Chapter 79 The Substitute Chapter: Tavern

On the stage, a storyteller, holding a scroll, swayed his head and spoke words that made Pei Zilie uneasy.

Xie Changyu paused upon hearing this, his brows furrowed. He hadn't expected to hear his name here again, especially next to Pei Zilie's.

He hadn't expected the storyteller to be so bold. Last time, he had subtly mentioned the tyrant and Fu Shuqing without revealing their names; only those who could understand the hints would know.

And this time, they actually said his name outright?!

Xie Changyu's interest in gossip vanished instantly, leaving him feeling utterly bored. Of course, his gaze swept over the storyteller's face, and he thought to himself that he would have Fu Jing beat him up someday for spreading rumors about him.

Pei Zilie shared the same thought. He gritted his teeth and stared at the person on the stage, preparing to have his guards ambush the person and beat him up with sacks for ruining his reputation.

Of course, as the crown prince, Pei Zilie had the right to have the Dali Temple handle such a direct use of names, but what could he do when he had something to hide?

Xie Changyu's thinking was even simpler. He could tolerate Pei Zilie's constant opposition, but what if he went up and made a scene this time, causing their rumors to spread? How would people in the capital view their relationship in the future?

After years of rivalry, Xie Changyu couldn't accept that people would use vague and ambiguous terms when mentioning him and Pei Zilie.

That's even more painful than killing him!

So the two of them paused in place for a moment, then gave each other a disapproving look before keeping a certain distance and going upstairs.

Fortunately, the storyteller only mentioned their relationship briefly at the end; the audience was there purely to drink and relieve boredom, and no one believed him.

The sound of footsteps.

Xie Changyu slammed the door shut as soon as he entered the private room, almost hitting Pei Zilie in the face, but his nose was indeed lightly hit.

"Thank you—Changyu!"

Pei Zilie closed his eyes, suppressing his anger, his teeth chattering.

Xie Changyu sat up straight and gave a soft hum, "Oh, I didn't see it."

It was very perfunctory.

"Very good." Pei Zilie forced a smile, then wiped his face with his hand. He went inside and closed the door. Instantly, the entire wall seemed to shake.

Xie Changyu remained expressionless. "I already told you to go somewhere else to have fun, why did you still come in here?" He glanced at the person opposite him with disdain. "And you even came into my private room."

After saying that, he rang the bell in the private room.

Ring ring—

Soon, a waiter came up carrying a white towel, greeting them warmly, "Coming! What would you two like to order?"

Before Xie Changyu could speak, Pei Zilie interrupted, "Two jugs of wine, and then bring out all the fruits, wines, and snacks from your shop."

Seeing his displeasure as he looked over, she added, "The wine has to be hot, I'll pay for it."

His tone was very bold and confident.

Xie Changyu's brow relaxed. Although he still felt some dissatisfaction, he would be a fool not to take advantage of the situation. Besides, the silver he had brought was far from enough for what this guy had ordered. Since the other party was paying, he didn't need to feel bad about it and could just enjoy himself.

After taking the order, the waiter was grinning from ear to ear; another big order had come in!

"Alright! Please wait a moment, gentlemen. Your food will be here shortly!"

After the waiter left, Pei Zilie smugly hummed, "Now you know how good I am, right? With your poor appearance, you've probably never eaten so well in this place."

"Very good," Xie Changyu squinted, wondering what kind of sack to put over this guy.

This person went even further, sitting even closer to him, his face almost touching his.

Beneath his smooth forehead, with eyebrows like distant mountains, Pei Zilie's eyes held a hint of a smile as he focused intently on the handsome young man before him.

Xie Changyu raised an eyebrow, a fake smile appearing on his face, then reached out and flicked the large one at that face.

"hiss!"

"Stay away from me," he said calmly. "You're disturbing my view of the show."

Pei Zilie was sitting in a window seat on the second floor, which blocked Xie Changyu's view.

"You!" Pei Zilie was still angry, but when he heard him say that, he subconsciously moved aside to make room for him. After he sat down, he tried to make amends, "I want to see it too. It's only because I'm sitting here that I can see it. I didn't mean to sit next to you."

"Oh, shut up and be quiet."

Xie Changyu really didn't want to deal with this idiot anymore. He was being so hesitant and evasive, and Xie Changyu had no idea what the guy was up to. If he was trying to annoy him, then fine, he had succeeded.

If it weren't for the fact that he would need this guy to pay later, he would have kicked him out long ago.

The entire private room fell silent. The storyteller below was still talking, but he had started recounting strange and unusual tales, seemingly worried that he might be caught out for talking too much.

The drinks, tea, and snacks were served quickly. Xie Changyu touched the teapot; it was warm, but he didn't plan to drink it. After all, he was a lightweight, and he didn't know what he would do if he got drunk. What if he said something embarrassing in front of Pei Zilie later?

So, despite having a slight urge to try it, Xie Changyu restrained himself. He reached for the kettle next to him, poured himself a cup, and then took a bite of a persimmon.

Pei Zilie, who was standing next to him, saw his actions and openly mocked him. He laughed loudly, "No way, Xie Changyu, you're a man who can't drink alcohol, are you a weakling!"

