Chapter 73 The Substitute Arc: I'm Not Leaving

Xie Changyu banished all other thoughts from her mind, turned her gaze to the person in front of her, and opened her mouth to say something that made Fu Jing's heart tremble.

"Why do you look so strange?"

With a hint of curiosity in her voice, she asked, "Didn't you sleep well last night?"

He hadn't paid much attention to the guy's expression because he was annoyed, but now that he looked closely, the guy wasn't much better off than him, and even said that his expression looked strange.

Upon hearing this, Fu Jing touched his face, his expression strange. "Did I?"

"Hmm." Xie Changyu rested his chin on his hands, nodded casually, and yawned nonchalantly. "Of course, if you don't believe me, go look in a bronze mirror."

His eyes flickered slightly, noticing the pale face of the man in front of him. His mind went blank, and he wondered if he had really been drained dry by him yesterday.

That doesn't make sense. I was exhausted after we finished yesterday, but this guy didn't react at all. It was like I had my life force drained. Who would have thought that his complexion would be so strange today?

That's definitely none of his business.

Thinking this, Fu Jing also spoke up, his voice hesitant, "It must be because you didn't sleep well last night."

His expression suddenly turned serious, as if he had thought of something.

Xie Changyu didn't pay attention. He covered his mouth and felt his nose suddenly itch. "Then you should get a good night's sleep."

The words were said perfunctorily, but Fu Jing still smiled. After all, it was not easy to get a little care from Xie Changyu. From childhood to adulthood, he had done all sorts of bullying things for him, but he could only get a little reward.

His eyes suddenly turned deep, as if he had remembered something.

Xie Changyu didn't want to sit any longer. It was getting colder and colder outside. "I wonder when it will snow?"

"Soon."

Fu Jing responded.

A cold wind howled, and the trees and flowers in the garden looked desolate. Xie Changyu sat for a while and then his ears started to hurt from the wind. He felt that if he sat for a little longer, his head would start to hurt.

He can't stand it.

Fu Jing naturally noticed his reaction. Seeing that something was wrong, he quickly draped the cloak that was next to him over him and covered him up tightly.

The chill gradually dissipated, and the goosebumps that had just appeared due to the cold slowly subsided. Xie Changyu tucked his ears into his hood, stood up, and said, "Let's go to your room."

This statement was perfectly normal, but to Fu Jing it seemed to have a different meaning.

Go to his room...

His ears felt warm, his eyes shifted slightly, his Adam's apple bobbed, and his voice was deep and muffled, "Mmm."

Xie Changyu went to his room with ease, but Fu Jing, the room's owner, followed closely behind him without saying a word.

After entering the room, Xie Changyu and Fu Jing hadn't been seated for long when a group of people entered one after another. Servants brought in braziers, placed them in, and lit them, and soon the room began to warm up.

Xie Changyu took off his outer garment, and his complexion gradually became rosy. He felt his body begin to warm up.

"It's so warm."

A soft murmur filled the room. Fu Jing, with his excellent hearing, naturally didn't miss the sentence.

The handsome man with phoenix eyes blinked gently. "As long as it's warm."

He leaned closer to the person who was still resting with their eyes closed and whispered in their ear, "Yesterday..."

It's unclear what was said, but the boy, with his eyes closed, let out a muffled groan and refused, "I don't want to."

"Why?"

Xie Changyu grumbled and glanced at the guy next to him who was trying to seduce him, then declared righteously, "I'm so tired!"

Upon hearing this, Fu Jing leaned closer and reached out to rub his waist, applying just the right amount of pressure, which made his subordinates groan.

"Looks like we went a bit too far yesterday."

"It's all your fault!"

Xie Changyu complained while enjoying the massage, his fair face showing a comfortable and satisfied expression, clearly indicating that he was being served well.

"Blame me, blame me."

Fu Jing's hands kept moving, the range of which began to shift from his waist and chest to other areas, his movements were very restless.

But Xie Changyu didn't react; he just felt very comfortable.

Suddenly, another question rang in my ears, "My brother yesterday?"

Did they say anything to you?

"You mean Fu Shuqing?" Xie Changyu opened his eyes, clearly surprised that this guy suddenly asked this question.

"Hmm." Fu Jing responded softly, his eyes remaining calm when Xie Changyu couldn't see him, only turning deep when his hand "accidentally" touched a certain spot.

