Looking at the Sword by Lamplight (10)

When Meng Shizhuang first heard this, she didn't understand what Bian Hongqiu meant.

In the bedroom, the two swords that Lao Ju never left behind him hung crosswise behind the door. Meng Shizhuang, inevitably distracted by this awkward embrace of Bian Hongqiu, had met and parted ways with Bian Hongqiu, and he had heard more than once from Lao Ju about the gentle and kindly Prince Liang.

It was obvious that Lao Ju raised him, so why is he obsessed with another child with whom he can't even "get along"?

However, no matter how much the old man mentioned it, he never said anything like "others did something better than you", as if it was just some old story that he would talk about in his spare time while rocking in the sunset.

Where is Bian Hongqiu?

It must be the same feeling she had when Lao Ju occasionally brought it up to reminisce. After a few months of companionship, and now that it was a fledgling, she couldn't help but feel a special attachment to Lao Ju. Even Meng Shizhuang had to ask for some favors from him, just like the two children in the bun vendor's family. Whenever the younger son couldn't grab something from his older brother, he would ask, "Why doesn't my brother like me?"

Meng Shizhuang was almost breaking into a cold sweat from the pain in her waist as she tried to complete the logic behind Bian Hongqiu's inexplicable and shocking words.

Bian Hongqiu looked as slender and handsome as a bamboo, but in reality he still had the weight of a grown man, not to mention he was drunk. Meng Shizhuang patched up the wounds on his body, but he was too weak to do anything, and he slowly fell to the ground with Bian Hongqiu in his arms.

What bullshit.

The dignified Prince Liang, drunk in the middle of the night, had no attendants at all, and came to him to act drunk and crazy. He even wanted to "be liked" by a person like him who had nothing.

Meng Shizhuang took off Mulan's sword and felt that he had suffered an unprovoked disaster.

The Mulan Sword clanged to the ground, and the two people who had been tangling in the room for almost an incense stick slid to the ground together. Bian Hongqiu was very drunk and was aware that he was dragging Meng Shizhuang to the ground. He vaguely thought: Ah Shi's injury has not healed yet.

As he thought about it, he blurted out: "Ah, your, your injury..."

Meng Shizhuang closed her eyes and accepted her fate. If she had known that she would have swung the Mulan sword and knocked the person out when she heard the noise.

Bian Hongqiu couldn't control his heels and fell backwards, but his arms were still strong enough to hold Meng Shizhuang's waist tightly. Fortunately, he was able to pin Meng Shizhuang down on him when his body hit the ground. His mind was completely focused on Meng Shizhuang, and the rest of his body was unable to react quickly due to drunkenness. So the back of his head fell to the ground with a crisp sound.

Meng Shizhuang was startled.

He'd seen drunken patients fall to their deaths before, and he immediately wriggled out of Bian Hongqiu's arms, eager to see if he'd knocked the Prince of Liang, who had always seemed so wise and powerful since their reunion, unconscious. He supported himself with one hand, kneeling on either side of Bian Hongqiu's thighs, while keeping one hand on his waist.

"Bian Hongqiu!"

Unfortunately, Meng Shizhuang didn't have any supernatural powers. If she didn't hold on to the ground, she would have fallen on Bian Hongqiu. She had no choice but to hold on to her waist and move closer and closer. "Bian Hongqiu, say something!"

The moonlight slanted into the house, and he saw Bian Hongqiu's face flushed, with his head tilted to the other side. After hearing his name, he slowly turned his head and opened his eyes. When his eyelids lifted, he still saw the pair of eyes full of watery and springy feelings, staring at Meng Shizhuang intently. Then, as if he recognized him, he slowly gave him a perfect smile.

Meng Shizhuang breathed a sigh of relief, as long as there was still a reaction.

Bian Hongqiu started babbling again: "Ah, your eyes tell me that you don't like me."

Meng Shizhuang tried to retreat and said coldly, "Yes, I hate drunkards even more."

Bian Hongqiu stood there with his eyes wide open, not moving.

Meng Shizhuang sighed and wanted to kneel down at his knees to pull him up. Unexpectedly, before he could straighten his back, Bian Hongqiu suddenly tugged at him. He suddenly lost his balance, and one hand was clasped behind his waist, and his forehead hit Bian Hongqiu's chin directly, making him see stars.

