TL: Hua
“A-choo!”
Pei Xiting rubbed his nose, activating the “Pei Xiting” inferior version of Amap[mfn]Chinese map app[/mfn], heading to Yangliu backstreet on Dongmao Avenue.
The so-called “back street” refers to the lakeside path behind the row of pavilions and buildings on the left side of Yangliu Street. As one of the three major flower buildings in Yejing, Yuanyang Pavilion is a three-story red building with fragrant gauze and colorful lights. The neighbors on the left and right are jewelry shops and cosmetics shops, which are convenient for linked consumption at any time.
At this time, a boy, dozing off during his work hour, was sitting on the back door of Yuanyang Pavilion. Pei Xiting walked over and called him, “Little brother.”
Before he even opened his eyes, he stood up first, like a human-machine triggered by a keyword, and said skillfully, “May auspicious clouds surround you and joy illuminate your path to prosperity and fortune! What are your instructions, sir?”
Pei Xiting said, “I’m looking for Qing Lingling; just say the three words ‘Mountain Flower painting.’”
“Pei Xiting” is a socially anxious person who dislikes socializing and is introverted. He has few true friends. Qing Lingling, who has only known him for a year, is already the first one.
The painting “Mountain Flowers” was created by Pei Xiting last year when he first met Qing Lingling in the suburbs. The scenery is filled with wildflowers, and both the young man and the mountain flowers are in full bloom. Qing Lingling doesn’t understand the technique, but it’s the first time that he has seen himself in someone else’s painting without being scrutinized by obscene or vulgar eyes. Because of how precious and rare this gesture is, he cherishes it a lot, and thus the two have formed a bond. Of course, few people know about their relationship.
The doorman’s eyes were already awake at this time. The person in front of him stood with his back against light, looking so white that he seemed to be glowing. If it weren’t for the amorous music upstairs, he would have thought he was dreaming of an immortal!
“Understood.” The doorman suppressed his surprise and said with his hands on his waist, “Could you please wait a moment? This servant will go up and pass on the message immediately.”
Pei Xiting waited for a while, and when the doorman came down again, he had a more eager and enthusiastic look. Qing Lingling usually received the real pride of heaven. This young lad was probably thinking he was trying to be low-key.
The doorman took Pei Xiting to a room in the middle of the third floor. There was no sign on the carved door, which meant that the person inside was not receiving guests at the moment.
The doorman knocked on the door, “Qing Ge’er, your distinguished guest has arrived.” Then he bowed to Pei Xiting, “Qing Ge’er left a message; you can just go in directly; I will go down first.”
“Thank you.” Pei Xiting subconsciously pulled out a tip, but as soon as he reached into his pocket, both sleeves were clean; not to mention money, there wasn’t even a piece of paper.
He pulled his hand out as if nothing had happened and pushed the door open.
“Hey, why did you come straight to the door today? Didn’t you fear being eaten by goblins even before passing the door?”
The bead curtain “rustled” and revealed a beautiful boy like a hibiscus flower, looking at him with a squint. Pei Xiting turned to the left and called out, “Brother Qing.”
“Pei Xiting” is one year older than Qing Lingling, so in private they called each other brother.
“You came at the right time. I’ve been practicing singing these days and haven’t been out much; otherwise, you might not have seen… What’s wrong with your neck?”
Qing Lingling was attracted by Pei Xiting’s “scarf” at first. After all, the color combination of blue and purple is very ugly. As he approached, he saw the other pull off the scarf, revealing pinched marks highlighted by the white neck, which gave him quite a shock.
Qing Lingling took a deep breath. “Who did it?”
Pei Xiting said, “I’m fine.”
“Fine my a$s! Your voice is also hoarse. Quickly drink some water first.” Qing Lingling poured Pei Xiting a glass of water, pulled him to sit down, and went to the cabinet to get a can of medicine for him. “What’s the matter? Tell me; I will help you if I can!”
Pei Xiting swallowed a mouthful of water slowly.
“Don’t look down on me because I’m a prostitute. I’m also the most expensive prostitute in Yejing.” Qing Lingling carefully applied medicine to Pei Xiting, but his mouth was talking nonstop, “I still know some people. To be honest, the big troubles in our eyes are just sesame seeds and grains in the eyes of powerful people. They can be settled with just one sentence.”
He knew Pei Xiting’s temper and said, “Stop being stubborn. Don’t be afraid to trouble me and bear the grievance all by yourself. Tell me quickly! Although we have only known each other for a year, I regard you as a friend. If you are in trouble, I will do my best to help you.”
Yes, he tried his best. Pei Xiting looked at the person in front of him. In the middle and later period of the original work, that is, next year, when “Pei Xiting” finally mustered the courage to escape from Yejing, it was Qing Lingling who helped him leave the city. But how could they fight against the scum gongs group?
The two were caught by Shangguan Jie not long after they left the city. The furious Shangguan Jie was sure that the two had an affair, so he immediately drew his sword to destroy Qing Lingling’s “bewitching” face and ordered the pair of “adulterer and wh*re” to “make merry” in public, humiliating them to the extreme.
