YNRHPCYC Chapter 82

[footnote]The title figuratively means “to give up altogether after a setback; to throw one’s hands up in frustration and let it all go to hell”[/footnote]

The important thing was to instruct Liang Yanbei and Xie Zhaoxue to take good care of Zhong Wenjin.

After all, Zhong Wenjin was a member of the Zhong family, so Wen Chan was still a little worried.

The emperor had indeed ordered a thorough investigation of the Zhong family in the next few days. Whether it was an open or secret investigation, many people and things would be involved.

The worst thing was that even though Wen Chan had sent Wen Linglong the antidote, Wen Linglong still died at the hands of the emperor, although he announced to the public that she died of poisoning. Wen Chan sighed after hearing this.

It had long been known that once the affair between Concubine Mei and Zhong Wenting was exposed, Wen Linglong’s fate was doomed.

In the end, the Zhong family were not only convicted of attempting to murder the heir to the throne but also charged with forming factions for personal gain, engaging in private dealings, corruption, bribery, and more. The heavy weight of these accusations sealed their fate, and the Zhong family was firmly locked up.

Both Zhong Guoyi and Zhong Wenting were sentenced to death by beheading, while all the Zhong family’s wives, concubines, and children were exiled to Mobei[footnote]Outer Mongolia (lit. north of the Gobi Desert)[/footnote], stripped of all official status, and forever forbidden from entering the capital.

Several of both big and small officials who had close ties with the Zhong family were demoted. The gust of wind in the imperial court was so violent that even though all the officials knew about the emperor’s sloppy investigation of the case, no one dared to warn the Zhong family.

The emperor had wanted to remove the Zhong family long ago, but he just lacked a reason.

If it had been in the past, the Zhong family’s party could have still fought the emperor with the chips in their hands, but now they can’t. Now that the Liang family had entered the capital, they no longer occupied the position of a civilian official. He was clearly the Minister of Rites, yet the Emperor had given him military authority. The message could not have been more obvious.

No matter how many violations of the rules, they cannot resist an imperial order.

The Zhong family was raided.

Zhong Wenjin stood in the snow, the chill seeping through his bones. His gaze remained fixed on the Zhong residence.

Once a grand and stately mansion, it had been his birthplace, the place where he’d grown up. He had crossed that threshold countless times. For over a decade, when night fell, that house had always meant home.

In just a few days, the place had become dilapidated. Everything was swept away and entered into the treasury. All the slaves were dismissed, and the father, brothers, and sisters were also all locked up in the prison.

Only the married-off sister Shu and his mother, who returned to Xie Mansion, survived, and then he himself.

This was like a big nightmare for Zhong Wenjin. Last year, he was still the lawless young master of the Zhong family. No matter where he went, he was escorted by big crowds in front and behind. People around him would automatically retreat and obey him.

Later, both his father and elder brother took up sharp blades and wanted to kill him with hideous faces. So he was forced to flee the Zhong family.

Now, the Zhong family was gone. The once huge family was now only an empty and dilapidated house.

Zhong Wenjin took two steps forward and wanted to go in and take a look.

The guards guarding the door had already noticed that he had been looking over at the Zhong residence for a long time. When they saw him move, they immediately said, “This is a house of sinners. Ordinary people are not allowed to approach!”

The house of sinners. His home had become a house of sinners.

He stopped; his mind was a little numb, and he didn’t know how he had left the front of the Zhong residence. He wandered on the street with empty steps.

Zhong Wenjin didn’t know what he should think or ponder at this time. It seemed that his whole mind was in a blank state. His eyes swept over all kinds of people on the street, but he didn’t take anything in.

As he walked, there was a burst of laughter in front of him. Zhong Wenjin felt it to be very familiar. He looked up and saw several rich young men coming towards him. They were all Zhong Wenjin’s former drinking buddies in the capital.

These people usually gathered in front of Zhong Wenjin, with one calling “Master Jin” on the left and another calling “Young Master Zhong” on the right. Zhong Wenjin knew that they were deliberately flattering him, but he didn’t bother to care.

Some of them had a good relationship with him; at least they could come out and have fun together every time.

Zhong Wenjin watched those people slowly walk over, talking and laughing with each other and occasionally making waves of laughter that made one cast sidelong glances at them. It seemed like they were talking about something interesting.

Zhong Wenjin used to be the one standing among those people.

He stood on the curb, watching his old friends talking and laughing as they passed by, and no one even noticed him.

He remained silent and did not call out. He just watched the people walk further and further away until their backs disappeared in the crowd.

He raised his hand and touched his face. But through a layer of skin, his cheek could not really feel the touch of his fingertips.

Now he was a person who lived in disguise. He could no longer show people his real name and face in Jingjing City.

In other words, he was now a stranger in this world.

He could no longer be like before and say confidently after beating others up that, “I am the fourth Young Master of the Xie family, and my name is Zhong Wenjin. Remember it clearly and don’t go to the wrong place for revenge!”

Zhong Wenjin’s mood suddenly became low, and he continued to walk forward aimlessly; the scenery on both sides blurred.

He seemed out of place in this bustling crowd.

