Chapter 22
After arriving in Tongguan, Rongxiang's life temporarily returned to normal. Like a cheetah lying in the grass, he calmly observed all the movements within Xi'an.
From the moment Zhao Zhensheng joined him in attacking Fu Yangshan, he had been plotting to leave that troublesome place. The riots by the Manchu soldiers were a perfect opportunity. Now, it is widely believed that he was under heavy criticism and had no choice but to leave, which is why he ended up in Tongguan.
Not long after he left Xi'an, Zhao Zhensheng sent troops to Bashang—he finally found himself a partner, the Hui army.
Originally, Fu Yangshan and the Hui army were locked in a fierce battle, neither gaining the upper hand. However, the arrival of Zhao Zhensheng drastically changed the situation. Fu Yangshan's army immediately found itself at a disadvantage, forced to retreat thirty li by the Hui army. The Hui army, only wanting to reclaim their land on the dam, ceased fighting once they reached the border. Zhao Zhensheng then took over and continued the battle.
While Fu and Zhao were locked in fierce combat outside the city, undercurrents were also swirling within. Zhao Lingjun had been assassinated, leaving the position of police chief vacant. Chen Jingfu wanted his brother-in-law to take over, but before he could act, Fu Yangshan had already orchestrated a power struggle within the city, directly awarding the position to Fu Jingyuan.
This infuriated Chen Jingfu, but without Zhao Zhensheng's orders, he dared not act rashly. Moreover, the outcome of the battle outside the city was still uncertain. If Fu Yangshan won, Fu Jingyuan would still be the emperor's younger brother in Xi'an, and he couldn't afford to offend him easily.
Fu Jingyuan wasn't happy either. No one had consulted him beforehand, and he had become the police chief without really understanding what was going on. Wearing the brand-new black uniform, he felt like a monkey wearing a crown. However, these were extraordinary times. He knew his elder brother's situation outside the city was quite tense, and as his only younger brother, he couldn't continue to act recklessly.
Rongxiang sat at his desk, flipping through a stack of documents.
Fu and Zhao are now in a mutually destructive situation, but so far, there seems to be no sign of reconciliation. This makes Rong Xiang extremely excited. He puts down the documents, puts on his coat, and paces back and forth in the room several times, his heart pounding so hard he's almost panicking.
After such a long period of decline, he finally returned to the state he was in when he was in Fengtian—or rather, when Yi Zhongming was alive. For an idealist, the clarification of the content of his ideals is the most effective stimulant, enough to revive someone on the verge of death.
He now observes this battle from a detached, third-party perspective, eager to see who will be the first to send him a distress signal.
Footsteps sounded outside the door, and Xiao Meng opened the door and came in: "Third Master, someone's here."
"Oh," Rongxiang said casually as he took off his coat and walked out, "Who?"
"Miss Yan."
Rong Xiang seemed not to understand and asked again, "Is it Director Yan from the Ordnance Department?"
"No, it's Miss Yan."
Rong Xiang stopped in his tracks, looking at Xiao Meng with confusion: "What Miss Yan?"
"Miss Yan Guanglin."
"Yan Guanglin? She's here?"
"Yes, it's in the guest room on the left side of the outer courtyard."
Rongxiang turned to walk back, but then realized something was wrong and turned back. He thought to himself, "This is really strange. Why is Yan Guanglin here?"
"She came alone?"
"Yes. I also brought a small leather suitcase."
Rongxiang had a vague feeling that something was wrong, but he had no choice but to bite the bullet and go see Yan Guanglin.
His residence in Tongguan was a large courtyard house with three sections. He lived in the innermost section, so it took him nearly three minutes to walk to the door. After stopping in front of the guest room, he hesitated for a moment before pushing the door open and going inside.
Yan Guanglin was sitting in a chair in a daze. When she saw Rong Xiang, her first reaction was to nod, with a slightly uneasy smile on her face.
"Miss Yan, what brings you here?"
"What, you're not welcome?"