"No," Xie Changyu denied immediately. He didn't understand why this guy was suddenly asking this, so he asked directly, "Why are you asking this?"

"curious."

Fu Jing didn't say much, and Xie Changyu's posture naturally prevented him from seeing his expression. He just grunted and said, "He didn't say anything to me, he just told me to take good care of myself."

If I remember correctly, Fu Shuqing did tell him yesterday to be more moderate to avoid harming his health. Of course, he wouldn't say this directly to Fu Jing, otherwise it would be admitting that he was impotent. So he just said this in a roundabout way, but the meaning was roughly the same.

Fu Jing didn't seem to have any doubts when he heard him say that, but the force in his hand suddenly became a little heavier. "I understand."

Xie Changyu was definitely unhappy about being attacked like this. He slapped the other person and said with dissatisfaction, "Be gentle."

Then he lay back down and continued to enjoy the full-body massage. He thought to himself without any guilt, "Anyway, Fu Shuqing told me yesterday to be more restrained and not to do that kind of thing, but she didn't say I couldn't get a massage."

Manual massage is also very comfortable.

He squinted and thought leisurely.

...

Half a month has passed since the palace banquet, and Xie Changyu is restricted from going out due to catching a cold and developing a fever. He can only stay in his room in a daze and cannot go out.

When he heard Xiaohe say that it was snowing outside, he was first excited, then his face fell, and his eyelids drooped. "If it snows, I can't go out at all."

He's still sick, and if going out to see the snow makes his condition worse, his mother will be angry.

well.

The handsome young man sat on the bed, his body wrapped up tightly except for his small head. He looked sickly, and his already fair skin had become even paler due to his illness, making him look pitiful.

Seeing his master's dejected state, Xiaohe was also very disappointed. The young master loved snow the most, but unfortunately, he had a constitution that would heat up as soon as he got cold. Now that it was snowing outside, he could only sit inside and couldn't go out, which made Xiaohe feel sad.

All he could do was offer words of comfort, "Young master, you'll get better soon if you just drink the medicine the doctor prescribed."

Xie Changyu glanced at him wearily and said, "Okay, I understand."

If anyone knew Xie Changyu's health best, it would be Madam Xie. So when her only son begged her to go out and play, she immediately refused.

Madam Xie wore a light pink satin shawl, her features delicate and gentle. Her fair hands gently stroked her beloved son's head as she half-embraced the child who was still throwing a tantrum. She sighed, "Your health isn't very good in winter. You're already thinking about going out to play in the snow before you've even gotten rid of your illness. What if it gets worse?"

Xie Changyu nestled in her mother's arms, looking very obedient. "I'll just wear more clothes, okay, Mother? I won't leave the manor. I'll just look around inside. I promise I won't touch the snow!"

As he spoke, he raised his palm as if making a vow, his eyes shining with anticipation.

Xie Changyu also deeply resented his body. Not only was he prone to illness, but he was also weaker than other men, especially Pei Zilie, who often used this to mock him, which infuriated him.

Madam Xie was still hesitant, but her mind softened for a moment. She thought that although Changyu had been sick since childhood, he had recovered quite well over the years thanks to various medicinal herbs. It was just that she had let her guard down this year and let him catch a cold, which caused him to have such frequent fevers. She just needed to be more careful in the future.

Thinking this, Madam Xie looked down at her child's eyes again, her heart softened, and she gave in, "Then you must promise your mother that you will keep warm, and you must never let go of the hand warmer."

After much persuasion, Xie Changyu finally received his mother's consent. His eyes sparkled, and he exclaimed with joy, "Mother, you agreed!"

Madam Xie smiled gently and said helplessly, "If I don't agree, you'll cause a huge uproar."

Xie Changyu's eyes crinkled into a smile. "Mother, you're so good to me."

As he spoke, he hugged his mother tighter, a soft smile on his face, an expression he rarely showed to outsiders.

If Pei Zilie saw this, he might exclaim in surprise and doubt whether the person in front of him was really him. He knew that although Xie Changyu was as delicate as jade and looked weak, those who had dealt with him many times knew that his brain was full of bad ideas and that he could easily fall for someone's tricks if they were not careful.

Pei Zilie has a lot to say on this, followed by Fu Jing, but most people's impression of Xie Changyu is that of a frail, fair-skinned young master with a pure nature.

Pei Zilie was furious.

