Chapter 58 The Substitute Chapter: The Heir of the Cang Prince's Mansion

She was also carrying a fish lantern with a warm glow, and if you looked at her from the front, you could immediately see her bright eyes.

Xie Changyu naturally noticed such an obvious presence. If the other party hadn't meant it, he wouldn't have bothered, but to stand directly in front of him and block his view outside was intentional.

So he looked at the guy in front of him with some hostility, then raised his chin slightly and said righteously, "I've already taken this spot. Go to another open space."

The crowd around him was growing larger and more dense, but there was still some open space. He didn't quite understand why this stranger insisted on standing in front of him. If it was to buy a toy, he hadn't seen the stranger make any move; the person was just standing there motionless in front of him.

That's targeting him.

His every move was observed by the stranger.

"Oh."

The unfamiliar young man chuckled softly, his hand already touching the edge of his mask, as if he was about to remove it.

"Xie Changyu, you don't even recognize me anymore, do you?"

The voice beneath the mask was magnetic and clear, very young, sounding languid, with an inexplicably tender rising tone at the end.

Upon hearing the voice, Xie Changyu immediately recognized the person in front of him. His expression under the mask changed instantly, and he even took a step back, his body language filled with disgust. "Fu Jing, it's you?"

Fu Jing removed his mask, revealing a pair of narrow phoenix eyes. His eyebrows were long and handsome, and beneath his straight nose, his thin lips were slightly upturned, as if carrying a hint of mockery.

He raised his voice slightly, "Why can't it be me?"

He carried a lantern in one hand and a mask in the other, his eyes having already scanned the person in front of him. He casually turned the mask around and asked, "But it's you? You came out but didn't come to find me. Now look what's happened, you're trapped here."

Xie Changyu snorted, his voice muffled, "It's all because of you that I've ended up like this. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have been locked up for so long!"

"Because of me?"

Fu Jing laughed when he heard this excuse, then exposed him, "Didn't you ask me to take you to a brothel? Why are you blaming me now?"

Xie Changyu would never admit it, and he continued to retort, "I was just joking, who knew you would actually take it seriously!"

Seeing that the person still wanted to argue, he immediately said, "You still dare to talk! I'm not going to talk to you anymore."

This statement was childish, but it was very damaging to Fu Jing. What he feared most was Xie Changyu ignoring him, so he immediately shut his mouth and stopped being so sarcastic.

Fu Jing had grown up with him and knew that if he continued arguing, he would lose anyway, so he simply admitted it, "Okay, okay, it was my fault this time, I won't say anything more."

"That's more like it."

Xie Changyu smiled smugly. Although his face was hidden by the mask, Fu Jing could tell from the way his arms were crossed that he was in a very good mood.

"But how did you recognize me?"

Xie Changyu was very curious about how this guy could tell it was him from among such a large group of people, especially since he was wearing a mask. This guy must have some kind of supernatural ability.

His thoughts were easy to guess; Fu Jing could tell at a glance. He reached out and took off the fox mask, instantly revealing his fair, jade-like face. He smiled with satisfaction and replied.

"What's so difficult about that? I know exactly what you look like. Even if you only cover your face this time, I would still recognize you even if you just show your shadow!"

His words were full of confidence.

"That's amazing?"

Xie Changyu looked incredulous. He could still recognize his shadow? This guy's eyesight is that good?

“I knew you wouldn’t believe me.” Fu Jing lifted the fish lantern, flicked his wrist, raised an eyebrow, and changed the subject, “You just came out today, I’ll take you to do something fun.”

Sure enough, Xie Changyu's attention was instantly diverted. His eyes lit up, and he asked in surprise, "Where? Is it really fun?"

Fu Jing smiled mysteriously, with a hint of youthful energy, "Of course, don't you believe me? This time it will definitely be more fun than the last one."

Xie Changyu still felt a bit resentful when he thought about the last time. He had gone to that place out of sheer curiosity. Neither of them had ever been there before, but he had gone too far with his curiosity and insisted that Fu Jing take him. As a result, they hadn't been there long before someone tipped them off and the elders of both families found out. Fu Jing wasn't locked up like him, but he was still given a good scolding.

Xie Changyu sniffed, thinking that if he found out who had reported him, that person would be finished.

Fu Jing hung his mask around his waist, then very naturally took Xie Changyu's hand, which felt cool. The two of them quickly made their way through the crowd to a certain place.

Fewer and fewer people passed by. Xie Changyu curiously peeked out and was led to a low river where river lanterns were placed.

Amidst the scattered stars, Xie Changyu sat somewhat bored on a blue step, not caring whether his white clothes would get dirty.

He propped his head up with one hand and asked in confusion, "Is this all you brought me to see? What's so interesting about this?"

"Of course not, look at that."

Fu Jing sat down next to him and said in a low voice, "You'll find out soon enough."

Hearing him say that, Xie Changyu became more interested. "I want to see what kind of fun thing you've made so mysterious."

While waiting, he noticed the crowd from the market slowly making its way to the riverbank. He pulled Fu Jing aside and whispered, "What's that?"

Fu Jing leaned closer, his lips curving slightly and his narrow eyes narrowing as he explained, "That guy from the Cangwang Mansion is here to play today."

The Prince Cang's Mansion.

Xie Changyu frowned upon hearing this. "That guy's here too? What's he doing here?"

He seemed to be extremely annoyed by the person he was referring to.

