TL: Hua
Chapter 68: Sour Thorns – Xiao Pei goes to Enzhou (9)
Yuan Fang dashed into the forest, chasing after the attacker.
His hawk-like gaze swiftly took in the surrounding terrain. He leaped from a large tree to his side and used his dagger to block the attacker.
The attacker’s steps halted. He met Yuan Fang’s gaze for a moment, and before he could react, he was struck in the chest and abdomen by an elbow.
The attacker grunted. Yuan Fang raised his foot and broke the attacker’s leg bone, then used his dagger to hold him by the neck from behind, saying, “Who sent you—”
Before he finished speaking, Yuan Fang simultaneously and lightning-fast reached out and seized the attacker’s jaw. With a “snap,” the attacker’s jaw was dislocated, and the poison hidden in his mouth spilled out.
Yuan Fang struck the man unconscious. Just as he was about to bend down to grab the man’s leg, intending to drag him back for questioning, a sudden chill ran down his back. He had no time to think; years of training and experience on the knife-edge of life and death urged him to flash aside quickly, narrowly dodging the attack.
The hidden weapon grazed past Yuan Fang, violently embedding itself into a tree trunk not far away. Yuan Fang glanced sideways and saw the tree bark split, the weapon completely embedded in the wood.
The hole left by the hidden weapon was extremely small, like a round nail.
The surrounding wind seemed to have stopped. Yuan Fang’s heart pounded rapidly. Without hesitation, he turned and ran.
“Pei Xiting.”
A man’s gentle voice, laced with a smile, came from behind him, but to Yuan Fang’s ears, it sent a sudden chill through his body. Goosebumps erupted, making him shiver, and his steps abruptly halted.
Familiar footsteps drew closer, step by step. The man stopped three paces behind Yuan Fang and said, “Turn around.”
Yuan Fang pressed his lips together, his Adam’s apple bobbed, then he turned and looked up at the man. Fu Wei calmly scrutinized him for a moment. Yuan Fang lowered his head, knelt on one knee, and said in a hoarse voice, “Corridor Master.”
“So you still recognize me,” Fu Wei said with a faint smile. “Why did you run when you saw me?”
If it were before, Yuan Fang would have remained silent, but during his time with Pei Xiting, he had learned a new skill: sophistry.
“I didn’t know it was Corridor Master. I thought a master was lurking in the forest and was afraid that a fight would cause delays, so I decided to leave first.”
“Oh, is that so?” The smile on Fu Wei’s face deepened. “So, you were eager to go back and protect Pei Xiting?”
Yuan Fang said, “It’s only right to do what you’re paid for.”
“Fifty taels a month,” Fu Wei scoffed lightly. “You might as well go collect scraps.”
Yuan Fang disagreed. He said, “You wouldn’t earn fifty taels in ten or twenty years collecting scraps.”
Fu Wei’s brows furrowed slightly. He said, “You’re talking back now?”
“When you can’t beat them, don’t fight head-on. Lower your head appropriately to avoid a beating—”
The countless entries from “Xiao Pei’s Daily Quotations” echoed in his ears. Yuan Fang gave up on sophistry and said, “I haven’t, but Corridor Master has been the one talking.”
Fu Wei said, “Are you being sarcastic?”
Yuan Fang shook his head and said, “I wouldn’t dare, nor am I.”
“…” Fu Wei tutted, thinking that this was a case of being influenced by one’s environment, corrupted by proximity, and led astray by Pei Xiting. He was somewhat displeased. He glanced at Yuan Fang. “Get up and come with me.”
Yuan Fang pursed his lips and said, “Corridor Master, please forgive me—”
Before he finished speaking, the whip cracked. Yuan Fang stood still, enduring the blow. His shoulder garment tore, and his skin split open. He didn’t cry out in pain but instead said in a low voice, “Corridor Master, please forgive me. I cannot go with you yet. Please grant me a few more days.”
“Two years, haven’t you had enough fun?” Fu Wei slowly coiled his whip, smiling, and said, “Or have you even forgotten where your home is?”
Yuan Fang didn’t answer, but he heard the sound of a carriage approaching.