Sure enough, after hearing the news that the Minister's son had fallen ill, he made preparations and then went to the Minister's house openly to look for him.

Of course, he and Xie Changyu were quite in sync in this regard. Even if they argued fiercely on weekdays, they would never bring their conflicts to the elders' attention. Therefore, in the eyes of all the elders, their relationship was very good.

Although Pei Zilie was displeased, he put on a very convincing act in front of Madam Xie. He had a servant hand over the prepared items, then bowed and said directly, "I heard that Xie Changyu is ill, I'm going to see him now!"

Madam Xie smiled, clearly having a good impression of the man before her, whom the common people considered a great tyrant. She looked at some obviously very valuable items displayed beside her and hesitated, "Your Highness, Changyu is still ill. Perhaps we should come back in a few days?"

Although she knew that the young master of the Cangwang Mansion had a good relationship with their Changyu, he was of noble status after all. She was worried that if the young master contracted the disease, her Changyu would be blamed by the Cangwang Mansion.

But Pei Zilie wouldn't listen. He was here to see a joke. When he heard that Xie Changyu was still not well, he forced back his laughter and continued, "No need. There's no time like the present. I'm perfectly healthy and have nothing to fear. Don't worry, Madam Minister."

He pretended very well, and Madam Xie did not see through his little scheme. So after failing to persuade him again, she gave up. She turned her head slightly and let the little maid beside her lead the people over.

Pei Zilie smiled with satisfaction. He flicked his sleeves and strode towards Xie Changyu's room. It wasn't like he hadn't been to Xie Changyu's room before; he had done it quite a few times. So the little maid was left behind by him.

When they finally arrived at the room door, Pei Zilie raised his hand, indicating that the guards accompanying him could wait at the door, and then he pushed the door open and went in.

With a creaking sound, the door opened and closed.

Outside, the wind and snow continued to fall and the cold wind howled. The maids and guards looked at each other, all listening to their masters' orders to stand guard outside.

Inside the room, Pei Zilie adjusted his cloak. He had deep-set eyes and a high nose bridge. He walked very clearly toward the bed, a wicked smile on his lips.

The sound of the door opening and closing didn't attract Xie Changyu's attention at all. He was just leaning to the side, staring intently at the comic book in his hand by the light. If you didn't see his eyes moving, you might have thought he was a real puppet.

If he hadn't been sick and unable to go out, Xie Changyu wouldn't have stayed in the room reading comic books for days. He had also gone out to look at the snow, but it wasn't interesting since he couldn't touch it, so he eventually resigned himself to lying in bed to recover. Comic books were his only way to relieve boredom.

As soon as Pei Zilie entered the room, his steps became lighter involuntarily. Feeling the warmth of the room, he couldn't help but loosen the collar around his neck.

He walked towards Xie Changyu with a clear goal in mind.

The comic book in his hand was suddenly blocked by a shadow. Xie Changyu frowned. He looked up, about to scold the guy who was blocking his light, but was startled by the unexpected face in front of him.

"Pei Zilie? It's you?"

Xie Changyu stopped reading the book and put it down. His expression became strange, clearly puzzled by the person who had suddenly appeared in his room.

His expression suddenly became strange, his eyes fixed on the cold-faced man in front of him, as if afraid he was seeing things.

Pei Zilie raised an eyebrow and said smugly, "I heard that some weakling has fallen ill again and hasn't left the house in ages. As a kind-hearted person, I naturally had to come and see how you are doing."

Xie Changyu narrowed his eyes. "Are you here to laugh at me?"

“Of course—” Pei Zilie chuckled, then changed the subject, “No, how could someone as good as me come here to laugh at someone like this?”

As he spoke, he sat down on the bed without any hesitation, his handsome face coming close to Xie Changyu's. The distance between them suddenly became very close, so close that Xie Changyu felt a little uncomfortable with the closeness.

His lips were a little pale, and his expression was somewhat fragile, clearly indicating that he hadn't fully recovered from his illness. Pei Zilie stared intently at that face and said with a smile, "Xie Changyu, look how good I am to you. I even came to see you when I heard you were sick."

Their warm breaths mingled, and Xie Changyu backed away, thinking that this guy had lost his mind. Otherwise, how could he explain suddenly making such intimate gestures? He didn't have the energy to curse right now.

He parted his lips slightly: "Stay away from me."

The sound wasn't too loud or too soft, but both of them could hear it clearly.