"No, I'm just... very surprised." Rong Xiang said as he found a chair near the door and sat down.
Yan Guanglin let out a long sigh, putting on a triumphant expression: "This is a long story. Are you interested in hearing it?"
"Of course I'm interested."
When Yan Guanglin recounted her story, she was quite reserved in her words because she was the person involved. But in essence, she had simply run away from home; it was a one-woman elopement.
The story begins after Rongxiang left Xi'an. Yan Guanglin was a wealthy young lady from a British student family. The core tenet of the British student school was indifference and nonchalance, especially when it came to important matters. So, at the banquet at Zhao's mansion, when Rongxiang said he would "take her away," she gave a challenging yet suggestive answer.
In fact, although her words were somewhat nonsensical, she felt a genuine stirring in her heart as soon as she spoke. She waited at home for several days, but no one came to propose marriage; a few days later, she heard that Rongxiang had already led his troops to Tongguan. This greatly surprised her. At that moment, recalling the words "I'll take you away," she suddenly felt a profound sense of understanding.
She thought that Rongxiang must have said that out of the blue because he had already decided to leave Xi'an immediately and knew his family would definitely not approve of the marriage. Of course they wouldn't approve! How could Yan Zhenchan's youngest daughter be so hastily and carelessly married to a notorious warlord? Ah… she sighed sadly, this love really happened at the wrong time and in the wrong place!
If she had simply continued with this melancholic yet restrained lament, she might have forgotten about it in a month or two. But then, Fu Jingyuan returned with a vengeance, actually sending someone to propose marriage. Since taking office as police chief, Fu Jingyuan had been diligently performing his duties, losing a significant amount of weight from the strain. After work, he would change into a suit, put on his glasses, and once again present himself as a quintessential scholar. Yan Zhenchan still held a good impression of him, finding him to be of upright character and erudite, the perfect son-in-law. Moreover, Fu Jingyuan had a good reputation outside, free of any scandals; compared to his elder brother, he was practically the epitome of purity rising from the ashes.
Yan Zhenchan's favoritism towards Fu Jingyuan quickly unified public opinion within the Yan family. Everyone was praising Fu Jingyuan to the skies, waiting only for Fu and Zhao to tire themselves out of their bickering before officially proceeding with the marriage arrangements. Yan Guanglin's protests, though weak and isolated, were completely ineffective—besides, it seemed inappropriate for a young lady to show such concern for her own marriage.
Now, caught in this pincer attack, Yan Guanglin recalled the words "I'll take you away" and was filled with emotion. And because distance makes the heart grow fonder, whenever she saw the book *Wuthering Heights*, she seemed to see that moonlit, handsome man before her eyes. As for the old rumors about him taking morphine, using dancers, and patronizing young actresses, she hadn't witnessed them herself, so she quickly forgot about them.
Run away! She told herself that no matter what, she couldn't marry Fu Jingyuan, that clingy jerk.
Beforehand, she smuggled her belongings out little by little and stored them all in her female classmate's dormitory. Then, one morning, under the pretext of going out shopping, she boarded a long-distance bus to Tongguan alone. In the stinking, overcrowded carriage, she nervously and excitedly huddled in the small, hard seat, feeling no attachment to her family, only a chaotic joy and curiosity, as if she were going on spring break. Because it was for love and to escape an arranged marriage, there was also a romantic element to it.
She didn't remember how long she had been on the bus, but luckily it was still bright outside when she got off. She hailed a rickshaw and asked for directions along the way until she arrived in Rongxiang.
Rongxiang didn't show a warm welcome, which made her feel regretful and disappointed for a moment. But she quickly thought that Rongxiang had always been somewhat quiet and introverted; perhaps he was happy but didn't know how to express it. Based on this idea, she completely ignored Rongxiang's cold attitude in her lengthy narration.
After hearing her account of her escape adventure, Rongxiang couldn't help but frown. For Yan Guanglin, a young lady from a wealthy family, to come all alone to him—the implications were obvious. But…
But that wasn't what he meant; he just wanted to...