Fu Wei also smiled and said, “Oh, your young master has come to save you.”
The carriage stopped. Pei Xiting pushed open the door and jumped out before Yu Shaoyun could even retrieve the stirrup. He quickly walked to Yuan Fang’s side, glanced at his shoulder, took out a small medicine packet, and poured all the powder onto it.
“…” Yuan Fang said, “Small wound.”
“It’s fine; there’s still some left anyway.” Pei Xiting said, then looked up at the man in front of him, slightly surprised. Such a gentle and refined person, one would never associate him with the Immortal Corridor if they saw him on the street.
Pei Xiting cupped his hands and said, “Corridor Master Fu, I’ve long heard of your esteemed name.”
“Pei-wenshu’s name is also thunderous to my ears,” Fu Wei nodded in response, smiling. “May I ask where Pei-wenshu heard of my esteemed name?”
“Naturally, from Yuan Fang,” Pei Xiting said. “He occasionally mentions Corridor Master Fu, saying that you two have been companions since childhood, and though nominally master and subordinate, your bond is like flesh and blood, entrusting your lives to each other.”
Did I say that? Yuan Fang wondered secretly.
“Oh, is that so?” Fu Wei glanced at the submissive Yuan Fang, a faint, unreadable smile on his face. “But I don’t think he’s the kind of person to say such things.”
“Saying it to your face and saying it behind your back are naturally different. These words, if said to your face, would be too embarrassing, but when spoken to others, it’s simply baring one’s heart,” Pei Xiting smiled. “Does Corridor Master Fu still not believe his absolute loyalty and sincerity towards you?”
Fu Wei looked at Pei Xiting, smiling without a word.
Pei Xiting felt no guilt whatsoever. He said, “I know Yuan Fang secretly left home and ventured out for two years. Corridor Master Fu must be both angry and worried. Now that you’ve finally found him, you naturally want to take him home immediately. But during the time Yuan Fang is with me, I haven’t mistreated him, nor have I truly treated him as a mere attendant. We haven’t known each other long, but we’ve become friends. Is Corridor Master Fu going to keep Yuan Fang confined at home forever, not allowing him to go out and make friends?”
He stepped closer to Fu Wei and said softly, “Yuan Fang has been away for two years, and it’s not that he doesn’t miss Corridor Master Fu. It’s just that he’s afraid of being caught, which is why he hasn’t dared to return to see you. No matter how good a home is, the world is vast. It’s not wrong for him to want to fly out. As long as he has home in his heart, he will always return to Corridor Master Fu’s side.”
Fu Wei glanced at the carriage not far away, then smiled at Pei Xiting and said, “Is that how you coax Fuchuan?”
To be able to call Zong Suiyang by his courtesy name, they must indeed be old friends. Did Zong Suiyang used to chat all night and drink under the moon with Fu Wei?
A sour taste came out from the root of Pei Xiting’s tongue. He glanced at Fu Wei twice, not realizing that his eyes were full of sting.
Fu Wei, however, saw it clearly and chuckled, “It seems you should change your coaxing words and try them on yourself first.”
Pei Xiting didn’t retort. He said, “Corridor Master Fu, you haven’t seen His Highness for a long time, have you? Since you’ve come to Enzhou, why not stay a bit longer and catch up with His Highness?”
“And then you’ll seize the opportunity to convince me?” Fu Wei exposed him.
Pei Xiting raised an eyebrow slightly, then turned and walked to Yuan Fang, reaching out to help him up. He then tilted his body, inviting Fu Wei into the carriage.
Fu Wei glanced at Yuan Fang but ultimately said nothing more. He gracefully walked to the carriage, stepped onto the footrest, and entered.
As soon as he entered the carriage, Fu Wei met Zong Suiyang’s indifferent eyes and couldn’t help but say, “Oh, am I interrupting you two?”
Zong Suiyang said nothing.
“If you hadn’t let him come and spoil my plans, I wouldn’t have had the chance to interrupt you,” Fu Wei sat down, smiling.
Pei Xiting ducked into the carriage. Yuan Fang reached out and closed the door. Yu Shaoyun whistled, and two hidden guards landed, taking away the assassins lying on the ground.