“Pei Xiting” naturally refused and knelt in front of Shangguan Jie to kowtow and admit his mistakes, begging him to let Qing Lingling go. Qing Lingling knew that Shangguan Jie would never let him go. Without his skin intact, he could never return to Yuanyang Pavilion. He was unwilling to be humiliated in vain, nor did he want to drag “Pei Xiting down”. Perhaps there were other obscure reasons, but he bit his tongue and committed su*cide on the spot. “Pei Xiting” was caught and taken back. Another member of the scum gongs group broke his legs and locked him in a small dark room at a place where he went crazy soon after.
“Hey! Are you scared silly!” Seeing Pei Xiting’s silence, Qing Lingling believed he still didn’t want to ask for help and angrily slammed the medicine jar on the table. He stood up and walked away, “If you don’t want to say it, then don’t say it. Just die outside!”
“Shangguan Jie.” Pei Xiting said.
“Who?” Qing Lingling sat back down and said in astonishment, “The little tyrant (xiao ba wang) from Changning Marquis’s Mansion?”
Pei Xiting said coldly, “Little bastard (xiao wang ba) fits him better.”
He actually cursed! Qing Lingling was really stunned and then said, “Who cares if he’s a turtle[mfn]王八 (bastard) and turtle are homonyms.[/mfn] or a tortoise? What a stinky piece of dog sh*t! You two never crossed paths. How did you provoke him?”
“He wants to sleep with me.”
Qing Lingling made a sharp shrill, “What!!!”
“… He didn’t succeed.” Pei Xiting calmly soothed his ears that were frightened several times in this short period. The penetrating power of his voice was simply amazing, worthy of being a singer.
Qing Lingling slammed the table. “These bastards! All these brothels are not enough for them to have fun. You are at least a legitimate son of a court official; how dare he?!”
“A higher-ranking official can crush people to death, not to mention Pei… My father doesn’t attach much importance to me.” Pei Xiting pressed Qing Lingling’s hand through his sleeve, “Stop slapping; it will hurt your hand.”
Qing Lingling belatedly started to feel numb and painful. With a yelp, he went to the washbasin rack to soak a towel and cover his hand.
When he sat back, Pei Xiting said, “I came to you because I have something to tell you.”
Since he was a child, Qing Lingling survived by knowing how to please people. His eyes are extremely sharp. At the beginning, he felt that Brother Pei was different today, and this feeling brewed even stronger at this time.
Not only in tone and expression, but also in those beautiful but slightly dim eyes that broke through the ice in an instant, revealing the original radiance of the blue lake, which was somewhat soaked with frostiness.
Qing Lingling said with some confusion, “What did you say?”
“From now on, we have broken up.” Pei Xiting added before Qing Lingling stormed, “–On the surface.”
The flame on Qing Lingling’s head was extinguished instantly. He understood Pei Xiting’s intention. “Are you afraid of implicating me?”
Pei Xiting said, “Shangguan Jie knows about our relationship. If he comes to trouble you because of this or threatens us using our friendship, we are currently unable to resist.”
Besides, there are two more people to be wary of. This 3-on-1 battle won’t be easy.
“That’s easy. After all, bi*tches are heartless. If Shangguan Jie comes to me, I will say that I despise you for being poor and uninteresting. Associating with someone like you would only bring me down. Prince Ning is not tired of me yet, so Shangguan Jie won’t dare to touch me.” Qing Lingling looked at Pei Xiting’s neck and his thin eyebrows, which were trimmed lightly for the convenience of makeup, furrowed. “But what are you planning to do?”
“I need your help, but I may not be able to repay you for the time being…” Pei Xiting reorganized his words very tactfully under the threat of the “Samadhi True Fire” that was gradually burning out of Qing Lingling’s head: “I need your help.”
Qing Lingling’s face brightened. “Speak.”
Pei Xiting asked, “You just said that you were preparing to sing?”
“Today is the birthday of the Minister of Justice, Lord Mei Jiang. He likes my song “The West Chamber” and asked me to sing it at his residence this evening.” Qing Lingling paused. “Do you want me to ask him for a reward?”
Five years ago, the inconspicuous seventh son of the Qingyuan Marquis’s Mansion suddenly appeared. He jumped over the dragon gate[mfn]Making great achievements in a short period of time.[/mfn] and won the favor of the crown prince, surpassing fellow offsprings of the same clan. Now he has set up his own business and become an influential figure in the East Palace, a third-rank Minister of Justice.
In Yejing, Mei Jiang is a big shot that even someone like Shangguan Jie should be wary of.
Pei Xiting shook his head, “Mei Jiang is not afraid of Shangguan Jie, but he won’t risk offending him on our behalf. I want to ask if you can take me into the Mei Mansion with you. If not, forget it; I will think of other ways. Don’t give away your head[mfn]In games like LOL, it means that a player deliberately lets an enemy player kill him.[/mfn].”