"Miss Yan, do you know the consequences of running away from home like this?"
Yan Guanglin was stunned for a moment, then blushed and lowered her head without saying a word.
"Do you really understand me?" Rong Xiang continued to ask. He tried his best to sound earnest, but to Yan Guanglin, his tone was so gentle that it softened her heart.
So she took a deep breath, raised her head gracefully, and looked at the man opposite her: "I don't know you, and I don't intend to get to know you right now."
This answer surprised Rongxiang: "Why?"
"Because love must come first, then there can be forever; and only through forever can there be mutual understanding. If there is mutual understanding before falling in love, then there will be no love that stirs the heart and inspires longing. Love is accompanied by excitement, while affection is accompanied by understanding. There is still some difference between love and affection."
Rongxiang was quite surprised by this theory of love. First, he hadn't expected Yan Guanglin to talk about love so openly in front of him; second, her insights were so unique that they left him momentarily speechless. He thought to himself: This girl is either exceptionally intelligent or she's been obsessed with translating novels. The problem couldn't be with me—but then he suddenly wondered: Am I just a country bumpkin, unable to grasp these new ideas? Impossible!
After Yan Guanglin finished expressing her insightful opinion, she noticed that Rong Xiang looked stunned and remained silent. She felt uneasy, wondering if she had gone too far. Fortunately, Rong Xiang immediately got up and helped her with her suitcase: "You must be tired from your journey. Let's arrange a room for you to rest for a while, then we'll have dinner. Let's go."
After settling Yan Guanglin in, Rong Xiang returned to his study and neatly stacked the documents on the desk. Then he took a pen from his jacket pocket and tossed it into the pen holder. Looking at the tidy desk, he suddenly asked, "Am I getting old?"
Xiao Meng stood behind him, assuming he was talking to himself, so she didn't answer. Unexpectedly, after a while, he turned around and asked again, "Am I getting old?"
"No," Xiao Meng replied.
"There's nothing wrong with me marrying Yan Guanglin, is there?"
This time, Xiao Meng thought for a moment before answering, "Yes."
"What if you don't marry him?"
"Alright."
Rongxiang gazed at an old tree outside the window, thinking how lonely he truly was. When trouble arose, he had no one to confide in. If only Yi Zhongming were still alive!
He walked dejectedly to the bedside and sat down. As he rolled up his sleeves, he instructed, "Have someone go to the restaurant to reserve a table and send the food over later. Our chef's skills are terrible."
Xiao Meng knelt in front of the bed and slowly pushed the plunger of the syringe. The morphine was injected into her body little by little, almost twice the dosage of the previous days.
Having dinner at the same table with a woman, especially since it was just the two of them, was an unfamiliar experience for Rongxiang.
He sat down opposite Yan Guanglin with a somewhat restrained air. Yan Guanglin also looked uncomfortable. During the two or three hours she had been resting, Eastern and Western concepts of marriage had been clashing and exploding in her mind—her so-called elopement today was somewhere between brave and romantic and shameless, and she had no idea how to classify it. Moreover, she was worried that Rongxiang might look down on her because of it, and for a moment, she was completely confused.
She had no idea that Rongxiang across from her was also pondering whether to send her home untouched or accept her without hesitation. He had no idea either.
"Miss Yan, I didn't know what you liked to eat, so I took the liberty of ordering these dishes. Please don't be shy."
"Oh, thank you," she replied softly. Although she hadn't eaten all day, she had no appetite. Rongxiang was still so polite—she suddenly thought: Surely he wouldn't abandon me?
Rongxiang stood up and picked some food for her: "Why aren't you eating? Is it not to your liking?"
She picked up her chopsticks, took half a piece of green vegetable, put it in her mouth, then looked up at Rongxiang and smiled: "I'm sorry to have troubled you!"
Upon hearing this, Rongxiang sat down thoughtfully: "Tomorrow morning, I will send a telegram to your family to tell them that you are here with me."