Yu Shaoyun tugged the reins, and the carriage turned around, steadily returning along the way they had come.
No one spoke in the carriage for a while. Fu Wei was pensive; Zong Suiyang’s expression was unfathomable. Pei Xiting glanced at the two, yawned, and then tilted his body and lay down.
Before falling asleep, he didn’t forget to instruct, “Your Highness, if I’m still deeply asleep when we arrive, please don’t wake me. Also, please be quiet when you two get out of the carriage. Thank you for your cooperation.”
Without waiting for a response, he peacefully closed his eyes.
Fu Wei: “…”
He tilted his head to look at His Highness the Crown Prince, only to see him gazing at Pei Xiting, his eyes unexpectedly soft and evident.
Pei Xiting had been busy with “spring thoughts” last night, tossing and turning in bed until midnight before falling asleep. This morning, he woke up early, ran here, and took a tumble, so he was quite tired. Now, as soon as he touched the soft cushion and smelled the faint tea aroma, he quickly felt sleepy. In a daze, he felt something heavy on him. He instinctively patted it away a couple of times, then curled up in the extra blanket and sank into dreams.
Zong Suiyang reached out and untied Pei Xiting’s hair tie. As he withdrew his hand, he couldn’t help but stroke his face, then wrapped the hair tie twice and placed it on the tea table.
“Touching someone while they’re asleep,” Fu Wei said softly, “is not the act of a gentleman.”
Zong Suiyang said, “What does being a gentleman have to do with me? I’m not one.”
Fu Wei chuckled and said, “When he’s awake, why don’t I see you being so hands-on?”
Zong Suiyang paused, then turned his head to glance at Fu Wei.
Fu Wei immediately surrendered, saying, “I know, I talk too much.”
“Someone’s sleeping, and you won’t stop talking,” Zong Suiyang quoted Xiao Pei, “‘Don’t you have any decency?[mfn]The sentence used here is 有没有素质, literally translated to “Don’t you have any quality?” I’m guessing this is quite the modern way of speaking.[/mfn]'”
Fu Wei barely grasped the meaning of “decency” in that sentence. He said, “You didn’t learn that line from someone else, did you? It doesn’t sound like your style.”
Pei Xiting often said things that were unique and required some interpretation to understand. Zong Suiyang didn’t refute him. He said, “Shut up.”
Fu Wei manually sealed his mouth. After a while, he suddenly remembered something. He said, “By the way, I saw someone on the mountain just now.”
Zong Suiyang said, “Who?”
“I don’t know; they were wearing a veiled hat. But who else could be on Damang Mountain today besides the Enzhou camp, the prince’s people, and us?” Fu Wei smiled. “You want to cast a long line to catch a big fish, so I didn’t make a move.”
“The later group of people were after Pei Xiting, which is why Yuan Fang was specifically lured away.” Zong Suiyang said, looking at Pei Xiting. This fool was trying to lure him out by taking advantage of the situation, not afraid of any danger.
Fu Wei pondered, “Could it be because of Po Yinlin?”
“Doesn’t seem like it,” Zong Suiyang said.
“In any case, your darling has long been targeted,” Fu Wei sighed. “No wonder you sent Jiezi out. It’s strange; why didn’t Jiezi show up to protect Pei Xiting today?”
His gaze swept over Zong Suiyang’s hand, wrapped in a handkerchief, and he teased, “A self-torture strategy, not bad, not bad. Our Highness has made progress; he even knows how to scheme to gain a beauty’s sympathy.”
Zong Suiyang was unconcerned. He said, “Can this be called self-torture?”
“To us, it’s really not a serious injury, but your darling is different. He’s not like us. When he saw you bleeding, he must have felt distressed,” Fu Wei said.
Zong Suiyang looked at Pei Xiting’s sleeping face. This person indeed felt distressed for him. His eyes were wide with a mix of anger and sympathy, as if he wanted to pounce and give him a beating, yet he forcefully restrained himself and carefully bandaged the wound for him.
