TL: Hua
Chapter 73: Discovery – Xiao Pei goes to Enzhou (13)
This was going to be a scene of “He escapes, he chases, and they both can’t fly away even with wings.”
Pei Xiting smiled and said, “Don’t forget, my role is your plaything. Just a small plaything; why would you condescend to personally come and catch me?”
“I am exceptionally compatible with Young Master Pei. Since such a treasure has fallen into my hands, I cannot lose it, especially not to have him be led astray by another wild man.” Zong Suiyang gazed deeply into Pei Xiting’s eyes, saying languidly, “With my intolerance for any speck of sand in my eye, I must capture him, first personally kill his lover in front of him, and then make him wish he were dead, suffering immensely, regretting the mistake he made at that time.”
Pei Xiting immediately closed the window, blocking Yu Shaoyun’s inquisitive gaze, and sat down next to Zong Suiyang, saying, “How do you know we’re compatible? We haven’t even done anything.”
These words were too crude. Zong Suiyang paused and said, “If we weren’t compatible, would I keep you by my side as a s*x slave, transforming into a beast to do this and that to you?”
Screenwriter Pei thought for a moment and said, “You’ve got a point there. After all, you wouldn’t compromise yourself.”
Seeing Pei Xiting’s serious expression, Zong Suiyang couldn’t help but pinch his chin, leaning in slightly, saying with a faint smile, “Therefore, your portraying me in this way doesn’t really damage my reputation.”
“I’ve seen through your wild inner self, from the outside in, haven’t I?” Pei Xiting tilted his head slightly, scrutinizing Zong Suiyang suspiciously. “You… you don’t actually have a sadistic tendency, do you?”
After all, what decent person likes to choke someone while kissing them? Pei Xiting guessed that the Zong family member was definitely not the gentle, breezy type in bed.
Zong Suiyang raised an eyebrow slightly and said, “Guess.”
What’s with the mystery? Pei Xiting clicked his tongue and said, “Oh, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is as pure as jade, still an innocent man at an age when others are already fathers. How am I supposed to guess? But then again…”
“Mhm,” Zong Suiyang played with his beautiful, soft chin, his tone languid with a hint of threat. “But what?”
“Based on my own tiny experience, I probably have an idea… Don’t scratch my chin; it tickles to death.” Pei Xiting clicked his tongue and reached out to swat Zong Suiyang’s hand. With a “snap,” his palm was immediately caught by Zong Suiyang and lightly slapped.
Pei Xiting couldn’t break free, and his palm was slapped again, not painfully but ticklishly. He was furious and said, “You dare hit me? I’ll crash into you and kill you!”
Pei Xiting used his “iron head skill” and bumped Zong Suiyang’s chest. Zong Suiyang leaned back slightly against the seat, and the hand gripping Pei Xiting’s palm exerted force, pulling half of Pei Xiting’s body onto his own.
Seeing the situation was not good, Pei Xiting quickly said, “I was wrong, I was wrong…”
Zong Suiyang held him down. “What were you wrong about?”
“I shouldn’t have been unwilling to take the beating, shouldn’t have dared not to cry out in pain, and shouldn’t have retaliated. I was terribly wrong… Hey!” Pei Xiting finished his sarcastic remarks, then suddenly exerted force, but alas, the disparity in strength was too great. He was easily countered by Zong Suiyang, and now his other hand was also caught.
Zong Suiyang brought Pei Xiting’s paws together, holding them both with his right hand, and said, “I want to add a scene.”
Pei Xiting said, “What!”
“That person named Huo certainly won’t fully believe the things you fabricated. Since I’ve personally come to Enzhou to catch you, why don’t you and I put on a show? You pretend to be caught by me, let me properly bully you, and solidify this meticulously crafted story of yours.” Zong Suiyang reached out and scratched Pei Xiting’s chin. “How about it?” Pei Xiting dodged twice, tickled by the scratching. He simply opened his mouth and bit the offending hand, applying a little pressure with his teeth, then released it and said, “Pfft, I’m the director! Only I can direct this scene; you have no right to add a scene midway.”
Zong Suiyang’s gaze darkened, controlling the urge to insert his finger into that warm mouth, and said, “But I provided financial support.”
“I didn’t even use your bank token,” Pei Xiting refused to admit, arguing forcefully.
“That’s your business. In any case, I already gave you the token; that counts as providing support. If you don’t use it yourself, what does it have to do with me?” Zong Suiyang pinched Pei Xiting’s puffed-out cheek, saying with a faint smile, “Moreover, since you’ve already put this label on me, wouldn’t it be a waste if I didn’t make it real?”
