TERTSGTGBFC Chapter 20

Watching the two men’s affection, Lü Weibao’s eyes burned with jealousy.

Lü Weibao’s gaze immediately locked onto Xiao Linye. After just a few days apart, he found Xiao Linye a thousand, ten thousand times more handsome than he had imagined. Zhou Meng, who had previously served as a companion to alleviate his loneliness, was completely forgotten.

He quickly suppressed his anger, feigning a slightly aggrieved expression, and gazed at Xiao Linye with a shy, bashful look.

But Xiao Linye seemed not to notice him at all. He walked straight to Pei Lanqing, wrapped his arms around his waist, and, oblivious to the onlookers, lowered his head to kiss his forehead. “I’ve sorted out the goods in the back courtyard. You mentioned last time that you enjoyed the Cold Sprout Fragrance from here, so I had Lao Wu send over some more. I’ve stored it in the small cabinet, just for you.”

Pei Lanqing gently pushed against his chest, gesturing with his eyes toward Lü Weibao standing nearby. Only then did Xiao Linye “belatedly” turn his head to look at Lü Weibao outside the counter, feigning surprise at just noticing him. “When did our esteemed guest arrive? Why didn’t you find a seat?”

Xiao Linye didn’t seem to think there was anything wrong with having ignored Lü Weibao earlier. Instead, he scolded the shop attendants: “Why didn’t you show our guest inside? The moment I’m away, you all take advantage of Madam’s good temper to slack off!”

Hearing the word “Madam,” Lü Weibao glared fiercely at Pei Lanqing and then turned to Xiao Linye. “I don’t want them here. I want to speak with your Madam myself.”

“Speak?” Xiao Linye frowned slightly, glancing at Pei Lanqing. Pei Lanqing nodded subtly in response, and Xiao Linye immediately understood. Though he still wore a smile, his eyes gradually turned cold. He gently took Pei Lanqing’s hand and asked softly, “Madam, did you and Young Master Lü have a pleasant conversation?”

How could Pei Lanqing not recognize Xiao Linye’s current mood? However, he knew the matter in Duzhou City hadn’t been fully investigated yet, and this wasn’t the time to deal with the young master. So he leaned into Xiao Linye’s embrace, smiled faintly, and said, “We were just chatting about ordinary things. Does Ye’er want to hear?”

Xiao Linye naturally didn’t believe him, but before he could react, Young Master Lü, whose eyes had turned bloodshot from watching their affection, completely lost his patience.

He felt he couldn’t wait another moment. He abruptly snatched a stack of silver notes from the burly man behind him and tossed them onto the counter in front of the couple with a flourish. “Boss Qin!” he declared arrogantly. “I’m buying your teahouse!”

It had been many years since Xiao Linye had tasted the sensation of having a stack of silver notes slapped in his face. Raising an eyebrow, he decided to see just how far this young master would go in his self-destruction. He pressed Pei Lanqing’s hand, then picked up the notes himself, returning them to Lü Weibao’s hand as if he were about to toss them one by one into a fire pit for burning paper offerings at the young master’s grave.

“Young Master Lü is joking. This shop is my livelihood, my means of supporting my family. How could I simply sell it?”

He emphasized the word “family,” and to Lü Weibao, it sounded like “supporting his Madam.” Envy and bitterness surged through him.

Lü Weibao had been spoiled rotten by his grandmother since childhood. In Duzhou these past few years, he’d always taken whatever he wanted. He’d never tasted such defiance. Gritting his teeth, he said, “Boss Qin, if you came with me, you wouldn’t have to worry about making a living anymore, would you?”

“Come back to my estate with me, and I guarantee you’ll eat the finest food and drink the finest wine every day, and wear gold and silver for the rest of your life!”

Xiao Linye had thought this young master might have some hidden talent. Instead, he was utterly foolish. Suppressing a sneer, he replied, “Thank you for your kind offer, Young Master Lü, but it’s simply impossible. My lifelong wish is nothing more than to live peacefully with my Madam until we grow old together. Even if we only have simple tea and plain rice every day, it would still be far more comfortable than a life of fine silks and rich delicacies.”

