The young man sat on the wall, his crimson robe swaying in the evening breeze. His hair crown was askew, letting down a few strands of black hair, making him look quite dejected. However, his face was stained a brilliant color by the strong liquor, and his lips were as fresh and tender as cherries in June.
The stars and torches were all reflected in his eyes, making his dark pupils surprisingly bright.
He was utterly disheveled, yet also exceedingly beautiful.
The man looked up at the young man, and his usually cold and hard heart trembled slightly.
Is this a human or a monster?
Hearing the footsteps getting closer inside the wall, Zhuang Li urged: "Why are you standing there? Hurry up and hold me! I'm going to jump!" He was so timid just now, but now he threw himself into the man's arms without hesitation.
The man had no time to think. He subconsciously took two quick steps, stretched out his strong arms, and steadily caught the falling boy.
"Master, be careful!" Five strong men shouted hurriedly!
If the young man has any hidden weapons or poison on him, the master will be finished if he touches them!
Five strong men immediately surrounded him, each holding a large knife that gleamed with cold light.
However, the imagined assassination did not happen. After the boy landed, he consciously took a few steps back and chuckled, "I knew you could catch me!"
He didn't even say thank you. He really doesn't know how to write the word "polite".
The sound of chaotic footsteps came again, but not from inside the wall, but from outside. The officials were chasing them out.
Zhuang Li pointed at the dragon jade pendant tied around the tall man's waist and said firmly, "You are a royal family member, right? Those yamen runners would definitely not dare to mess with you."
The man regretted his reckless behavior and was unwilling to respond. He just glanced at the five guards and signaled them to start the interrogation.
Anyone who escapes from the brothel must undergo strict interrogation.
Five strong men surrounded Zhuang Li, each with a colder expression than the last.
7480 sighed, "The gods of this world seem so ruthless!"
But how could such a cold reception make Zhuang Li back down? He suddenly opened his eyes wide and looked towards somewhere in the darkness with horror, as if there was a suspicious person hiding there.
The five strong men surrounding him immediately turned around to check the situation.
Zhuang Li seized this opportunity, slipped out from under their armpits, lifted the tall man's cloak, and whispered, "Let me hide for a moment!"
The man looked at Zhuang Li in astonishment. He didn't understand why his defenses had failed. In the past, he would have instinctively snapped the neck of anyone who approached him without permission.
Zhuang Li, using the cover of his cloak, went from the back to the front, slipped into the man's arms, and whispered, "Hold me!"
The man stood still.
Zhuang Li pulled off her crooked hair crown, let down her long black hair, untied the tassel accessory at her waist and used it as a hairband, gathered her loose hair into a loose bun, and finally stood on tiptoe, plucked a hibiscus flower hanging by the wall, and pinned it to her ear.
The man looked at him quietly, his deep eyes flashing with an obscure light.
Zhuang Li styled himself into a woman's hairstyle, then gathered his wide man's cloak tightly to cover his men's clothing.
He buried his face in the man's broad chest, took a deep breath, and said in an inaudible voice: "If the bailiffs come after us, just say you haven't seen me. Do you understand?"
The man remained silent, his face calm and solemn.
Zhuang Li bumped his forehead against his chest and pressed, "Did you hear that?" He raised his face, his pupils bright with anxiety and anger.
A strong scent of powder wafted from him, and the bright red lip print behind his fair ear looked particularly glaring in the firelight.
There is no doubt that this was left by a prostitute in the brothel.
The man stared at the lip print, his expression becoming increasingly cold, then he raised his hand and repeatedly stroked the skin.
His fingertips were covered with thick calluses, which scratched Zhuang Li and hurt him.
The lip print disappeared, but a bright red spot was left there, with pale blue blood vessels flowing underneath. The blood, which was burned hot by the strong liquor, penetrated the skin and emitted a sweet scent, like flowers and honey.
The annoying scent of powder was covered up.
The man lowered his head and took a deep sniff.
At the same time, the messy footsteps also came over.
Zhuang Li didn't care about the stinging on his skin. He quickly stood on tiptoe, hugged the man's neck, and buried his head in the crook of his neck.
He was only eighteen years old and a little malnourished, so he was really at a disadvantage in terms of height.
The man who had been standing still until now finally stretched out an arm and hugged Zhuang Li's waist tightly, making his body stick more tightly to his.
The two of them hugged each other in the night, one lowered his eyes and sniffed lightly, the other shyly hid his face, looking like a pair of lovers having a secret affair.
Dozens of yamen runners came running over with torches in hand. As soon as they saw the man's face clearly, it was as if a pair of invisible hands were strangling their throats, and they dared not make a sound at all.
The cheering stopped abruptly.
Seeing their master embrace the young man and help him cover his tracks, the five strong men naturally did not interfere. They immediately waved their hands and dismissed the dozens of yamen runners who were about to kneel down to pay their respects.
The yamen runners breathed a sigh of relief and immediately turned around and ran away.
After a long while, Zhuang Li finally let go of the man's neck, leaned against his chest and let out a breath.
This time, his legs shouldn't be broken.
The man still held his waist and asked, "Where are you from?" His voice was as deep and rich as a thousand-year-old bell or drum.
Zhuang Li lay even softer in his arms, silent.
Instead of pushing him away, the man raised his other hand, gently covered his thin back, and asked again: "Where are you from?"