What’s going on? The pure and unblemished Crown Prince suddenly went OOC. Is he holding a grudge for having such an unpleasant persona added to him? Pei Xiting was a bit bewildered.
“In my opinion, the essence of this scene lies in two places. First, you must scream both miserably and enticingly to highlight my beastly atrocities and to pave the way for your later use of the honey trap to show some effectiveness. Second,” Zong Suiyang continued his explanation, looking out the door as he spoke, saying calmly, “your lover will have his root severed by me before he escapes, thus becoming impotent, which will cause you two to hate me to the bone and become even more frantic.”
Pei Xiting: “!”
Yuan Fang, sitting in the coachman’s seat: “?”
Well, screenwriter Pei, director Pei, and male protagonist Pei understood. This was the investor being dissatisfied with Yuan Fang, the official male lead, and personally stepping in to add scenes for himself, even publicly modifying the official lead’s role!
Of course, in the end, Director Pei was suppressed by the formidable power of capital and had to agree to add this scene.
*
The candlelight was dim. Pei Xiting wore a mournful expression, sighing repeatedly. He felt both guilty for not holding his ground and wronged by what he had endured. Each sigh seemed laden with a mix of complex emotions, trembling and prolonged, making even Zong Lu, who sat beside him, feel a little unbearable.
Zong Lu was a child who repaid kindness. Since Pei-wenshu spoke up for him, he also had to speak up for Pei-wenshu.
“Fifth Uncle,” Zong Lu looked at Zong Suiyang, “Did you punish Pei-wenshu?”
Zong Suiyang slowly sipped his porridge and said, “No, I am helping Pei-wenshu exercise his talent and perfect the plan.”
Zong Lu implicitly pleaded for Pei Xiting, saying, “It must be that Fifth Uncle is a bit strict, so Pei-wenshu can’t accept it for a while.”
“It’s fine. Pei-wenshu is much more capable than you imagine. I’m sure he’ll figure it out quickly and understand.” Zong Suizong looked at Pei Xiting and said gently, “Am I right, Pei-wenshu?”
What a nice cup of strong tea[mfn]Tea refers to how fake/pretentious someone is. [/mfn]. Pei Xiting raised his eyes to meet his gaze, smiled slightly, and said, “That’s right.”
Alas, Zong Lu secretly shook his head upon hearing this. Pei-wenshu was indeed still intimidated by Fifth Uncle’s authority and dared not speak his mind directly.
“Your Highness,” You Zong called from the doorway, then walked in. He bowed to the little prince, then said, “The child transported from Bai Mian Fang to the burial ground today has been brought back. The person is no longer breathing. She was strangled to death, and…”
You Zong paused and said, “We examined the body. She has many obvious injuries, including whip marks, ligature marks, candle drip marks, and some other wounds. Additionally, her lower body was still bleeding before she died.”
Zong Suizong put down his spoon and said, “Find a quiet place to bury her properly. Shaoyun, summon Chongyan to Enzhou.”
Yu Shaoyun responded from outside.
Zong Suizong was about to speak, but he noticed Pei Xiting’s pale face and thoughtful expression, so he said, “Xiting, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing, I just suddenly seemed to understand why the missing girls are about two years older than the boys, probably around twelve or thirteen years old,” Pei Xiting snapped back to attention, saying in a low voice, “Girls of this age haven’t yet reached their coming-of-age ceremony; they are between young women and young girls. Some of them have already had their first period but haven’t experienced s*xual intercourse. Their families also haven’t begun teaching them about s*xual matters. They are innocent and naive, but compared to younger girls, they are less likely to be fatally harmed. For some beasts in human clothing, they are just right for abuse.”
Zong Lu’s small face tightened, saying, “Is that cult practicing some kind of evil art of ‘harvesting yin to supplement yang’?”
“Even so, this person must be a depraved scoundrel with a dark mind to have caused someone’s death like this,” Pei Xiting said. “This person was in Bai Mian Fang today.”
“Our people surrounded Bai Mian Fang and didn’t see any suspicious individuals entering or exiting,” You Zong said. “But that immortal envoy today couldn’t have appeared out of thin air. Either he has been staying in Bai Mian Fang, or Bai Mian Fang must have a secret passage that can not only hide people but also lead elsewhere.”
Pei Xiting’s eyelids twitched upon hearing this, and he said, “Li Residence.”