Yan Guanglin's expression suddenly changed: "Huh?"
Rongxiang knew she had misunderstood, so he quickly made a reassuring gesture: "I haven't finished yet—let them know you're here so they won't worry." He then stretched out his arm to put some food on her plate: "You eat first, and I'll tell you after you're done."
Yan Guanglin pushed the plate away: "No, tell me first."
Rong Xiang knew that no matter how hungry Yan Guanglin was, she wouldn't be in the mood to eat at this moment. He waved his hand, dismissing the servants. Then he got up and sat down next to Yan Guanglin.
“Miss Yan, I understand your feelings for me. I am very touched. However, there is something else I need to tell you beforehand, and I wonder if you can understand.”
Yan Guanglin stared intently at Rong Xiang, thinking: Could it be that he has a legal wife in Manchuria?
"As you know, Miss Yan, I'm currently adrift and have nowhere to go. Therefore, I am unable to hold a formal wedding for us at the moment."
"No wedding?"
Rongxiang lowered his head: "I'm sorry. I hope you can understand my predicament."
He spoke sincerely, but what he was really thinking was something else entirely: If you're willing, then stay; if not, I'll send you away tomorrow.
Yan Guanglin was truly in a dilemma this time. Since she had already escaped to the Rong family, there was no reason for her to go back. But without a wedding, it would be too unfair. To quietly become Mrs. Rong? What kind of situation would that be?
Rongxiang waited for a long time but received no reply, assuming it was a form of rejection. So he sighed, patted her shoulder, and said, "I understand. I'll take you home tomorrow."
Yan Guanglin quickly raised her head: "I said... if there is a ceasefire in the future, can we make one?"
Rongxiang was taken aback by this and paused for a moment before replying, "Of course."
Yan Guanglin pouted, then suddenly her breath hitched, and two tears slid down her cheeks. She hadn't intended to cry, but somehow, the tears welled up uncontrollably. She quickly wiped them away with a handkerchief.
Rongxiang reached out and grasped her wrist: "Why are you crying?"
Yan Guanglin forced a smile, trying her best to force it. Was this her love? Was this her marriage? Was this the cold, polite man before her her husband?
She imagined her family must be terrified for her, and would be furious when they received the telegram the next morning. Her marriage would receive no blessings from anyone; she might never see her father, brother, and sister-in-law again. She could only be with Rongxiang, but she truly didn't know him at all!
Eleven hours after leaving home, Yan Guanglin decided on her life's most important matter.
Then, as if waking from a dream, she burst into tears.
Yan Guanglin was a wealthy young lady. Although she was highly educated and had a broad perspective, she couldn't distinguish between marriage and cohabitation.
The new room was hastily furnished, and it was so late; Xiao Meng must have found some red bedding and sheets. The makeshift arrangement created a festive atmosphere. Yan Guanglin felt as if she had been transported to bed in a dizzying rush, as if on a high-speed train.
There weren't even wedding candles. Turning off the lights was all it took to enter the bridal chamber.
Rongxiang, however, displayed remarkable masculinity in bed, a far cry from his usual pale and weak appearance. Since arriving in Tongguan, he had been living alone and hadn't been with a woman for a long time. Now, heaven had gifted him a young and beautiful woman, Yan Guanglin, which practically drove him mad. After a long, breathless struggle, he finally rolled off Yan Guanglin, drenched in sweat.
After a long silence, Yan Guanglin suddenly spoke up, "I still don't know how to address you. I've always called you Mr. Rong, but you can't call me that anymore. What's your courtesy name?"
"Ruige." After saying this, Rongxiang felt a little downcast. He didn't know why, but from childhood to adulthood, he had always been called Xiaoxiang—which was basically the name of an apprentice in a shop. And this character seemed to have never been used before.
“Rui…Ge…” Yan Guanglin pondered and repeated, “These two words sound too rich and vulgar, and they don’t really suit you.”
Rongxiang was disappointed: "Is that so... then you can call me whatever you want."