"you……"

Bian Hongqiu placed one hand on the side of Meng Shizhuang's neck, his thumb stroking the sensitive skin dishonestly, and then he used his index finger to pinch his jaw under his ear to lift his head up.

Meng Shizhuang raised his face with the force and was about to curse without thinking, but the scoundrel below had already slid his nimble thumb to the other side of his chin, and with a force that seemed very light and impossible to break free from, tied him up like spider silk in a silk cave, and finally pressed it against his dry lips.

He heard a sigh from the other party.

Meng Shizhuang stood there in shock, the smell of alcohol lingering around his nose. He and Bian Hongqiu were so close that their eyelashes were almost touching.

The overwhelming love and attachment in the other person's eyes burned his brain.

He wondered: Is this real or a dream? Who is actually drunk?

Until Bian Hongqiu carefully placed his fingers on the side of his lips and tried to pry open his lips with the tip of his tongue.

Meng Shizhuang woke up immediately. He pressed his soft right hand against Bian Hongqiu's collarbone and used the force to push himself up.

“Crack.”

Meng Shizhuang's mind, lost in shock and intoxication, was jolted awake by a sudden pain in his waist. He closed his eyes in agony, leaning against his waist and gasping for air for a long moment before finally opening them. He forced himself to calm down, thinking carefully over the situation, but he couldn't figure out where Bian Hongqiu's overwhelming feelings came from.

He wanted to see the gangster's expression clearly.

Let’s see whether it is a fabrication or whether he is mistaken for someone else.

When Meng Shizhuang lowered her head, she was once again stunned and frozen in place.

Bian Hongqiu's face was still drunk, but his eyes were wide open. The water in his eyes flowed from the corners of his eyes into a thin stream, winding down to his chin like pearls and sinking into his collar. He saw Meng Shizhuang looking at him and choked up, "How dare you do this to me?"

Meng Shizhuang was confused by this scene of the thief crying "stop thief".

He looked at his posture and Bian Hongqiu again, and all his words turned into a helpless sigh.

You can't argue with a drunkard.

He ignored Bian Hongqiu and groped for the Mulan sword he had dropped from his legs. He propped himself up, moving around Bian Hongqiu and moving to the edge of the bed. He placed the Mulan sword beside his pillow, and the heat and alcohol carried by the drunk on the ground dissipated, and he felt the coolness of the spring night.

He stood beside the couch, watching Bian Hongqiu, who was already blinking tiredly on the ground, and looked out the window in the moonlight, recalling every sleepless night on Sujian Mountain. He thought, is my temper really so good now?

But he did not draw his sword to stab Bian Hongqiu to vent his anger, and he even pulled the only quilt on the couch onto Bian Hongqiu.

Meng Shizhuang, pillow, sword, and clothes closed his eyes, his mind racing. Bian Hongqiu's gradually calming breathing drifted into his ears, and the more he thought about it, the more absurd it became. His whole body ached, and he couldn't even turn over. He reluctantly moved to the innermost part of the bed, leaning against the wall and sitting cross-legged again. He didn't feel sleepy until the dawn.

Bian Hongqiu, who had "committed a crime", was unaware of anything and slept soundly all night on the cold ground and under the brocade quilt.

At noon the next day, he woke up with a splitting headache - in addition to the hangover, he felt a lump on the back of his head.

What's going on?

Before leaving the restaurant, Song Jingyan was leading the way, so how could she have caused such a big bump on the back of his head?

He bent his legs and sat up. The sunlight stung his eyelids, but he couldn't open them. He had to cover his eyes and recall what happened last night.

It seemed like... he was drunk, being dragged by Qinhe Qiuhe, and shouting that he wanted to jump into the river?

Bian Hongqiu let out a long sigh.

Lose face.

Then, it was his sister who helped him back to his room?

Thinking of this, Bian Hongqiu touched the cold ground with one hand. His heart faltered, a bad premonition spreading through him. He struggled to open his eyes, which had swollen like walnuts, and the glare of the sunlight nearly brought tears to his eyes. He turned his head away, and then, to his surprise, the other person in the room said in a low, muffled voice, "You're not done yet, are you? Why do you have so much to cry about?"

Bian Hongqiu shuddered and turned around to meet Meng Shizhuang's haggard and dark eyes.