Two voices spoke simultaneously. Pei Xiting looked up at Zong Suizong, who shared his guess, pursed his lips, and smiled, saying, “Bai Mian Fang is not far from the Li Residence; constructing a passage wouldn’t be too big of an engineering feat. Since we’ve already confirmed that Li Da is connected to the cult, his history of r*pe and murder, plus the strange Concubine Fang hidden in his mansion, we should suspect him.”
Zong Suizong said, “Tell Mei Xiu to move forward a step.”
—
The lights in the sleeping quarters had just come on when the steward came forward to knock on the door and entered to serve.
He lit two more lamps with a candle and said helplessly, “My lord, Young Marquis Mei came to see you earlier. I told him you were sick and in a coma, and he was quite unhappy! I barely managed to coax him to leave… Oh dear, my lord, why do you look so pale?”
The steward looked up and saw Li Da’s distracted expression. In the dim candlelight, he appeared somewhat greenish-white, a little eerie.
His heart skipped a beat, and he quickly said, “My lord, would you like to invite a doctor to take a look?”
“No need…” Li Da coughed, his eyes hazy, “I just caught a slight chill. It’s nothing serious; a couple of days’ rest will do. As for Young Marquis Mei, did he say what he wanted to see me about?”
No sooner had he finished speaking than a commotion erupted outside the door. Immediately, a hurried servant ran in to report, “My lord, Young Marquis Mei wants to see you! He insists on coming in; we can’t stop him.” Li Da quickly pulled on his outer robe, stood up, and said, “Please invite Young Marquis—”
Before he could finish, Mei Xiu had already stormed into the room, full of momentum.
Li Da quickly stepped forward to bow, asking confusedly, “Young Marquis, what’s wrong? Is there anything our household servants have done to displease you?”
Mei Xiu lifted his robes, sat on the couch, and said, “I ask you, did you secretly report to Yejing that I’m freeloading here and enjoying myself too much to think of returning home!”
Li Da was stunned upon hearing this and said, “How could that be! I haven’t done such a thing, Young Marquis; please be understanding!”
“If it’s not you, then who is it?” Mei Xiu stared at Li Da’s face; a flicker of surprise flashed in his heart. This fellow looked obviously deficient in kidney energy, and severely so. But Li Da had been recuperating in the mansion today; he hadn’t sought anyone to sleep with, had he?
Could it be that the secret room was in this very room!
Mei Xiu dared not look around randomly, so as not to arouse suspicion, and continued to press the accusation: “Besides you, who else could report me to Yejing!”
“Young Marquis, is there some misunderstanding?” Li Da said, “It is my honor for Young Marquis to stay in my humble abode. How could I report to Yejing?”
“Misunderstanding? Misunderstanding your ancestors, the damn letter has reached me!” Mei Xiu slammed the table, pressing a letter onto the tea table. “His Royal Highness the Crown Prince knows about it and ordered a letter to scold me, saying that Prince Zong is staying at the guesthouse, but I ran off to your place to enjoy luxury and wealth!”
“This…” Li Da glanced at the letter. Constrained by Mei Xiu’s furious expression, he dared not ask to read it, only guessing, “In that case, could it be that Prince Zong misunderstood that you were disrespectful to him and became dissatisfied, so he reported you to Yejing?”
Mei Xiu frowned, “Impossible, the prince is not that kind of person. We usually play together; there aren’t so many formalities. If he were displeased with me, he would tell me directly; he wouldn’t bother to report me behind my back. You—”
He slammed the table and stood up, holding the letter and poking Li Da’s forehead, saying, “It’s fine if you don’t admit it, but you dare to slander the prince? Do you believe I’ll immediately tell him and let him punish you!”
Li Da was poked by Mei Xiu and repeatedly retreated, annoyed in his heart but extremely panicked on his face. He cupped his hands and bowed, saying, “Young Marquis, it truly wasn’t me, and why would I do such a thing! To speak frankly and offensively, I truly wouldn’t bother to offend Young Marquis over such a small matter.”
While Li Da was repeatedly bowing, Mei Xiu quickly scanned the layout of the room. It wasn’t large, and the furnishings were simple. Besides the bed, couch, wardrobe, and antique shelf, there was nothing else.
“Is that so?” Mei Xiu withdrew his gaze, narrowing his eyes slightly. “You’re not lying to me?”
Li Da’s attitude was firm, saying, “I would absolutely not dare to deceive or mislead Young Marquis!”