"What should I call you?" Yan Guanglin chuckled softly. "I can't exactly call you Xiao Xiang, can I? It sounds like I'm calling you a little shop assistant!"
Rongxiang sighed silently: "It's fine. It doesn't matter."
After a while, Yan Guanglin leaned closer to Rong Xiang and said, "I never thought we'd get married."
She spoke for a while but didn't hear Rongxiang's reply. She got up and looked closely, only to find that Rongxiang had already fallen asleep.
Rongxiang got up very early.
Yan Guanglin was used to sleeping in late, and in her half-awake state, she seemed to hear Rong Xiang talking to someone else. She was dazed for a moment before opening her eyes and saw Rong Xiang sitting by the bed and Xiao Meng standing by the table.
Rong Xiang's left shirt sleeve was rolled up to his elbow, and he was pressing a cotton ball against a spot on his arm. Xiao Meng was making a clattering noise at the table, and when he turned to leave, Yan Guanglin could see that he was carrying a steel tray covered with a piece of white medical gauze. Underneath the gauze, things were uneven, and she couldn't tell what they were.
Rongxiang got up and threw the cotton ball into the wastebasket in the corner of the room. Then, while straightening his sleeves, he walked back. Yan Guanglin quickly closed her eyes and pretended to be fast asleep. Only when Rongxiang sat back down beside her did she hum softly, cover her mouth with her dazed eyes, and yawn.
"You're awake?" Rongxiang turned around and glanced at her.
Yan Guanglin nodded, feigning ignorance, and casually grabbed a piece of clothing to put on: "You got up so early."
"You're used to it. You can sleep a little longer."
Yan Guanglin smiled, thinking that her other female classmates all talked about how hard it would be to get married and how much they would suffer from their in-laws' temper, but she was married too, so she could still sleep in. But why did Rongxiang call that Xiao Meng into the room so early in the morning? She hadn't even gotten out of bed yet, how could she look like that?
But she deliberately lay back down. Only after Rongxiang went to his office did she jump down and pick the cotton ball out of the wastebasket.
Sure enough, there was a little blood on one side of the cotton ball.
Her heart suddenly turned cold, as if frost had formed on her chest:
"He was indeed taking morphine."
Yan Guanglin stayed in this cold and old courtyard for half a month.
Many things had happened in the past two weeks. Rong Xiang's telegram had shocked almost everyone in the Yan family. Then, Yan Zhenchan published a statement in the Xi'an Daily, severing his father-daughter relationship with her. Next, her third brother, Yan Zhifu, rushed to Tongguan to find out the details, bringing money as a dowry for his sister. Yan Zhifu had no connection with Rong Xiang—the Yan family seemed to have never had any dealings with him—so he simply couldn't understand when his sister had become involved with Rong Xiang. When he arrived at the Rong family home and saw Yan Guanglin, he was so angry he wanted to beat her, but when he saw her rushing towards him with tears in her eyes, calling him "Third Brother," he couldn't help but feel a pang of heartache.
Such a good younger sister, and it's all gone to that brat Rongxiang for nothing.
He didn't know how to deal with Rongxiang—he certainly harbored resentment, but his younger sister was disappointing, choosing to marry someone else, leaving her brother with no grounds for argument. He was also afraid that a poor attitude would anger Rongxiang, who would then take his anger out on his sister. After much thought, he felt extremely frustrated.
When Rongxiang wasn't around, he secretly asked Yan Guanglin, "Is he treating you well?"
Yan Guanglin smiled and said, "He's fine, but he doesn't talk much, like a quiet person."
"Keep your money safe. If you run out, write to your third brother, understand? If Rongxiang bullies you, tell me too."
Upon hearing these words, Yan Guanglin's eyes reddened, and she quickly lowered her head: "I know. I'm not that cowardly, and no one dares to bully me."
Yan Zhifu sighed: "Weddings always have to be held."
“He said now is not the time. His soldiers are starving, and it would be bad for their superior to hold a lavish banquet and get married.”