Xiao Linye’s every word was about Pei Lanqing, which only further infuriated Lü Weibao. Finally, he could no longer maintain his composure and pointed a finger at Pei Lanqing, erupting in a torrent of abuse: “What exactly does he have that I don’t?!”

“You’re utterly ungrateful! You’d rather stick with this old, fat man than be with me!”

Xiao Linye had initially been toying with Lü Weibao, but the moment he heard the man’s insults toward Pei Lanqing, the playful amusement was instantly replaced by a surge of murderous intent.

He could tolerate the fool’s contempt and fantasies about him, but he would not tolerate any malice directed at Pei Lanqing.

Xiao Linye’s expression turned icy. He stepped forward, shielding Pei Lanqing, and his hand, now as hard as iron, clamped down on Lü Weibao’s wrist, pinning the finger that had been pointing at Pei Lanqing.

Before Lü Weibao could react, a searing pain shot through his wrist, as if it were about to snap, he shrieked, “Ah—what are you doing?! Let go!”

But Xiao Linye remained motionless, his grip tightening even further. The pain intensified, and Lü Weibao immediately began to wail. Seeing their master’s plight, the burly men behind him rolled up their sleeves, ready to intervene. However, before they could even take a step, Xiao Linye’s gaze froze them in place.

They had never seen such a terrifying gaze before. It was like a bloodthirsty demon, ready to tear them to shreds in the next moment.

Lü Weibao, pinned by Xiao Linye’s grip, was already frozen with terror. His body trembled uncontrollably from fear and pain. He watched Xiao Linye slowly approach, his towering figure casting a vast shadow like a demon whispering, “Young Master Lü, some words are best left unsaid.”

Lü Weibao was too terrified to listen to Xiao Linye’s words. He didn’t even dare struggle, shrinking back as if expecting to be torn apart at any moment.

But just then, he heard a soft voice, carrying a faint fragrance of orchids and tea.

“Ye’er, that’s enough.” Pei Lanqing gently embraced Xiao Linye’s waist from behind, his cheek pressed against his broad, sturdy back. The slight bulge of his belly nestled against Xiao Linye, warm and soft.

The fiery rage that had consumed Xiao Linye instantly subsided.

The murderous intent in his eyes vanished. He looked at Lü Weibao, who was cowering before him like a frightened chick, and released his grip with disgust. Then, he turned and embraced Pei Lanqing, burying his face in his shoulder and greedily inhaling his scent.

Lü Weibao hadn’t recovered from his earlier terror. He could only stare blankly at the embracing figures before him, his eyes wide as copper bells.

After a long moment, he saw Xiao Linye lift his head from Pei Lanqing’s shoulder, a mocking glint in his eyes as he turned to them. “What’s this, Young Master Lü? Still not leaving? Shall I escort you out?”

Lü Weibao finally snapped back to reality. He burst into a wail and, with the help of several burly men behind him, scrambled out of the teahouse, tripping and stumbling as he went.

Xiao Linye ignored him, instead bending down to scoop Pei Lanqing into his arms and carrying him back to their room upstairs.

Once the door closed, Pei Lanqing sighed softly. Xiao Linye carried him to the small couch by the bed. As Xiao Linye turned to leave, Pei Lanqing tugged at his sleeve. “Ye’er…”

Xiao Linye paused, his foot frozen mid-step. He leaned down close to Pei Lanqing, gazing into his eyes with a casual smile. “Does the Grand Tutor think I went too far today?”

To his surprise, Pei Lanqing shook his head, his expression earnest. “I’m delighted that Ye’er would do this for me. To scold you now would be ungrateful.”

Xiao Linye’s smile deepened. He decided not to leave and sat down beside Pei Lanqing’s bed, hugging him and swaying gently. “I knew it—Grand Tutor has always indulged me.”