The value gained from this minor injury was quite a bargain. Zong Suiyang was in a rather pleasant mood. He reached out and stroked Pei Xiting’s cheek, but Pei Xiting slapped his hand away like a mosquito. Zong Suiyang didn’t mind and gracefully withdrew his hand.
If it’s like this now, what would happen if he really got the person? Fu Wei’s eyes felt sore. He chuckled and said, “By the way, he seems to be jealous of us.”
Zong Suiyang asked in confusion, “What’s the difference between this and taking poison?”
Fu Wei tutted. He said, “I didn’t provoke you, so can you please not verbally attack me? I gave you a lot of face just now, so be more polite.”
Zong Suiyang slightly shook his head and said, “When?”
“Just now, his eyes were piercing when he looked at me, and it was because of you,” Fu Wei said with a faint smile. “Does he think we used to have something going on?”
“I’d rather both my legs be crippled,” Zong Suiyang said indifferently.
Fu Wei sneered, “If I ever listen to your heartfelt confessions or give you advice again, I’m a pig.”
Zong Suiyang didn’t say, “Likewise,” and indeed didn’t want to lose this “strategist.” He said, “So, you should disappear quickly.”
“I’d like to disappear quickly, but if you don’t cooperate, how can I disappear?” Fu Wei tilted his head to look out the carriage window and said slowly, “Your family’s Pei-wenshu said he wanted me to stay longer and catch up with you. I’m following his arrangements. Are you unhappy about that?”
Fu Wei sighed, saying awkwardly, “Then I’ll just have to bid farewell to Pei-wenshu when he wakes up.”
Zong Suiyang said, “What can he do?”
Fu Wei said, “Don’t be so stubborn. I see you haven’t dared to use your Crown Prince’s powers on him at all.”
Zong Suiyang: “.”
*
Pei Xiting had slept soundly. When he awoke, only a single candle flickered in the room. He climbed out of bed, leaned out to look, and saw that it was already dark outside. This wasn’t the guest house room.
Pei Xiting called out in a trembling voice, “Fang… Fang… Fang…”
Fang didn’t come. Zong Suiyang emerged from behind a screen and glanced at him faintly. “Calling for a soul?”
“Calling for food,” Pei Xiting said, propping himself up on the edge of the bed and sitting cross-legged. “I’m hungry. I only had a bowl of porridge today.”
Zong Suiyang called Yu Shaoyun in and said, “Serve the meal.”
Yu Shaoyun assented and quietly retreated.
Pei Xiting stretched, extended his legs, and put on his shoes. He asked, “How was I transported here? I didn’t feel a thing.”
Zong Suiyang said, “You were sleeping like a pig, didn’t move even if thunder struck. Of course you wouldn’t feel anything.”
“You’re not answering my question; instead, you’re verbally attacking me?” Pei Xiting stamped his feet in his shoes, then got up and walked over to Zong Suiyang. He leaned down to look at Zong Suiyang’s hand, which had already been treated with medicine and properly bandaged.
Pei Xiting pursed his lips, but when he straightened up, his face was cold. “It’s your fault for trying to show off. Does it hurt?”
Zong Suiyang knew what “show off[mfn]Word used here is 装逼/B, internet slang meaning to show off or brag. Again, a very modern term.[/mfn]” meant. And after a little extra thought, he understood what the words were mocking him for and said, “I’m not showing off.”
Yes, perhaps this minor injury meant nothing to His Highness Zong Suiyang, but getting injured for oneself was different from getting injured for someone else. Pei Xiting couldn’t bear to keep his face cold on purpose anymore. He said, “Humans are made of flesh, not steel and iron. Bleed less if you can. Don’t take your body for granted. You’ll know how serious it is when you’re seventy or eighty.”
Zong Suiyang followed Pei Xiting out from behind the screen and sat down at the round table outside. He said, “So you know this principle too.”
Pei Xiting, feeling guilty, became weak-willed and fell silent again.
A moment later, the guards brought in the food, arranging it one by one: milk-braised fish, scallion-vinegar chicken, lychee kidney[mfn] This dish does not actually contain lychee fruit. Instead, it refers to a cooking method where pork kidneys are sliced in a crosshatch pattern, causing them to curl up when cooked, resembling the bumpy texture of lychee fruit.
