“Ye’er is deceiving me again,” Pei Lanqing said, already prepared. He took out some wound medicine and carefully dabbed it onto the pressure marks on Xiao Linye’s shoulder with his fingertip. “It’s already swollen. How could it not hurt?”
The cool ointment spread across Xiao Linye’s shoulder, but the pain pierced Pei Lanqing’s heart. Tears blurred his vision once more. Xiao Linye stopped him from applying any more, pulling him close in a tight embrace. “I’m really fine. I’ve suffered far worse injuries on the battlefield before.”
“This little scratch will heal in two days even without medicine.”
He didn’t want Pei Lanqing to suffer over his injury, so he wrapped one arm around him and used the other to stroke his belly, changing the subject. “But Grand Tutor, how have you been these past few days while I was away? It seems to me the child has grown quite a bit.”
Pei Lanqing shook his head in his arms, clutching Xiao Linye’s hand. “I’m fine. Both the child and I are well. But I’ve been worried about you day and night.”
Initially, Pei Lanqing followed Xiao Linye’s instructions and waited for news of him outside the city. But when he learned that Xiao Linye had been sent into the mountains to perform hard labor, his anxiety grew unbearable. He couldn’t wait any longer, so he had his personal guards escort him here to meet Xiao Linye.
“It’s my fault,” Xiao Linye said, embracing Pei Lanqing and kissing his face repeatedly. “I promised to stay by the Grand Tutor’s side during his labor, but instead, I’ve made you worry about me while you’re pregnant.” Their bodies pressed tightly together, neither wanting to separate for even a moment.
After several days apart, Pei Lanqing’s body was at its most vulnerable and in desperate need of nourishment. Now, held so closely by Xiao Linye, feeling his warm hand resting on his waist and abdomen, he couldn’t help but soften. A soft moan escaped his lips.
Having been intimate for years, how could Xiao Linye fail to notice Pei Lanqing’s change? Moreover, in such close proximity, he felt his own desire stirring. But considering their outdoor setting, he restrained himself.
He lowered his head to kiss Pei Lanqing’s forehead, murmuring soothingly, “I wasn’t quite prepared today. Next time the Grand Tutor comes… I’ll have them build a simple hut for us.”
Pei Lanqing, having been steeped in classical literature since childhood, naturally found it difficult to accept the idea of being intimate in the open air. However, the medicinal fetus growing vigorously within him desperately needed nourishment and replenishment, leaving him with no choice in the matter.
Pei Lanqing restrained himself, trying to pull away from Xiao Linye’s embrace, but his waist and legs had already gone weak, nearly causing him to collapse.
Xiao Linye quickly reached out to steady him, pulling him back into his arms. In the ensuing struggle, they had somehow ended up lying together on the slightly damp grass.
Pei Lanqing’s arms wrapped around Xiao Linye’s neck in a desperate embrace. He was mortified by his body’s response and could only squeeze his eyes shut.
Xiao Linye knew there was no turning back. He unbuttoned Pei Lanqing’s outer robe and spread it on the ground. Then, encircling Pei Lanqing’s body, he gently massaged his belly while repeatedly kissing his ear, trying to soothe his embarrassment.
“It’s alright, Grand Tutor… It’s Ye’er’s fault for not taking proper care of you these past few days.”
“You’ll feel better soon…”
The night was bright with stars and moonlight, the dense forest casting shadows that formed a dark canopy above them.
The silent shame and the tension of being in the wilderness kept Pei Lanqing from letting go of Xiao Linye’s hand. Yet this dependence stirred a secret joy within Xiao Linye—
Not until the moon was high in the sky did he finally carry the limp Pei Lanqing to the stream, using the cool, clear water to wash their bodies.
“That’s enough, Ye’er. You should rest too,” Pei Lanqing said, resting his head on Xiao Linye’s chest and pressing down on his hand. “You’ve been working hard all day. I can take care of things when we get back.”
But Xiao Linye didn’t stop. He kissed Pei Lanqing’s forehead again. “I could never tire of taking care of the Grand Tutor.”
“I’m sorry you had to endure this today, Grand Tutor. Once we’ve resolved this matter, we’ll return to the palace, and I won’t let anything trouble you again.”
Mentioning the earlier incident, the blush still hadn’t faded from Pei Lanqing’s cheeks. He simply shook his head against Xiao Linye’s shoulder, unwilling to dwell on it further. Instead, he began to recount what he’d been doing these past few days.
“After you were captured, I immediately informed Song Pingming. He now has eight hundred personal guards stationed outside Duzhou City, with many more scattered throughout the city, awaiting your signal.”
Xiao Linye embraced Pei Lanqing, sharing the clues he had gathered over the past few days: “It’s now certain that Prefect Lü has been concealing the true production volume of Xuan Brocade.”
“But what I want to know is, where did he sell the excess Xuan Brocade? Did he truly pocket the profits solely to satisfy his greed?”
Pei Lanqing closed his eyes slightly, sighed softly, and held Xiao Linye’s hand. “In truth, Ye’er, you already have your suspicions, don’t you?”
“Duzhou’s location is just south of Prince Ping’s former fiefdom, and an ancient trade route runs through it, even extending all the way to Zhaojiang.”
“Ye’er, you’re not just worried about his corruption; you fear he’s colluding with foreign enemies.”
These words laid bare Xiao Linye’s thoughts over the past few days. He rested his chin on Pei Lanqing’s forehead and sighed, “I can’t hide anything from the Grand Tutor.”
“If that’s true, the southwest is likely to fall into turmoil once more.”
The two lingered by the stream, reluctant to part, until the sky began to lighten. Only then did Xiao Linye send his personal guards to escort Pei Lanqing away, while he silently slipped back into the cave.