"You didn't know you were locked up that day, but that guy went to a brothel on the same day as us. However, he was bolder than us and even paid someone to take him back. The whole capital knows about it now."

Fu Jing slowly told him about it, little by little.

He was imprisoned without even knowing it.

Xie Changyu was amused to hear such juicy gossip about his arch-enemy. Looking at the smile on Fu Jing's face, he guessed, "Could it be that the funny thing you showed me today is him?"

This news was naturally amusing to him; he certainly wanted to see Pei Zilie make a fool of himself.

hey-hey.

But—"What does it matter to him if there are so many people?"

Fu Jing snorted coldly, "This guy bought a man and he's still not satisfied. I don't know what he's thinking, but he actually brought the man out tonight. The people are all curious about this纨绔子弟 (playboy).

In this era, it is common for men to marry or have children. However, the entire elite circle still mainly focuses on marriage between men and women. Some people accept it, while others strongly reject it. Xie Changyu is one of them.

He frowned, his expression not good. "You mean he bought a man and brought him home? I didn't know he had that kind of taste."

He and Pei Zilie had disliked each other since childhood, and their relationship was so bad that it was common knowledge among all the young men and women in the capital.

Now that I suddenly know that this so-called nemesis actually likes men, I feel a bit of resentment and sadness, even though I'm secretly laughing at him.

"I don't know either."

Fu Jing patted his head, but the next moment his hand was quickly slapped away with great force, and he met a pair of wide-open eyes, his cheeks almost puffing up.

Xie Changyu was furious. He hated it when people touched his head. Fu Jing often tried to test him and succeeded. Even after being scolded and kicked, he still made this mistake.

He wouldn't believe it unless it was intentional.

He instantly forgot about that idiot Pei Zilie, glared at Fu Jing, and roared, "Are you looking for a beating?"

Fu Jing coughed lightly, clenching his fist, and avoided his gaze somewhat guiltily. "I couldn't help it. I didn't mean to."

I'd be a dog to believe you!

Xie Changyu didn't want to listen to his nonsense. If he was unhappy, the other person shouldn't be happy either. He first kicked the other person hard.

With Fu Jing's skills, he could have easily dodged this attack full of flaws, but he didn't dodge and took the hit head-on.

But the next second he was met with a slap, and he wouldn't have it. He dodged back a bit, stood up rather awkwardly, his brows furrowed, and his tone was somewhat stiff, "I already let you kick me, and you still want to slap my face? Hitting other places is fine, but not my face!"

Xie Changyu snorted, withdrew his hand, and looked somewhat regretful that he had missed. He beckoned, "I won't hit you anymore. Come and sit down."

Seeing this insulting, dog-walking-like gesture, Fu Jing didn't move. He tilted his head, his red clothes fluttering, and said defiantly, "I'm not going over there. You'll definitely hit me again."

"I won't hit you, but come here quickly, Pei Zilie and the others are on their way!"

"You really won't hit me?"

Fu Jing was still somewhat skeptical.

"Stop dawdling, I won't hit you." Only after Xie Changyu made this promise did Fu Jing dare to sit back down. He sat up straight, and this time the distance between them was just as close as before, clearly showing that he believed Xie Changyu's words.

After Xie Changyu waited for him to sit down, he didn't touch him. He knew that if he really hit him and angered him, he would have no help when Pei Zilie arrived. He had bigger things to do today.

The two sat in a secluded corner below the bridge, a spot rarely seen, including by Pei Zilie.

The usually unruly young master was not happy at all. His face was stern, and there was not a trace of a smile on his usually carefree face. He was wearing a blue brocade robe, and a thin man stood beside him. This was the man he had redeemed from the brothel a few days ago. The two of them were as far apart as possible.

But whenever the distance between the two increased, the attendant beside them would look troubled and call out, "Young Master."

Upon hearing this shout, Pei Zilie could only stiffen and move closer, his expression becoming even more unpleasant.

He was filled with remorse, blaming himself for impulsively redeeming this man and letting a bunch of people find out. Now, his parents, wanting to teach him a lesson, forced his servants to make him walk around the city with the man he had redeemed, saying it was to let him experience it properly.

That's incredibly embarrassing!

It's all Xie Changyu's fault!

A crowd of people watched from the surrounding area, and the number of people kept growing. Wherever they went, the crowd followed, all wanting to see what this little tyrant in the capital was up to.

But people just walked back and forth. Pei Zilie, who had been holding back, finally reached the bridge. He breathed a sigh of relief. It was finally over. His expression changed, and he ordered his attendants to chase away the people around him.

The crowd dispersed almost instantly, but no one dared to complain. After all, he was the heir to the royal family, and ordinary people couldn't afford to offend him.

Fu Jing, who was standing nearby, frowned. Coming from the General's Mansion, he naturally disapproved of such behavior. Xie Changyu was also unhappy; he hadn't had enough of the show yet.

But the crowd dwindled, and Xie Changyu could no longer sit down, so he stood up and walked out of the darkness.

His ivory-white brocade robe was very conspicuous in the dim light, so he was spotted by a group of people as soon as he walked over.

Pei Zilie reacted the fastest, narrowing his eyes, "Thank you, Changyu!"

"What are you shouting for? I know my name sounds nice, there's no need to be envious."

Xie Changyu stood there, grinning as he replied.

-----------------------

Author's note: Changyu is not afraid of anything, she just opens her eyes and goes straight for the fight, arguing with everyone and everything.