The absurd memories of last night instantly flashed through his rusty brain. He hugged the quilt and looked up at Meng Shizhuang. His face was numb and all his emotions were hidden in his eyelids - panic, hope, worry... hidden in his eyes that were swollen into slits, so Meng Shizhuang could not see anything. He only saw that this "water-made" King Liang had a drooping mouth, as if he could burst into tears at any time.

Bian Hongqiu didn't know whether to explain the incident of flirting with Meng Shizhuang first, or to save face by explaining that she was not a tearful beauty. She really tried to drown her sorrows in alcohol last night, but ended up causing more sorrow.

He hesitated to speak, not a single word uttered.

Meng Shizhuang looked at him quietly: "Go ahead."

Bian Hongqiu was speechless. "I... I drank..." His eyes narrowed, but it didn't affect his vision. He could clearly see the words "blame it all on the alcohol" written on Meng Shizhuang's face, and he couldn't find any excuses. Silence filled the room, and Bian Hongqiu was almost unable to raise his head under Meng Shizhuang's gaze.

Carpe Diem.

He, on the other hand, didn't experience any deep love at all, but instead had to start the process of ending first.

Bian Hongqiu really didn't want to be a coward in front of Meng Shizhuang. She would be in danger if she showed her head and withdrew, so she simply admitted, "Yes, I am vulgar and shameless. I had improper thoughts about you and used alcohol to get rid of my lust..."

Meng Shizhuang interrupted him: "Shut up."

Bian Hongqiu shut up obediently.

Meng Shizhuang hadn't slept all night, and his back still ached. He didn't have the energy to curse. He took a deep breath and asked, "Who did you mistake me for last night?"

Bian Hongqiu looked up at him suddenly: "I didn't!"

He suddenly stopped again and saw the deep fatigue on Meng Shizhuang's face. He didn't know how to explain it. He was afraid that the more sincere the words were, the more burdensome they would be to Meng Shizhuang.

Meng Shizhuang didn't understand the conflict in his heart and simply nodded knowingly, "Your Highness Prince Liang, you are a man of great talent, both civil and military, and you deserve to be remembered in history. You don't need to place your heart on a humble person like me just for the so-called life-saving grace you gave me when you were young. You've chosen the wrong person."

Bian Hongqiu looked at him from the same position and asked, "Are you telling the truth?"

Meng Shizhuang: "Not a single word is false."

He thought: What's the difference between true and false? Isn't that what they say? This is more serious than the rejections he'd given to the matchmakers on the streets of Huangque Island. This Prince Liang clearly respected his feelings for others, so he must be removed from the garrison today.

He thought, automatically turning the page for Bian Hongqiu, and immediately thought of the next chapter. He wondered if Liu Lang could continue studying here. He was still a little worried, but then he heard Bian Hongqiu's words, which were barely concealed with arrogance: "Ah, do you always think so highly of me? I'm nowhere near as good as you."

Meng Shizhuang: “…”

He stared blankly at Bian Hongqiu, suspecting that he didn't understand what he was saying.

He opened his mouth, but was speechless.

Bian Hongqiu also saw the profound weakness in his eyes, and immediately realized he'd only heard half of what he'd said. But he bravely scrutinized Meng Shizhuang's expression. He saw no dislike or disgust towards him; it seemed he simply wanted to quickly sever ties with him out of fear of trouble. A thought struck him: "Ah, the situation in Zuodan's Eighteen Continents is tense. You've also been to Prince Liang's Mansion. Our relationship with His Majesty is delicate, and many things remain uncertain..."

He put his hand over his walnut-shaped eyes, trying to make himself look less embarrassed. "I just don't know how to tell you how I feel. Ten years after we parted, I actually miss you very much. You are not a commoner. Back then, the capital was in turmoil, and everyone in the Liang Palace was dancing on the edge of a knife, but I was still a coward who wanted to continue hiding behind others. You are braver than me, smarter than me, and more decisive than me. I have admired you since ten years ago, not just because you saved me."

"I'm just afraid that if we continue all the way to the west, the situation in the capital could change at any time. I don't want to regret it and put you in a difficult position."

Meng Shizhuang: "Then you are quite greedy - don't block it, I have seen it clearly."

Bian Hongqiu put down his hand. He didn't hear any other emotion in Meng Shizhuang's words, and his heart was strangely relaxed.

Meng Shizhuang still didn't give in: "I'm leaving here today."

"Your Highness Prince Liang, don't waste your time. I..." He thought for a moment and decided to be decisive. "I like women."