After the initial shock, a sense of panic washed over Jiang Chuting. He tried to get up, but before his lips could even leave hers, Lin Zhi pressed him down again, holding him firmly with his arms.
Their lips inevitably touched again.
Their breaths mingled, and Lin Zhi unconsciously captured his lips in a kiss. When Lin Zhi's soft, warm tongue touched his lips, he felt a tingling numbness spread from the back of his neck to the top of his head, and his mind became increasingly buzzing. He opened his eyes wide, struggled to straighten up, and quickly and neatly untied Lin Zhi's hands that were holding him, finally managing to escape from his embrace.
Lin Zhi, reeking of alcohol, groaned uncomfortably a few times, her hand went limp, and she fell back onto the bed, turned over, and continued to sleep.
Jiang Chuting quickly turned away, her gaze wandering aimlessly in the air. Her breathing was still a little unsteady, and she was completely unable to recall the scene from just now.
After calming down a bit following the chaos, my most important thought was that when Lin Zhi woke up tomorrow, I absolutely must not let him know about this.
Lin Zhi has always been disgusted by men and their affairs. When she is close to him, it is only because she treats him like an elder and acts coquettishly. But if there is any intimate action that goes further and has other meanings, even if it is unintentional, he would probably find it hard to accept.
Jiang Chuting turned back to look at the back of his head. He was drunk; he probably wouldn't remember.
After taking a bath, Jiang Chuting looked at the motionless person on the bed from a few steps away. After thinking for a moment, she finally walked over and lay down on the edge of the bed with her back to him.
Whether at Xiangsi Xiaozhu or during this time away, he had always slept with Lin Zhi, but tonight, the awkwardness he felt when he first slept with Lin Zhi returned.
Jiang Chuting sighed silently. In the future, it would be best to let him drink less alcohol.
I think I was thinking about drinking while I was awake, and I also had related dreams after I fell asleep.
In his dream, he was still the naive young man he once was, drunk and lying in bed, with Zi Que taking care of him and wiping his face.
"I told you not to drink too much, but you wouldn't listen. Are you drunk?"
"He's usually so proper, but he's still so well-behaved even when he's drunk."
"What are you muttering about?" Zi Que chuckled, leaned closer to listen, and said softly, "I'm here. Here, let me wipe your hands again."
After tidying up, Zi Que took his hands in hers and kissed them. Her expression was noticeably different from before, and she stared at his face with a complicated look in her eyes.
"Chu Ting...you have no idea how important you are to me."
"I've been in a dark and gloomy place for too long, and I've lost all hope for life. My parents, my relatives, the people around me, they're all crazy, not one of them is normal."
"Until I met you."
"Meeting you and being with you is the greatest luck of my life. Thank you, I am so grateful for the warmest and most relaxing time you have given me."
"It feels like I'm truly living for the first time."
"Chu Ting, how wonderful it would be if I could hold your hand like this forever."
"I really want to get rid of them completely."
"But……"
Jiang Chuting opened her eyes, the dream dissipated, and Zi Que's figure and voice vanished instantly.
Slowly raising the hand holding the wooden hairpin, the back of the hand seemed to still retain the damp heat from the dream.
His gaze was dazed, and he vaguely realized what he had dreamt of. After he woke up from his drunken stupor that time, Zi Que had deliberately teased him, saying that he was particularly enthusiastic when he was drunk, hugging and kissing him. He spoke with great seriousness, but Jiang Chuting didn't believe him at all. Because Zi Que always felt that he was young, yet always so earnest and serious, he couldn't help but tease him and then laugh heartily.
Jiang Chuting had no idea that this cheerful and always smiling person actually harbored deep and repressed secrets.
It was only after having this dream that I realized he had been hiding his bitterness and melancholy when he couldn't see or hear.
Jiang Chuting remained lost in thought for a long time, then stroked the wooden hairpin with her fingers.
It really was Zi Que appearing to him in a dream, wasn't it?
Jiang Chuting murmured, "Are you afraid that as time goes by, I'll forget you?"
How could I forget? You forced me to kill you with my own hands...
A while after Jiang Chuting got up, Lin Zhi also woke up, rubbed his head and sat up. He looked around and found Jiang Chuting already drinking tea at the table. He smiled brightly at him and said, "Churan, good morning."
"Good morning." Jiang Chuting replied with a smile, looking calm. "Does your head hurt? Get up, wash up, and drink some hangover soup; it'll help." Seeing him smiling, it seemed he truly didn't remember what happened last night, and she couldn't help but feel a little relieved.
Lin Zhi smiled and nodded, then asked him, "By the way, Chu Ran, I was drunk yesterday, did I bother you?"
Jiang Chuting replied, "No, I went to sleep as soon as I got back."
Lin Zhi's eyes flickered slightly as she stared intently at him. He remained calm and composed, making it impossible to detect any unusual behavior.
Lin Zhi pursed her lips, threw back the covers, got out of bed, put on her shoes, and asked with a seemingly disbelieving smile, "Am I really that honest? You really didn't do anything else? Like... throw up on you?"
Jiang Chuting shook her head and patiently answered again, "No, you are very quiet."
Lin Zhi said softly, "Is that so?" and then said nothing more.
That day, Master Huang originally wanted to personally entertain them by showing them around the mansion, but Lin Zhiwan declined. The two of them were enjoying their time together and didn't want any outsiders to spoil the mood.
Master Huang said, "Then please do as you please. Just tell the servants if you need anything." Then he wisely left them alone.