Zhuang Li: “…” I said I don’t know, do you believe it?
7480 flipped through the script: "Master, don't worry, I'll help you check it right away!"
At that moment, the girl and the plump young man who had emerged from the dog hole also ran to the back alley. With their hair covered in grass, they entered the area illuminated by the torches in a very embarrassed manner.
When he saw the tall man's face clearly, the fat young man almost screamed.
The girl also opened her eyes wide, with an expression as if she had been struck by lightning.
The man gently rubbed Zhuang Li's back, which was so thin that only a bag of bones remained, and asked, "Are you here to see him?"
The fat young man nodded subconsciously, then shook his head frantically. No, no, no, they weren't looking for this lecher who jumped out of the brothel, they were just passing by!
Even the young girl stood there hesitantly, not daring to step forward and recognize Zhuang Li.
Zhuang Li: “…” Very good, he remembered these two people.
"What are you still standing there for? Go home." Zhuang Li lowered his body and crawled out of the man's arms.
The man took a few steps forward and said slowly, "I'll take you there."
The fat young man swallowed his saliva, revealing an expression that looked like he wanted to cry but couldn't. If he had known this would happen, he would rather have stayed in the brothel and been caught!
The girl said in a trembling voice, "No need! We can go back by ourselves."
However, the man did not take her words seriously at all. He pinched Zhuang Li's waist, which was so thin that it could be held in one hand, and carried him into a carriage parked on the side of the road.
After Zhuang Li sat down, he smiled and said, "You are such a good person."
The man looked at him intently, his eyes hard to read.
The fat young man and the young girl stood huddled together, their faces pale, like prisoners waiting to be punished.
The man didn't even spare them a glance. He got on his horse and ordered, "Are you not getting on yet?"
The fat young man and the girl quickly climbed onto the carriage and sat at the outside.
"Feng Yi, what is your relationship with them?" The man looked at the fat young man.
The fat young man immediately betrayed the brother and sister: "He is my cousin Zhuang Li, and she is my cousin Zhuang Xiaohui."
The man nodded suddenly, as if he had guessed Zhuang Li's identity.
7480 also started yelling at this point, "Master, this script is seriously flawed! The entire plot is messed up! Let me first explain your identities. You are the legitimate son of the Minister of Revenue, Zhuang Ai, and this girl is your biological sister, Zhuang Xiaohui. However, although you are officially legitimate sons and daughters, your lives are even worse than those of illegitimate children. Your mother died young, and your father made his true love his concubine, so you both grew up under the care of your stepmother."
"This concubine also gave birth to a son and a daughter. The son is a few months older than you and is the eldest son. The daughter is the same age as your sister. To ensure that her own children would inherit the family business, this concubine raised you into a waste and your sister into a coward."
Zhuang Li interrupted 7480, "Zhuang Xiaohui, who's sitting next to me, is no coward. Dressing up as a man and running into a brothel to save her brother is something an average woman in ancient times would never dare to do."
"That's why I said the plot is messed up!" 7480 kept scratching his head.
"Then let's talk about it when we get back." Zhuang Li plucked the hibiscus flower from her temples, placed it to her nose, as if sniffing it, or as if kissing it, and then handed it to the man.
"This is my thank you gift," he said with a smile.
The man did not refuse the humble gift.
He lowered his eyes to look at the fresh flower, then looked at the boy's beautiful face, his eyes darkening.
The fat young man lowered his head and wiped the sweat off his face silently. He had never known his cousin to be so tactless.
Zhuang Xiaohui leaned against the car wall, staring blankly at the night sky, her face filled with the words "no hope in life." It was over, things were getting worse!
When the carriage reached the back alley of the Shangshu Mansion, Zhuang Xiaohui mustered up the courage to say, "Sir, please just drop us off here."
The man ignored her words, his eyes fixed on Zhuang Li, and said solemnly: "You've learned to visit prostitutes at such a young age, you're quite promising."
The fat young man broke out in a sweat.
Zhuang Li immediately betrayed his cousin: "It's his birthday today, and he asked me to go play, so I went. I don't usually like to play this kind of thing."
This is the truth. Although the original owner was playful, he had no interest in women. He only liked to eat, drink and gamble, and never visited prostitutes.
Zhuang Xiaohui nodded frantically.
The fat young man was so angry that he was shaking. Well, these two ungrateful guys sold him out so easily! Just wait, he will never give them pocket money again!
However, as soon as this thought came up, the fat young man regretted it and said: Forget it, I'd better continue to give it. We don't lack this little money.
The man stared at the fat young man's hair, not scolding him, but his eyes became sharper. This attitude was more terrifying than a rage.
When the fat young man could no longer hold on and wanted to kowtow and apologize, they arrived at the main gate of the Zhuang Mansion. The man sat in the car without moving, but just gave a solemn order: "Go and call Zhuang Ai out."
When he arrived at the Shangshu Mansion, he did not get off the carriage to respectfully hand over the visiting card. Instead, he called the host out to greet him. This shows that the man's identity was extraordinary.
Zhuang Li probably guessed the identity of his lover.
Zhuang Xiaohui obviously knew the inside story, so she showed a desperate expression.
It's over. My brother might be beaten to death by my father this time! If she had known this, she wouldn't have gone out to save him!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