“Then which grandson did this!” Mei Xiu impatiently slapped his palm with the letter, glaring at Li Da. He suddenly took a step forward, closing in on Li Da.
Mei Xiu, being tall with long legs, genuinely carried the air of a young marquis when serious, forcing Li Da to retreat two steps, his head slightly lowered, not daring to meet his sharp gaze.
As he got closer, Mei Xiu caught a sweet and familiar scent. His expression subtly changed, and he had a plan in mind. He continued to poke Li Da’s forehead with the envelope, fuming, and said, “Listen, I want you to immediately write something, whatever it is, to explain the matter clearly, saying that you earnestly invited me here and that I haven’t been extravagant or dissolute at your place!”
“Understood, understood. I’ll write it immediately and have someone send it to the Marquis’s residence to ask Marquis Mei to explain to His Highness on your behalf,” Li Da nodded and said.
“That’s more like it! As for that busybody, don’t let me catch him, or I’ll skin him alive!” Mei Xiu snorted coldly, cursing and muttering as he left.
The two plainclothes guards standing at the door quickly followed. One of them, also a good actor, ran alongside Mei Xiu, softly comforting him, fully playing the role of a lackey.
After they had walked away, the steward finally sighed in relief, saying, “This young marquis is truly too spoiled and overbearing.”
“What does that count as?” Li Da tiredly rubbed his brow. “You can go out first.”
The steward acknowledged with a “yes” and quietly exited.
Li Da walked to the bed, propped himself up, and sat down, slowly exhaling, his eyes weary.
Suddenly, the steward walked in again and said, “My lord.”
Li Da frowned and said, “What now?”
“Someone from Yejing has arrived,” the steward said nervously. “It’s someone from the East Palace.”
Li Da was stunned upon hearing this and said, “Someone from the East Palace?”
“Yes, they’ve already been invited to the flower hall,” the steward said.
Li Da immediately ordered someone to come in to tie his hair and put on his cap, change into his official robes, and quickly go to the front hall to pay respects. As soon as he entered, he lifted his robes and knelt, kowtowing: “Your humble servant, Li Da, Prefect of Enzhou, respectfully wishes His Highness peace and long life; may His Highness live for a thousand thousand years.”
The plainclothes guard held a knife in his right hand and wore the East Palace’s token at his waist. He said, “By imperial decree of His Highness, Prefect Li Da of Enzhou is summoned to the capital immediately.”
Li Da’s heart jumped, and he kowtowed: “Your humble servant respectfully obeys the imperial decree.”
“Lord Li, please rise,” the man said. “The imperial decree cannot be delayed. Please pack your things tonight and depart immediately tomorrow morning.”
“Yes, your humble servant will surely rush to Yejing without delay to an audience with His Royal Highness the Crown Prince,” Li Da half bent over and said nervously, “but may I ask, honored sir, why has His Highness suddenly summoned me to the capital?”
“Su Fan, the deputy magistrate of Enzhou, died suddenly, and the bandits in the prefecture even require Prince Zong to personally make a trip. Now is the time for official evaluations. Does Lord Li think His Highness shouldn’t question you?” The man looked at Li Da with a faint smile, “No need to see me out.”
Li Da turned and bowed, saying, “Your humble servant respectfully sees off His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.”
The steward saw the man out, and the flower hall became quiet. Li Da stood in the hall, feeling unsettled and surprised.
Concubine Fang walked out from behind and said softly, “Are you going?”
“Not going would be defying an imperial edict,” Li Da said, clasping his hands and hesitating. “Could it be that Su Fan’s matter has aroused His Highness’s suspicion?”
“And what if he’s suspicious? Does His Highness have evidence?” Concubine Fang reached out to smooth Li Da’s collar, saying gently, “Without evidence, if you hold your ground, His Royal Highness will at most reprimand you; he won’t kill you. Lord Li,” he raised his eyes, smiling, and said, “you must hold steady. We still have to brave the storm together in the future. Look at you. Did you eat your fill today?”
“Unfortunately, I killed the person,” Li Da said, his expression listless.
“If they’re dead, they’re dead. There are more in the cage, each one fresh and sweet, ready for you anytime, my lord.” Concubine Fang paused, then smiled again. “Recently, the immortal’s alchemy has made great progress. My lord, you should return early to enjoy it.”
Upon hearing the words “alchemy,” Li Da’s brows twitched, and he gave a dazed smile, saying, “Alright… I’ll be back early.”
—
Mei Xiu stormed back into the room, followed by his “lackey” bodyguard. Another person stepped forward to close the door and stood guard outside.