"So, you're getting married like this?"
Yan Guanglin lowered her head further: "Tongguan is too small; we can't even take decent wedding photos here. I don't know how long we'll have to stay here. Brother, I actually miss home."
Yan Zhifu got up and walked to the window, trying his best to keep his voice steady: "In a couple of days, after Dad calms down, I'll come and pick you up to go home. We'll stay at home for a while."
Yan Guanglin heard the sob in Yan Zhifu's voice, and her heart ached as if it were being fried in oil. She knew she had made a terrible mistake and had no face to go back.
Yan Zhifu stayed at the Rong family's house for one night and returned home the next day. No sooner had he left than other guests arrived.
This time it's Fu Jingyuan.
He sat imposingly in the Rong family's guest room, gulping down a cup of tea—his throat was parched from the drive from Xi'an to Tongguan. After finishing the tea, he loosened his tie, then rubbed his eyes. In his haste to leave that morning, he'd even forgotten his glasses. Although he wasn't severely nearsighted, he still felt a baldness in his face, as if he were missing a layer of clothing.
The servant went in to report, but Rongxiang was nowhere to be seen. He grew impatient and went out into the courtyard, pacing back and forth for a while before finally spotting Rongxiang.
Perhaps because he was at home, Rongxiang was dressed very casually, wearing only a wool vest over his shirt. The collar was unbuttoned, and a small section of the shirt hem was showing under the vest. Fortunately, he had a model-like physique, so he didn't look sloppy or disheveled.
Upon seeing Fu Jingyuan, he seemed very happy, greeting him with a grin, "Jingyuan, it's been a long time."
Fu Jingyuan frowned and looked at him for a long time: "You look great!"
As Rongxiang walked into the guest room, he replied, "It's a new marriage, of course you look great. Just like Jingyuan, your career is going well now, so you've become even more handsome." He leaned over and sat down in the chair near the door, "By the way, you were recently appointed as the police chief, I haven't congratulated you yet!"
Fu Jingyuan stood beside him: "Hey, where's Guanglin?"
Rongxiang looked up at him and pointed to the table and chairs opposite him: "You sit down. Want to see your wife? Sure, I'll have someone go and call her right now, but whether she comes or not is beyond my control."
Fu Jingyuan walked over and sat down: "Don't call her yet, I have something to tell you."
Rongxiang glanced at him smugly, and seeing his pained expression, he became even more delighted.
"What is it?"
"Guanglin... are you happy here?"
Rongxiang shook his head: "Of course I'm not happy."
Fu Jingyuan stared at Rong Xiang's face: "Unhappy?"
Rong Xiang got up and paced back and forth on the ground a few times: "She's lonely and isolated here, with no friends and nothing to do. She can't even buy popular records and novels. How can she be happy living like this?" As he said this, he turned around leisurely and looked at Fu Jingyuan with a half-smile.
Fu Jingyuan continued to stare at him: "She still has you. Being with someone you like is a kind of happiness in itself."
"Is that so?" Rong Xiang nodded. "I'm just an ordinary person, I can't understand the love theories of you intellectuals. Actually, if it weren't for me, you and Yan Guanglin would really be a match made in heaven, you're both so good at having wild ideas."
"Oh?" Fu Jingyuan sneered, "So you also think you're the redundant one?"
Rong Xiang stood up again. He had just taken morphine, and after his heated argument with Fu Jingyuan, he was too excited to sit still. "I am indeed superfluous, and I didn't intend to compete with you, but you just can't beat me!" He walked over to Fu Jingyuan and leaned down. "Yan Guanglin came to me. She insists on marrying me, and I can't do anything about it. What do you think?"
Fu Jingyuan looked up and met Rong Xiang's lips—full, angular lips, red and moist, yet every word he uttered was venomous.
"Do you know why she was so eager to come to me? It's because you sent someone to her house to propose marriage. She was scared away by you. She'd rather stay in this small place with me without any status than become the second young mistress of your Fu family. Don't look at me like that, I'm just telling the truth." He slowly straightened up: "Speaking of which, disliking you is the only thing Yan Guanglin and I have in common."