Zhong Wenjin unknowingly walked to the front of the largest pastry shop in the capital. And when he looked up, he saw that there was an endless stream of people going in and out of the building that he had frequented before, as if it had never changed.

As long as you stop at its door, you would be able to smell the aroma of pastries. But now Zhong Wenjin had no intention of eating pastries, so he stood there blankly for a while.

Just as he was in a daze, he suddenly caught a glimpse of Xie Zhaoxue’s figure. His eyes lit up, but then they darkened again as he took a closer look.

Xie Zhaoxue still looked the same. His light yellow cloak was embroidered with delicate patterns like Ruyi[footnote][/footnote]. His snow-white fox fur was almost the same colour as his fair face, and his handsome face was wearing a gentle smile.

Xie Zhaoxue had always been gentle and elegant. His smile was never distant or cold. He always made people want to get close to him for no reason.

This was also the reason why Xie Zhaoxue was so popular in the capital.

Zhong Wenjin also hated him precisely for this reason. He was friendly with everyone. It was only when he played the scoundrel and shamelessly pestered Xie Zhaoxue that the latter’s smiling mask finally cracked, his eyes blazing with anger.

Right now he was walking towards the pastry shop, followed by a woman in luxurious clothes, who was followed by maids and servants.

Xie Zhaoxue had always kept a clear distance from women, and he had never seen him hanging out alone on the street with any girl.

Zhong Wenjin was a little puzzled, but when he took a closer look, he realised that the woman was not someone else but Qiao Yanci.

Then everything made sense. The Qiao family originally had a marriage contract with the Xie family, and it was normal for the two of them to walk on the street together.

“Hey, buddy, what are you looking at?” Someone suddenly asked around him.

This was the first person who took the initiative to talk to Zhong Wenjin since he went out. He took a look and found that he was an ordinary man.

“Looking at the young lady from the Qiao family.” Zhong Wenjin replied.

“Hey! Don’t even think about it. This flower, who is the treasured daughter of the Qiao family, has already been picked. You have no chance.” The person next to him said mercilessly.

“I know.” Zhong Wenjin replied lightly, his voice sinking, “I have never had a chance.”

It was not known whether this referred to Qiao Yanci or someone else.

“There are many good girls in this capital, brother. Don’t be too sad.” The man comforted him casually and said, “But the girl from the Qiao family is very lucky. She will never have to worry about her future after marrying into the Xie family.”

“The Qiao family is also the home of a great official of the imperial court. When do they have to worry about anything?”

“This gentleman probably doesn’t know about this?” That person said mysteriously, “Now the Xie family is in a period of great favour from the emperor, and the young master of the Xie family has not taken a concubine or a wife. If Miss Qiao marries in, she will be the owner of the entire Xie family, and her status will naturally be different.”

The entire Xie Mansion?

Zhong Wenjin thought for a while and felt something was amiss.

Xie Zhaoxue now lives alone in a mansion. Although it was smaller than the mansion of Lord Xie Shengran, it was enough for Xie Zhaoxue to live alone. People in the capital called it the Xiao[footnote]Little[/footnote] Xie Mansion.

Zhong Wenjin lived in this Xiao Xie Mansion. He was usually very free. Xie Shengran and Xie Yilu had only visited him a few times.

He thinks that if Qiao Yanci marries in, she will at most be the owner of the Xiao Xie Mansion. The large Xie household still had his maternal grandparents to maintain it!

But then, after a moment’s reflection, he realised that even being the mistress of the small Xie household would be enough. Zhong Wenjin wasn’t a member of the Xie family. Staying there temporarily was fine, but if he lived there permanently, it would be awkward once Xie Zhaoxue and Qiao Yanci had children and started their own family. If Xie Zhaoxue grew tired of him, it would only take a single word from Qiao Yanci to have him sent away.

It was not until this time that Zhong Wenjin realised that there seemed to be no place for him in the entire capital.

Seeing Xie Zhaoxue and Qiao Yanci enter the building, Zhong Wenjin suddenly lost the thought of chatting with the other and turned his head and left without saying a word.

He went all the way back to the Xie Mansion and got into his room, feeling depressed.

It didn’t take long for Xie Zhaoxue to come back. He came to Zhong Wenjin’s room, waved back the maidservant guarding the door, and knocked on the door with a food box.

There was no sound coming from inside. Xie Zhaoxue had asked when he entered the door just now, and the servant had clearly said that he was in the room. So why wasn’t he making any sound? 

After a moment of pause, Xie Zhaoxue raised his hand and pushed open the door to see Zhong Wenjin, who had taken off his human skin mask, sitting in the room. There was no light or heating, and the whole room was cold.

He walked up to Zhong Wenjin and put the food box on the table, “What are you thinking about sitting here that you couldn’t even hear me knocking on the door?”

Zhong Wenjin glanced up at him listlessly, then quickly lowered his head, pursed his lips, and said nothing.

If Zhong Wenjin was in a bad mood, his appearance would be very obvious. Xie Zhaoxue could see it at a glance. While opening the food box, he said, “Eat something. Don’t think so much.”