Qing Lingling asked what “give away my head” meant and said, “You can go in, but since you know that Lord Mei will not offend Shangguan Jie for us, why do you still want to see him?”
“If I don’t see him, he can’t help me.” Pei Xiting said, “Shangguan Jie is a young marquis. Before our wings hardened enough to kick him flat to the ground and choke on dog sh*t, we can only use greater power to protect ourselves.”
“Such thighs are few and far between, thicker than the thousand-year-old ginkgo tree in Baohui Zen Temple.” Qing Lingling looked at Pei Xiting hesitantly and said, “Are you scared out of your mind and daydreaming? If it’s not possible, I’ll go beg Prince Ning.”
Pei Xiting keenly discovered that during the last sentence, Qing Lingling bit his lips and was obviously just putting on a brave front. He shook his head and said, “When doing business with a boss, one must not forget to be cautious; otherwise, if the boss is unhappy, the business will turn sour.”
Qingling Ling looked at him in surprise and said, “You seem to know a lot. You used to be very ignorant.”
Pei Xiting avoided answering, “I just don’t think I can sit around.”
He propped himself up on the table with his elbow, his face resting on the back of his hand. His crow wing-like eyelashes naturally hung down, casting two shadows under his eyes, leaving only a hint of dim and unknown light. He didn’t smile, but he wasn’t cold, yet he gave people a little chill for no apparent reason, which reminded Qing Lingling of Prince Ning. Even if he was a dandy, he was still a real nobleman. When he was serious, he would always make people afraid. But Pei Xiting never showed such a look, or rather, the word “oppression” itself didn’t fit him.
Is he possessed by a ghost? Or was he scared “crazy” by Shangguan Jie?
Pei Xiting didn’t know that a fan-shaped diagram of three parts shock, three parts suspicion, two parts anxiety, and two parts relief had appeared in Qing Lingling’s mind. He said in a low voice, “I think struggling in vain is different from waiting for the end to come.”
There is also a difference between death and dying.
The reason why Pei Xiting cared so little is because he wasn’t someone who wanted to stay in the world, let alone in a completely unfamiliar world, a world without even spicy prince[mfn]This snack
[/mfn].
Therefore, if the death outcome of “Pei Xiting” is premature death, death from illness, choking on water, walking, falling, etc., he is willing to be a salted fish, do something he likes to do, or travel with a drawing board on his back and die wherever he wants.
But things are not as they should be.
Pei Xiting does not accept the experience and ending of “Pei Xiting” and must try to protect himself.
A finger suddenly poked at his face. Pei Xiting: “?”
Qing Lingling was staring at him cautiously. The finger poked his face twice, then changed to rubbing, pinching from the chin to the ears, and then to the nose. Finally, its owner breathed a sigh of relief and whispered, “It’s not a human skin mask.”
“…You know if I’m a fake Pei Xiting, you’re just alerting the enemy.” Pei Xiting smiled slightly. “and then I might kill you to silence you.”
“But you’re not!” Qing Lingling’s eyes lit up. “You’ve really changed; you used to be a rabbit.”
Pei Xiting raised his eyebrows. “Rabbits will bite when they’re anxious.”
“You have to bite; otherwise, you’ll be bullied to death.” Qing Lingling was very pleased, 100% happy, and willing to help, slamming the table and saying, “You have made up your mind, so I will help you. But who do you want to see?”
Pei Xiting said, “Someone who can make Shangguan Jie afraid and obedient.”
“His father? No way.” Qing Lingling shook his head. “Neither of them is a good person. Besides, his father can’t control him. He is angry with that little beast every day. Also, Lord Mei is a bit cold by nature. Although it’s his birthday, he probably won’t entertain too many guests. He doesn’t have any personal relationships with the Changning Marquis’s Mansion. And since it’s a private banquet, he won’t invite the Shangguan family either. But I really can’t guess who he will invite.”
Although Qing Lingling was pleased with Pei Xiting’s change, he was not completely relieved. After all, a rabbit is still a rabbit after biting a person, so he couldn’t help but say a few more words.
“Thanks for the reminder. I’m not looking for the beast’s parents, brothers, sisters, or his whole family.” Pei Xiting lowered his eyes. “I’m looking for a master who can make this beast kneel down and crawl.”
“Too thick of a thigh.” In fact, there are only a handful of candidates, but Qing Lingling didn’t dare to think about it and murmured, “How do you plan to hug this thigh?”
Pei Xiting was quite optimistic, “If I can, I will. If I can’t, I’ll let him kick me into my eternal sleep on the spot.”
Qing Lingling retreated, “Then am I sending you to see the King of Hell?!!”
“If the King of Hell wants to keep me until the fifth watch[mfn]03:00 – 05:00AM.[/mfn], who dares to take me away at the third watch[mfn]23:00 – 01:00[/mfn]?” Pei Xiting tapped the table with his fingertips and said casually, “The opportunity is right in front of us; it would be a shame not to seize it.”
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