“I’m exhausted,” Mei Xiu composed himself, poured a glass of water, and gulped it down. “Quick, send words immediately. I smelled something on Li Da. That old fox is definitely up to something!”
“What did he smell like?”
“It was… wait,” Mei Xiu blinked. “Was that you talking?”
The bodyguard shook his head. “No.”
“Oh,” Mei Xiu belatedly turned around and smiled faintly at Yuan Fang, who had appeared out of nowhere. “You nearly scared me to death! Make some noise when you walk, alright?!”
“Alright, next time for sure.” Yuan Fang walked over to Mei Xiu. “What kind of scent?”
Mei Xiu rolled his eyes and said, “Acacia.”
“That name alone,” the bodyguard said, “sounds like an improper scent.”
“Exactly. This stuff has aphrodisiac and intoxicating effects. A little is for fun; a lot is no different from taking drugs… Why are you two staring at me?” Mei Xiu said unhappily. “What kind of look is that?!”
Yuan Fang said, “You can tell just by smelling it?”
“Of course,” Mei Xiu said proudly. “You should thank me. Without me, could you smell it? Could you understand what it means?”
“No,” the bodyguard said. “Did Young Marquis ever use this kind of incense before?”
“Your perverted stares are really rude.” Mei Xiu rolled his eyes again and continued, “This scent is also sold in Yejing, especially in the pleasure quarters. It’s not particularly rare. I’ll emphasize this once: I’m all about mutual consent. People rush to my bed. I don’t use drugs to force anyone, understand? It’s all for flirting! Take those looks off your faces!”
“Alright.” Yuan Fang closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, the “perverted” look was gone. He then said, “Once Li Da leaves tomorrow, we need to find an opportunity to act.”
“I feel like his bedroom is suspicious everywhere,” Mei Xiu worried. “But how do we search? What if there are traps or hidden weapons, and we get poked into a hedgehog the moment we open something?”
“That’s none of your concern. You just need to stay here and continue being the freeloading Young Marquis,” Yuan Fang said, then turned and jumped out the window, disappearing from the courtyard instantly.
“Running fast isn’t that impressive,” Mei Xiu grumbled inside the room.
Yuan Fang acted as if he hadn’t heard. When he returned to his room at the inn, Pei Xiting was sketching at the table.
Yuan Fang walked over and recounted Mei Xiu’s discovery. Pei Xiting said without looking up, “This is called specialization. Young Marquis can tell what kind of scent it is, what kind of incense, just by smelling it.”
Zong Suiyang stood behind Pei Xiting, reading a book. Hearing this, he said, “Are you envious?”
“Your Highness’s ears have a problem. Your accuracy in perceiving emotions is absurd. I suggest you see a doctor soon,” Pei Xiting said, and then his nape was gripped. He flinched. “Hey, don’t use your hands, don’t use your hands.”
Zong Suiyang gently kneaded his flesh and then withdrew his hand.
Pei Xiting’s neck stretched out again. “Although Li Da is connected to this matter, I don’t think the children’s use stops there, at least not the boys. Fang, you should go back and rest first. I’ll leave after I finish sketching.”
Yuan Fang nodded, cupped his hands in a bow to Zong Suiyang, and then turned and left.
Pei Xiting quickly refined the sketch and handed it to the Longhe Guard by the table, saying, “According to what you said, this is it. You can compare it.”
The Longhe Guard glanced at it, nodded, indicating no issues, then bowed to Zong Suiyang and departed.
Pei Xiting yawned. “Don’t they ever sleep? I see Lord You has dark circles under his eyes, but he still looks energetic.”
Zong Suiyang said, “That’s how it is when you’re busy.”
“There are too few people in the Longhe Division,” Pei Xiting said.
“Better to be refined than numerous,” Zong Suiyang replied.
Pei Xiting propped his head on the table and yawned, thinking to himself that it was true. After all, it wasn’t an ordinary government office. If there were too many people, it would be harder to manage and control, and it might not necessarily be more effective than it is now.
Zong Suiyang looked at Pei Xiting’s wilting appearance and said, “You go back to sleep first.”
Pei Xiting rested his chin in his hand, tilting his head to look at him. “Aren’t you sleeping?”
“I’m not sleepy; I’ll wait a bit longer,” Zong Suiyang said. “Go on.”
“Where am I going? This is my room.” Pei Xiting chuckled, looking at Zong Suiyang with a half-smile. “Where do you want me to sleep?”
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