Zhong Wenjin was originally able to suppress his irritability, but when he saw that one of the beautiful pastries in the food box had been bitten and placed on the edge of the food box.

What’s this? The two of them finished the pastries while whispering sweet nothings to one another, and they kindly packed some of the leftovers for him?

Could this small tooth mark be left by Qiao Yanci in a humorous, silly way?

Zhong Wenjin felt furious all of a sudden, and with a wave of his hand, he swept the food box directly to the ground. The food box fell to the ground with a loud noise, and the pastries inside were scattered all over the place.

“Xie Zhaoxue, don’t pretend to be nice to me. I don’t need it!” Zhong Wenjin lowered his eyes to look at the mess all over the place; the rim of his eyes turned red in an instant, and he said fiercely.

Xie Zhaoxue hadn’t expected him to suddenly lose his temper, but he didn’t flare up in return. Instead, he let out a sigh and said, “Why are you becoming harder and harder to serve? If you didn’t want to eat, you could’ve just said so. I originally wanted to eat two pieces. But now you’ve knocked everything over. Wonderful.”

But when this fell on Zhong Wenjin’s ears, it meant something else.

He knew that Xie Zhaoxue would inevitably get tired of him one day and that he would no longer be someone pleasing to the eye. Taking him in for these past few months was probably already the limit of his patience. Now that the Zhong family had just fallen, he couldn’t wait to get along with Qiao Yanci.

Perhaps he had wanted to drive him away for a long time now. But he couldn’t say it directly because of his face. So he wanted to use Qiao Yanci to drive him away.

“Why should you go to all this trouble? Isn’t it easy to get me to leave? Laozi doesn’t cherish living with you here!” Zhong Wenjin said angrily.

“You want to leave?” Xie Zhaoxue’s expression changed, and he frowned slightly, “Where are you going?”

“Even if the Zhong family is gone now, if I want to survive, there are many ways. Do you think I can’t do it without you?” Zhong Wenjin said.

“Who asked you to leave? Could it be my sister?” Xie Zhaoxue said.

“A good man aspires to travel far and make one’s mark, and there are many places I can go! After leaving the capital, the world is vast. I can go wherever I want.” The more Zhong Wenjin spoke, the more he also felt that what he said made sense.

“It shouldn’t be my sister. Now that the Zhong family is guilty, it’s too dangerous for you to go out rashly.” Xie Zhaoxue stared at him fiercely and narrowed his eyes dangerously, “Are you going to leave by yourself?”

“I’ve made up my mind!” Zhong Wenjin said angrily, turning around and leaving, planning to go to the silver banker to take out some small silver he had saved before as travel expenses.

Xie Zhaoxue grabbed his wrist and pulled him back with some reckless strength, “Don’t mess around!”

Zhong Wenjin felt his wrist hurt, and he sneered while struggling, “Yes, no matter what I do, it’s all just me messing around. There are only the two of us here, so you don’t have to act. If I leave, you’ll probably be secretly delighted.”

He stared at Zhong Wenjin, “What nonsense are you talking about?”

“I’m not talking nonsense.” Zhong Wenjin said.

“Are you unhappy living in Xie Mansion? I’ll take you to eat whatever you want, and I’ll buy you whatever you want. Why do you want to leave?” Xie Zhaoxue asked in a deep voice.

“What do I want? You can’t give me what I want.” Zhong Wenjin shook his head slightly.

“You tell me.” Xie Zhaoxue didn’t want to see him shaking his head, so he simply stretched out his hand to pinch his chin and leaned forward with his face, “What do you want?”

He was getting angry now, and he didn’t notice that the distance between the two was too close.

Zhong Wenjin stepped back slightly and asked as if he suddenly thought of it, “I want Qiao Yanci. Can you give her to me too?”

As soon as he asked this, Xie Zhaoxue’s face darkened instantly, and his eyes were filled with anger, “No!”

“Ha, I knew it.” Seeing his appearance, Zhong Wenjin sneered, his eyes turned red again, and he said, gritting his teeth, “You liar.”

“Except this, everything else is fine.” Xie Zhaoxue saw that his eyes were a bit fragile, but pretending to be strong, and the anger that had just risen very quickly melted away.

“That’s what you said!” Zhong Wenjin said hatefully and then slammed forward when Xie Zhaoxue was completely unresponsive, biting his lip fiercely.

But in the end, since he was afraid of him getting hurt from the biting, Zhong Wenjin released his strength at the last moment, and it was more like he was holding his mouth hard with his mouth. He then sucked on it without hesitation, and his tongue rushed straight into his mouth.

Xie Zhaoxue was so shocked that his breathing stopped. His mouth was roughly licked and bitten by Zhong Wenjin, and his waist was tightly hugged by a pair of hands.

Immediately afterwards, he felt a cold liquid on his face, and when he lowered his eyes to take a closer look, he saw crystal tears on Zhong Wenjin’s long eyelashes.

Anyway, I am leaving. So a kiss should be okay. It won’t make things worse.

Zhong Wenjin thought.

Translator’s corner

Thank you so much for reading the chapter. If you liked my translation and wanna support me, you can comment down your thoughts or send me a Kofi.

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