Looking at the vulnerable state of the person beneath him, Pei Zilie felt a sudden itch in his heart. In the end, he followed his instincts and reached out to touch those soft lips.

Xie Changyu was speechless at this guy's series of strange actions. He slapped the hand away and said, "Are you out of your mind? Why are you suddenly touching me?"

After realizing what was happening, Pei Zilie snorted coldly, "It's just a touch, it's not like you'll lose a layer of skin. Is there something on your body that I, the young master, can't touch?"

It was this arrogant and conceited look that made Xie Changyu's hands itch. He remained expressionless and said, "Then come a little closer."

"What are you doing?" Pei Zilie narrowed his eyes in surprise, a bad feeling suddenly creeping into his heart. He knew that Xie Changyu had been indifferent ever since he appeared in the room, which was unlike his usual demeanor.

Xie Changyu coughed lightly, her voice weak, "Are you coming over or not?"

"Do you think I'm afraid of you?" Pei Zilie snorted, then leaned closer, guessing, "You're not trying to pass your disease on to me, are you? Give up, I'm perfectly healthy, unlike you..."

"Smack—"

Pei Zilie's pupils widened instantly, his cheeks flushed, and he gritted his teeth as he roared, "Xie—Chang—Yu!"

"How dare you hit me!"

shame!

shame!

Xie Changyu, lying on the bed, had a sweet, obedient look with her eyebrows curved, and her voice was as clear as jade, "You're so noisy."

Pei Zilie's anger suddenly subsided. He rubbed his forehead, his cheeks puffed out, and his imposing manner vanished. "How dare you hit this young master!"

Xie Changyu sneered at the foolish look on the man in front of him and said arrogantly, "Fine, let's fight."

"You, you!"

"What's wrong with me?" Xie Changyu smiled and suggested, "Then you should hit back. After all, His Highness is angry and I can't resist punishing a sick person like me."

Pei Zilie didn't speak, but stared intently at him, "You think I wouldn't dare hit you?"

Xie Changyu's eyes clearly said, "Do you dare?" But he still said, "I wouldn't dare to think that way. If Your Highness is angry, then hit me back."

The pale-faced boy remained silent, only looking at Pei Zilie with red eyes. Pei Zilie's reaction was to first stand up and glare at Xie Changyu a few times, then sit down again as if he had thought of something. He said angrily, "I will pursue the matter of slapping me in the face again. This time, seeing that you are still sick, I will not bully a sick weakling. I will get back at you when you are better."

These words were like farts to Xie Changyu, who didn't take them to heart at all. He just snorted and said, "If you don't dare, you don't dare. Why make excuses?"

Pei Zilie's extinguished fireworks were reignited. He clenched his fist and demanded, "What do you mean, Xie Changyu?"

This time, Xie Changyu didn't answer the question. Instead, he took Pei Zilie's outstretched fist and placed it on his forehead, asking, "Is my forehead still hot?"

Pei Zilie's attention was immediately diverted. Hearing what the other person said, he really took a serious look at the temperature under his hand and said, "It's okay, it's not that hot."

Xie Changyu naturally let go of her hand, "Then my illness should be cured soon."

Pei Zilie was halfway through his "hmm" when he remembered that he had been intimidated. He straightened his neck, trying to maintain his dignity as the crown prince, and said with a very serious expression, "Don't try to distract Xie Changyu."

"I only let you off the hook this time because you were sick, but I won't do it again next time."

Xie Changyu didn't take his threat to heart at all. He nodded dismissively, just like he was giving Fu Jing a perfunctory reply, "Oh."

"You came here just to ask if I'm feeling better, right? You've seen it, so you should be relieved now."

Looking at the pale face of the man in front of him, Pei Zilie said against his will that he was relieved.

He was shocked to realize that he had come to mock him, but instead, he had been slapped without even realizing it.

He's so angry!

Xie Changyu really didn't have the energy to deal with this guy anymore. It was bad enough that he suddenly came over to laugh at him, but he was also making so much noise. It was really annoying.

He immediately started to tell them to leave, "Now that you've seen what's wrong with me, you'd better get out of here."

Pei Zilie was taken aback. "You're kicking me out?"

Xie Changyu rolled her eyes at him. "You heard me right."

Pei Zilie got angry again. He snorted and sat down again. "I'm not leaving."

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Author's Note: O_o