Xie Changyu laughed instead of getting angry. He chuckled and said, "Me, weak? I only know who cried miserably in my bed that day."

As soon as he finished speaking, the two fell silent.

Pei Zilie's face was a little red, perhaps from drinking just now, but his eyes showed shock and embarrassment.

As for Xie Changyu, he regretted it as soon as he finished speaking. He had just spoken without thinking and couldn't help himself. Who told this guy to mock him as a weakling?

But after saying it, he realized that his words were too crude and didn't fit his persona at all. As a result, a flush appeared on his face, not from the alcohol.

"Cough cough cough!"

Pei Zilie finally managed to swallow the wine in his mouth. He coughed a few times, then pointed at Xie Changyu and said, "Where did you learn such language! So vulgar and disgusting!"

Seeing his strong reaction, Xie Changyu calmed down a bit. He composed himself and continued, "Did I say something wrong?"

Pei Zilie jumped to his feet, slamming the wine pot on the table with a loud clang. His face flushed even more, and his tone was ambiguous, as if he were angry or something else, "You're absolutely unreasonable!"

After saying that, he turned to leave.

"Remember to pay when you leave," Xie Changyu said.

Pei Zilie swayed his foot, gave a heavy snort, and walked away.

Xie Changyu was worried that this guy might leave without paying. If that happened, he would have Fu Jing put a sack on him tomorrow.

As for the fact that no one will escort him home after he leaves, he's not worried about that at all. He's not a child anymore, and it's no big deal for him to go back by himself.

With this in mind, Xie Changyu felt relieved and continued drinking his tea.

But unexpectedly, things changed so quickly. No sooner had Pei Zilie left than the entire tavern was surrounded by the Imperial Guards.

All the guests in the tavern were detained, and Xie Changyu was terrified.

What's going on? What's going on?

Xie Changyu sat in his original spot, but now there was an Imperial Guard next to him. He felt dizzy and didn't understand what was going on that could bring an army under the tyrant's orders to a small tavern.

Wait, a tyrant?

Xie Changyu had a bad feeling. He suddenly remembered the story he had heard in this place last time and Fu Jing's words about the tyrant's control over the ministers.

He swallowed hard, his slender fingers on the table unconsciously curling up, and he felt sweat beading on his back.

Calm down, calm down.

This has nothing to do with him. As long as he stays calm, that's all that matters. He's just an innocent bystander.

Having finally calmed himself down, Xie Changyu recalled the tyrant's bloody system of collective punishment. His eyelashes trembled wildly, and water droplets slowly slid down his delicate skin.

Suddenly, Xie Changyu heard a familiar voice outside, "Let me go! Let me in!"

"Your Highness..."

"My royal uncle won't blame me, please let me in!"

"Yes!" came the unanimous reply.

Xie Changyu's heart suddenly settled. He looked at Pei Zilie, who had returned, and slowly lowered his hand.

"You go out and keep watch first, since neither of us can escape anyway."

This was Pei Zilie speaking to the Imperial Guard. As the only Crown Prince of the dynasty and the emperor's only descendant, he carried significant weight with these Imperial Guards, who dared not be negligent in the slightest.

After everyone left, Xie Changyu, having regained his senses, became furious and threw the plate on the table directly at Pei Zilie.

"You still know to come back." Xie Changyu raised his head, sweat streaming down his cold, jade-like neck, his eyes slightly red, revealing a vulnerability unlike anything he had seen before.

Seeing that he was like this, Pei Zilie couldn't even remember to hold a grudge against him for throwing things at him. Instead, he panicked. Before he could delve into his emotions, he subconsciously walked over.

The once arrogant prince lowered his head, his eyes filled with deep self-reproach, and said in a low voice, "It was my fault."

Xie Changyu ignored him.

"I don't know why the Imperial Guards are here. If I had known, I definitely wouldn't have abandoned you."

Actually, he had only stayed outside the tavern, and when he saw the Imperial Guards enter, he realized something was wrong and came in.

Pei Zilie was quite frightened by the person in front of him, and he even felt resentful towards his uncle who had not appeared. He had suddenly sent the Imperial Guard to this small tavern late at night, even though he knew very well that the Imperial Guard's presence here must be for something important.

He naturally knew that this Imperial Guard would not be mobilized without the Emperor's order, and Xie Changyu was an innocent victim this time.

Therefore, taking people away was naturally an easy task.

Pei Zilie personally escorted the man back to the Minister's residence before leaving, and as he left, he earnestly assured Xie Changyu that he would make it up to him this time.

Xie Changyu took the opportunity to ask for a lot of things, including many valuable items that the tyrant had bestowed upon Pei Zilie from his private treasury.

The next day, just as Pei Zilie was about to come and apologize, he learned that the Xie family of three had entered the palace.

"Did they go to the palace?" Pei Zilie asked the steward of the manor.

"Yes, Your Highness, the young master also went with the master and the others."

Pei Zilie nodded dejectedly, "Alright, then remember to let me know when your young master comes back."

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Author's Note: [Orange Candy][Orange Candy][Orange Candy]