[/mfn], pan-fried tofu, sugared eggplant with fermented grains, and spareribs soup.
These were all Pei Xiting’s favorites. He immediately picked up his chopsticks and said, “I won’t stand on ceremony.”
Zong Suiyang nodded. He said, “When have you ever stood on ceremony? Eat, there’s more if it’s not enough.”
“Well, you don’t have to be so polite; I’m not a pig.” Pei Xiting took a piece of fish, tasted it, and was startled. “Why does this taste exactly like the lamb shop’s?”
Zong Suiyang said, “This dish was made by their chef, so naturally it tastes the same. The scallion-vinegar chicken, lychee kidney, and sugared eggplant with fermented grains are from Chunhui Tower. The tofu was pan-fried by Shaoyun.”
Pei Xiting chuckled and said, “Oh, Commander Yu can cook?”
“He learned a few tricks from traveling around in his younger years. They’re all dishes he loves himself,” Zong Suiyang said. “He makes them for me to eat.”
Pei Xiting was amused. “Is Your Highness the guinea pig for taste tests?”
Zong Suiyang said, “Precisely. Thanks to my taste tests, his cooking has improved rapidly.”
Pei Xiting quickly picked up a piece of tofu and put it in his mouth. He savored it carefully, then nodded and said, “Delicious. Oily but not greasy, and fragrant. You eat too; can you really be full by just watching me?”
A beautiful sight was naturally pleasing, so yes, he could. Zong Suiyang said nothing, simply raised his hand, and picked up his chopsticks.
Once he started eating, he didn’t take the initiative to speak. The two quietly finished their meal. Pei Xiting ate until he was about 150% full, then leaned back in his chair, sprawled like a corpse.
Yu Shaoyun brought over hot tea and asked Pei Xiting, “There’s a lantern festival in the city tonight; would Pei-wenshu like to go?”
Zong Suiyang glanced at Yu Shaoyun when he heard this but said nothing.
Pei Xiting thanked him, stirring the tea in his cup, and thought for a moment. He said, “Today doesn’t seem to be a festival day, does it?”
“There are often lantern festivals in the city, but Master Xu, a wealthy merchant in the north of the city, has found a son-in-law. Tonight, he’s hosting a lantern festival himself, inviting everyone to watch his daughter and son-in-law parade around the lake to bring good fortune. It’s at Green Wave Lake in the north of the city; it’s very lively,” Yu Shaoyun said.
Pei Xiting gasped, suddenly remembering something. “Master Xu from the north of the city? Is that the Master Xu who had no heirs, prayed to gods and worshiped Buddha, took many concubines, but still couldn’t have children until he received an immortal pill and his concubines quickly became pregnant?”
Yu Shaoyun said, “Precisely.”
“Then shall we go have a look?” Pei Xiting’s voice rose at the end.
Yu Shaoyun smiled and said, “Let’s go have a look.”
Pei Xiting drank his tea, then turned to the inner room to get ready.
Yu Shaoyun looked at Zong Suiyang, winking and nudging.
Zong Suiyang shook his head slightly but ultimately did not express dissatisfaction with Yu Shaoyun’s presumption.
Yu Shaoyun shook his head silently upon seeing this, priding himself: I truly am His Highness’s confidant!
Pei Xiting quickly got ready. When he walked out, Zong Suiyang had reverted to his unremarkable fake face.
Zong Suiyang put down his teacup, got up, and walked out. Pei Xiting followed closely. After stepping out, he put on his veiled hat, as he still had a fake identity linked to Yuan Fang.
Outside, Pei Xiting looked around and asked, “Where’s Yuan Fang?”
“He went to the Li Mansion to see Mei Xiu. What’s wrong?” Zong Suiyang turned his head to look at Pei Xiting. “Do you miss him?”
Noting the sour aftertaste in his words, Pei Xiting’s brows raised slightly. He said, “Is that not allowed?”
Objectively speaking, there was indeed nothing wrong with it; Pei Xiting was free to miss anyone he wished. However, His Highness Zong Suiyang’s mood was no longer objective. Upon hearing this, he looked away expressionlessly and said, “Whatever.”
