had anyone else available for the task. If an official of higher rank went, it would be too conspicuous; if someone of lower rank went, they’d be useless. Moreover, while the case was ostensibly about investigating a murder, the true focus was on the salt officials. As Old Master Ning had said, this was a matter tied to the ancestral rules of propriety—no one wanted to touch it, and it couldn’t be openly investigated. A son going against his father’s authority would look bad no matter how it was handled.

 

Thus, he was not only the best candidate but also the only candidate.

 

“Forget it, Brother Su. I’ll go with you. Let Ah Fu stay behind to watch the house,” Qu Ling’er hesitated for a long time before choosing to prioritize loyalty. “In critical moments, I can still protect you. What can Ah Fu do anyway?”

 

Ah Fu, suddenly excluded, was naturally unhappy. “I can wash clothes, cook meals, and serve the Young Master. You’ll just make trouble if you go! Remember when we traveled to the capital for the palace examination? I was the one who took care of everything along the way. If I’m not there, what will happen if Second Young Master goes hungry or freezes?”

 

“This time is different! Didn’t you hear Brother Su? There’s danger involved. You don’t know martial arts—how can you protect him?”

 

Unable to outargue Qu Ling’er, Ah Fu turned to Su Cen with a pleading look. “I’ll do whatever Second Young Master decides.”

 

Su Cen set his chopsticks down and smiled faintly. “Ah Fu is the more suitable choice.”

 

Ah Fu beamed with satisfaction, while Qu Ling’er, though unwilling, didn’t bother to argue further. He slowly began to clear the dishes. “Fine, I didn’t want to go anyway.”

 

“In any case, the prince has already assigned Guard Qi to accompany me,” Su Cen continued. “Ah Fu can cook, which makes him far more useful. Looking at it that way, Ling’er really doesn’t have much to offer.”

 

There was a sharp clatter as chopsticks fell to the ground. Su Cen glanced up to see Qu Ling’er with a face full of despair. “Brother Su, is messing with me fun for you?”

 

 

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