Once there’s a first time, there’s a second.
Whenever Xiao Linye heard the Night Falcon’s call in the middle of the night, he knew Pei Lanqing had come. Finding pleasure in this difficult and secret rendezvous gave him a unique satisfaction, which in turn fueled his energy during the day.
After a few days, Xiao Linye unexpectedly learned that a large quantity of Xuan Brocade had accumulated in the warehouse. The manager was preparing to send a group to transport it.
Where this Xuan Brocade was being transported was the crucial question.
Xiao Linye had a hunch that it wasn’t simply being sent to the city for normal sale. So he began frequenting the manager, both openly and covertly, hoping to catch his attention when the time came.
Before the Xuan Brocade transport plans were finalized, someone Xiao Linye least wanted to see arrived at the cave: Lu Weibao.
Young Master Lü had initially felt satisfied after sending “Sixth Master Qin” to do hard labor, believing he had finally gotten his revenge. But as time passed, no matter how much he mingled with the men in his courtyard, he couldn’t forget Sixth Master Qin’s physique and appearance.
He figured that even the most stubborn person would have had their spirit broken by now. So, with a smug expression, he led his men to the cave.
As Lu Weibao stepped out of his carriage, he spotted Xiao Linye in the distance, towering over the Mulberry Field. Xiao Linye was carrying four bamboo baskets at once, his feet moving swiftly across the rugged mountain path.
The recent labor had tanned his skin, but his muscles had grown even more robust. Even during his secret nighttime rendezvous with Pei Lanqing, Pei Lanqing had remarked that his chest felt firmer and his strength had increased.
Hearing this, Xiao Linye had naturally demonstrated his newfound strength to his Grand Tutor once more, ensuring it wasn’t wasted.
But in Lu Weibao’s eyes, this only made him even more envious. He raised his whip and cracked it at Xiao Linye’s feet, his tone increasingly arrogant: “So, Boss Qin, how have you been enjoying your recent days?”
Despite carrying four baskets of mulberry leaves and wearing shackles, Xiao Linye nimbly dodged the whip. He raised an eyebrow at Lu Weibao: “I must thank Young Master Lü for sending me here. The mountain air is fresh, and life is comfortable. I just miss my wife.”
Lu Weibao’s expression darkened at this. He hadn’t expected that after nearly half a month of hard labor, his captive would still maintain such an attitude.
“Boss Qin, you’re as stubborn as ever!”
“You! You’ll be stuck carrying baskets here for the rest of your life! When I finally catch your wife, I’ll send him here to join you!”
With that, he turned to leave. Xiao Linye watched his retreating figure and couldn’t help but shake his head. Just before Lu Weibao could climb into his carriage, he said slowly, “Young Master Lü, you should consider doing some good deeds to accumulate some karmic merit for yourself.”
“The ill-gotten gains you’ve acquired today will come back to haunt you a thousandfold in the future.”
Lu Weibao, mistaking this for another taunt, glared fiercely at Xiao Linye before climbing into his carriage and driving off.
Xiao Linye had always been ruthless, and he had no intention of reforming this villain. After watching him leave, he shook his head, picked up his carrying pole, and continued trying to ingratiate himself with the overseer.
Night fell once more. Xiao Linye lay on his straw bed, listening to the groans of exhaustion and hunger from the other laborers, but he couldn’t sleep. He was waiting for the Night Falcon’s call to return.
Finally, the others around him gradually fell asleep, and the cave grew quiet. Xiao Linye finally heard the long-awaited call of the Night Falcon.
Xiao Linye rose immediately, skillfully avoiding the guards, and hurried to the stream in the forest where he had been meeting Pei Lanqing these past few days. He soon spotted Pei Lanqing waiting for him, draped in a long cloak and carrying a food basket.
Xiao Linye quickened his pace, reaching Pei Lanqing’s side. He immediately took the food basket from him and kissed his forehead. “Grand Tutor, why did you bring so much again? It must be tiring to carry such a heavy load.”
“My personal guards are helping me carry it. It’s only for a moment. What’s tiring about that?” Pei Lanqing had been deeply concerned ever since he learned that Xiao Linye was working here and not getting enough to eat. He insisted on bringing him a large amount of food every time they met.
Xiao Linye couldn’t resist. He helped Pei Lanqing sit on a clean stone by the stream, and Pei Lanqing began to unpack the food basket item by item. “The freshly steamed buns are still warm. I had them buy a few side dishes. And since I was worried you might overeat at night and get indigestion, I saw some hawthorn jelly and brought that along too…”
Xiao Linye watched Pei Lanqing as he arranged the food, his mind already far from the meal. He couldn’t help but pull him back into his arms. “Grand Tutor, you’ve thought of everything for me. Have you been eating properly yourself?”
“You look even thinner than before. That won’t do.”
Xiao Linye was still in the mountains, and Pei Lanqing had been so worried about him that he’d lost his appetite. Faced with this question, he could only guiltily avoid Xiao Linye’s gaze and place his hand on his own stomach. “Of course I’ve been eating well, Ye’er. Feel for yourself. My belly has grown quite a bit.”
Xiao Linye wasn’t so easily fooled. He pulled Pei Lanqing closer and gently nipped his ear. “Grand Tutor, you’re lying. The child is the child, and you are you.”
“He’s growing, but you’re getting thinner.”
Seeing that he couldn’t hide it any longer, Pei Lanqing sighed softly and leaned against Xiao Linye’s chest. “As long as you remain in these mountains, Ye’er, my heart will never find peace.”
“All I can hope for now is that this matter will be resolved soon and those evildoers will be brought to justice.”
Xiao Linye stroked Pei Lanqing’s back, feeding him and eating alongside him. He promised in a deep voice, “It will be. A resolution is coming soon.”