Pei Lanqing smiled too. Leaning against Xiao Linye’s chest, he raised his hand to tap Xiao Linye’s forehead. “And… Ye’er, I suspect your actions today weren’t *solely* to avenge me, were they?”

Xiao Linye’s arms around Pei Lanqing’s waist paused briefly before he revealed a look of being caught. He kissed Pei Lanqing’s lips deeply, his eyes sparkling with delight. “Only Grand Tutor truly understands me.”

“Avenging you was genuine, but deliberately provoking him was a convenient side effect.”

At this, Pei Lanqing lowered his gaze slightly, a hint of concern in his voice. “Ye’er intends to go undercover, to venture into the tiger’s den and see what we can’t see from here.”

“Precisely.” Xiao Linye’s brow furrowed with the deep lines of an emperor as he held Pei Lanqing close, gazing out the window at the eerily deserted Duzhou City.

“Ever since we entered the city, I’ve been wondering where everyone has gone.”

“If we want to weave so much Xuanjin, we’ll need a massive workforce. But where could County GovernerLü be hiding them?”

“Since ordinary methods won’t work now, we’ll have to make him deliver me there himself.”

“But that’s too dangerous. If we planned more carefully, we could send someone else instead,” Pei Lanqing sighed softly, his voice tinged with helplessness. “Ye’er, you are the Emperor. The fate of Great Qi’s myriad people rests on your shoulders.”

“I know that, of course. But—Grand Tutor, you saw the situation just now. The atmosphere had already reached that point, and the opportunity was fleeting. There simply wasn’t time to plan further.” Xiao Linye knew Pei Lanqing was worried about him, so he pulled him closer, kissing him tenderly and deliberately softening his tone. “Besides, Young Master Lu is determined to forcibly take me away. Surely, Grand Tutor wouldn’t let me be carried off like that, would you?”

“You know I’m not blaming you, and I certainly don’t want you to be taken away,” Pei Lanqing said, his voice laced with worry. He understood the logic perfectly well; it was precisely because he cared so deeply for Xiao Linye that he was so anxious. “But what if something goes wrong this time?”

“I… I’m still worried. I’ll go with you.”

Xiao Linye was startled by this. He couldn’t bear the thought of Pei Lanqing accompanying him on such a dangerous mission, especially since Pei Lanqing was pregnant. “Absolutely not!”

“I’ve already made up my mind. Tonight, I’ll have the guards escort you to a safe hiding place. That Young Master Lü might do something reckless. The Grand Tutor’s health is absolutely crucial right now.”

Pei Lanqing grew even more anxious upon hearing this. For the first time, he regretted his pregnancy, which prevented him from accompanying Xiao Linye. Yet he knew that if he went, he would only become a burden.

His heart raced with worry and frustration, his emotions churning like a storm. The unborn child within him stirred restlessly in response.

Seeing Pei Lanqing’s distress, Xiao Linye quickly embraced him, kissing him and gently rubbing his belly. He soothed both the large and small, coaxing them with gentle words. “Grand Tutor, don’t worry. Do you think this little Duzhou City could be more dangerous than the battlefields in the north?”

“I move freely on the battlefield, let alone here. Besides, I’ve prepared a gunpowder signal. If anything goes wrong, I’ll send it immediately, and the imperial guards stationed in the city will rush to rescue, ensuring nothing can go wrong.”

“Grand Tutor, please rest assured. Just stay here with the children and await my return, alright?”

Pei Lanqing knew that Xiao Linye, being an emperor, would rarely change his mind once he had made a decision unless his own safety was at stake. Moreover, he had observed Xiao Linye’s increasingly meticulous and prudent conduct over the years.

After weighing the matter, Pei Lanqing could only embrace Xiao Linye and nod against his chest.

As Xiao Linye had predicted, the morning after Pei Lanqing’s departure, a group of soldiers dressed in Duzhou government uniforms surrounded his teahouse. Citing “poisonous tea causing deaths,” they arrested him.

---