After lunch that day, Jiang Chuting and Lin Zhi were strolling around the garden when they noticed a frail young man retching under a tree next to the pavilion in the middle of the lake. He looked very uncomfortable.
Judging from his clothes, he didn't seem to be a servant, but he certainly wasn't the young master of the Huang family either. Scanning the area, and seeing no one else nearby, Jiang Chuting asked from afar, "Are you alright?"
Although Jiang Chuting's voice wasn't loud, the boy was still startled and turned around abruptly. He was thin and slender with big eyes and fair skin, and had a delicate appearance. At this moment, his eyes were filled with tears.
He glanced timidly at Jiang Chuting and Lin Zhi, "I... I'm fine, thank you."
Seeing him instinctively cover his stomach with his hand, Jiang Chuting asked gently, "Are you feeling unwell? Should we call a doctor?"
The boy's eyes widened, and he quickly shook his head: "No, no, I, I know a little bit of medicine myself. It's nothing, just a little... an upset stomach." After stammering this, he buried his head and ran away.
An hour later, Jiang Chuting went to the front hall to see Master Huang, only to find Huang Yu embracing a handsome young man intimately. The young man kept his head down and didn't even look up, but Jiang Chuting still recognized him as the one she had met in the garden.
It seems he is one of the handsome young men Huang Yu keeps.
Needless to say, Huang Yu was severely reprimanded by Master Huang again. Huang Yu touched the boy's face and said nonchalantly, "Anyway, if I let myself be carefree for two more days, I'll be dead. Why do you have to make things difficult for me, Father?"
Upon hearing this, Master Huang's anger instantly turned to sorrow. He sighed deeply and slumped down. Although he had invited Jiang Chuting and his group, and would have the assistance of the government, he still felt uncertain. After all, the experts he had previously hired at great expense had all failed to protect his son. With time running out, he didn't know what the outcome would be.
In less than three months, the whole family was ruined.
Jiang Chuting and Lin Zhi took their seats, and Huang Yu gently pushed the young man away, saying, "Young Master, you should go back first."
So his name was Shaojun. As he bowed and retreated, Jiang Chuting noticed that he was again clutching his stomach. Seemingly sensing that someone was watching him, Shaojun quickened his pace.
Jiang Chuting's lips moved, but he didn't say anything. Lin Zhi noticed the way he had been looking at someone and leaned closer to ask in a low voice, "What's wrong? Why are you paying so much attention to him?"
Jiang Chuting said softly, "It's nothing."
Previously, Master Huang said that although he was in business, he always valued harmony and tried his best not to offend anyone. Even if he offended someone unknowingly, it wouldn't be so serious as to warrant the killing of his entire family. So, no matter how hard he racked his brains, he couldn't figure out who harbored such malice towards his family. Moreover, the fact that they weren't all killed, but rather one by one, was even more terrifying.
Jiang Chuting felt that he was focusing all his attention on business, which might be a wrong direction, so she asked him if any other family members had done anything too outrageous to cause hatred.
Master Huang shook his head, saying no. His wife was kind-hearted, and although his son and daughter each had their own shortcomings, they never did anything harmful. Apart from having a sharp tongue and a homosexual tendency, Huang Yu kept his male lovers well in the courtyard, without beating or scolding them, so he wasn't bad.
Huang Yu was sipping his tea when he suddenly interjected, "We don't have a family now, but we did before we separated. My grandmother and second uncle did some really wicked things back then..."
Upon hearing this, Master Huang coughed silently, presumably still believing that family scandals should not be aired in public, and gestured to Huang Yu to stop talking.
Master Huang firmly stated, "This happened many years ago. My second brother is no longer alive, and any grudges have been settled. Moreover, logically speaking, if anyone is to blame, it's not us. It should have nothing to do with this matter."
Huang Yu shrugged and stopped talking.
Since they were unwilling to talk, Jiang Chuting couldn't force them. After sitting for a while, he got up and left with Lin Zhi.
On the fourth day, Jiang Chuting and Lin Zhi moved into Huang Yu's courtyard. Huang Yu, who had previously been indifferent, finally showed a hint of tension on his face and did not invite any of his male concubines to accompany him.
Perhaps to ease the tension, Huang Yu started talking to the two of them, "Hey, you two experts, to be honest, are you two together?"
Lin Zhi glanced at Jiang Chuting, but Jiang Chuting didn't look at him. He only said to Huang Yu, "Young Master Huang, you've misunderstood. We're not like that. He's my junior."
Lin Zhi continued to stare at him.
Huang Yu scoffed, peeled a peanut, popped it into his mouth, and chewed. He swept his all-knowing gaze between the two of them. "Let me tell you, I've had a sharp eye for people since I was born! You two aren't right now, and I guarantee you will be in the future. I can tell who's on top and who's on the bottom."
For the first time, Jiang Chuting was so embarrassed that she didn't want to say anything, and silently lowered her eyes.
Surprisingly, Lin Zhi didn't lose his temper; he just snorted coldly, probably because he had nothing more to say.
Then, Huang Yu just kept talking to himself.
Suddenly, a barely perceptible rustling sound came from the roof. Huang Yu, who was not skilled in martial arts, did not hear it at all and was still peeling peanuts.
Jiang Chuting's eyes sharpened, and she quickly stood up, gripping her sword. Lin Zhi also stood up.
Huang Yu was startled by their reaction, dropped the peanuts on the ground, and froze.
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