“Then why did Your Highness ask?” Pei Xiting blinked innocently. “Just making small talk?”
Zong Suiyang didn’t want to engage Pei Xiting anymore, yet he felt that remaining silent was an admission of defeat. He said, “I speak when I want to speak. Do I need your permission?”
“I didn’t say that. Your Highness can indeed speak whenever you want, from morning till night, no problem. But that last sentence of yours was a question to me, wasn’t it?” Pei Xiting chuckled softly. “Then it seems I don’t understand Your Highness enough. I didn’t realize Your Highness has the kind of personality that asks people a question even when you’re completely uninterested and don’t want to know the answer ne.”
Every time Pei Xiting added “ne” at the end of a sentence, it created a paradox: how charming, how annoying; how annoying, how charming.
Zong Suiyang tilted his head to look at Pei Xiting. Their eyes met. Pei Xiting blinked innocently, and when he smiled, the corners of his eyes turned up, giving him a captivating look.
This mischievous fellow, Zong Suiyang, secretly clenched his jaw, but his expression remained unchanged. He even smiled and said, “You truly don’t understand me enough.”
Pei Xiting sensed a dangerous undertone. His expression changed slightly. He looked suspiciously at the man surnamed Zong, then turned to glance at Yu Shaoyun standing behind him. Secretly assessing the combat power of both sides, he instantly became docile and spoke gently, “Your Highness, shall we go down?”
Zong Suiyang let out an almost inaudible hum, then turned and walked towards the stairs. Pei Xiting stepped to follow, saying, “By the way, have they interrogated that person? Why did he want to kill me?”
“Yes, but that person was just a hired killer and doesn’t know the client’s information,” Zong Suiyang said before Yu Shaoyun could answer.
Yu Shaoyun nodded reassuringly from behind. Good, he thought, His Highness has learned to cut in and create more opportunities to talk with Pei-wenshu. Good, good.
Pei Xiting didn’t know Commander Yu’s thoughts. He said, “Oh,” upon hearing this. “Alright, if they didn’t know, then so be it. Anyway, this person wants to kill me. If he doesn’t succeed once, there’ll be a second time. He’ll show up eventually.”
Zong Suiyang said, “You’re quite at ease.”
Pei Xiting followed Zong Suiyang into the carriage. After sitting down, he said, “What if I wasn’t at ease? Should I pray to gods every day and stick ‘Don’t kill me, don’t kill me’ on my forehead? I think… hmm, what’s this cold thing?”
Pei Xiting reached back behind his bottom with one hand, grabbed the cold “thing,” and brought it to his eyes. He immediately froze, becoming a living statue.
Then, a hand reached out from the side, hooking the little black snake’s chin. “Don’t be afraid; let go.”
Pei Xiting quickly released his grip. The little black snake rubbed against the back of his hand, coiling around Zong Suiyang’s fingertips and then his wrist.
Pei Xiting stared at the little black snake, then looked up at Zong Suiyang, truly in disbelief. “You let a snake bite my butt? Don’t you have any decency?”
“…” Zong Suiyang argued, “I wouldn’t let it bite your… butt.”
Pei Xiting didn’t believe him. He said, “Then where did it come from? Don’t tell me you don’t know; you two look like you’re acquainted. No, I’m going to report this to the authorities. You have to give me an explanation and compensate me for my emotional distress.”
“Its father is Fu Buzhi.” Zong Suiyang poked the little black snake’s head, hinting, “Corridor Master Fu is rich.”
Pei Xiting stroked his chin, deciding to demand a thousand taels from him so he could buy the small courtyard on Lanyin Street when he returned.
But Corridor Master Fu didn’t seem like someone easy to extort. Pei Xiting’s eyes darted, and he let out a seemingly delicate cough, saying, “Although I should be compensated, and Corridor Master Fu should be responsible for the sins committed by his little snake, I still feel uneasy. If only there were an incorruptible, fair, and just judge to preside over this matter for me right now.”
After saying that, he let out a lingering sigh.
His eyes darted slyly towards Zong Suiyang, who curled his lips slightly and said, “Understood.”
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