Fu Jingyuan stared blankly at Rong Xiang: "You don't seem to love her."
Rong Xiang scoffed, "Love her? Why should I love her? What is there about her that I should love?"
Fu Jingyuan stood up and looked directly at Rong Xiang: "Then why did you still marry her?"
Rong Xiang shrugged, adopting a nonchalant attitude: "Young, beautiful, clean, and healthy. You can't find such a girl in Tongguan."
Fu Jingyuan reached out and grabbed Rong Xiang's shoulder. He could hardly believe his ears: "You said all this just to make me angry, didn't you? I made you fall last time, so you still hold a grudge against me, don't you?"
Rongxiang struggled subtly, realizing that the disparity in strength between the enemy and himself was enormous.
"So what if I am? So what if I am? Let me remind you, this isn't Xi'an. I'd like to see if you dare touch me again!"
"It's okay if you hate me, but don't treat Guanglin like that. She really likes you. It's rare to find someone in this world who truly cares for you."
"You're doing this again!"
As Rong Xiang spoke, he bit his lip with a resentful yet childish expression, then suddenly turned to the side, trying to shake off Fu Jingyuan's hands on his shoulders. But as soon as he shifted, Fu Jingyuan forcefully straightened him back: "I haven't finished speaking yet, where are you going?"
Rong Xiang laughed angrily: "Let me go."
"I won't let go!"
Rong Xiang's expression changed drastically, and he slapped Fu Jingyuan across the face.
With a loud "snap," the sound was astonishing.
Fu Jingyuan was stunned by the sudden attack. He let go and touched his face: "You hit me?"
Rongxiang took a step back: "So what if I hit you?"
The next second, the two of them were fighting.
Xiao Meng stood outside the door. Having witnessed Rong and Fu's wrestling performance before, he remained unmoved despite hearing the ping-pong sounds coming from inside and had no intention of going in to rescue his master.
Unbeknownst to him, Rong Xiang was currently being pinned to the ground in a "T" shape by Fu Jingyuan.
Rong Xiang had long felt that Fu Jingyuan had the air of a martial artist, but he never expected him to be a hidden martial arts expert. Fu Jingyuan was firmly pressing him down, and he felt that the fight was devoid of any passion.
Through the soft woolen vest and shirt, he could feel Rong Xiang's body—warm and soft, full of undercurrents of aggression. To subdue him, he would first have to render him powerless to fight back.
So he slightly raised his upper body and grabbed Rongxiang's throat with his hand: "If you can calm down, I will let you go."
Rongxiang closed his eyes: "Okay, let me go."
"You have to promise not to fight or seek revenge. Because this time I didn't start it."
He gently moved his fingers. Rongxiang's neck was fair and slender, and his delicate collarbone could be seen through the slightly open collar—such a beautiful neck should be caressed and kissed, right... but he was viciously choking him...
Without waiting for Rong Xiang's reply, Fu Jingyuan withdrew his hands: "Never mind, get up... Ouch!!"
The moment Rong Xiang let go, he suddenly sprang to his feet and bit Fu Jingyuan's neck. His movements were incredibly fast and ruthless; before Fu Jingyuan could even push him away, he had already scrambled to his feet.
Fu Jingyuan knelt on the ground, pressing his hand to the left side of his neck, unable to speak for a long time due to the pain. After a few minutes, he looked at his hand and saw traces of blood.
"Are you crazy?" he yelled at Rongxiang. "This is an artery, are you trying to bite me to death? Don't you know what's wrong with you?"
Rong Xiang raised an eyebrow indifferently: "What can I do? If I can't beat you, I'll bite you."
Hearing his self-righteous tone, Fu Jingyuan couldn't help but sneer: "What if you can't bite me? What if you can't get revenge no matter what?"
"Then I'll die right in front of you, wrap my intestines around your body, smear my blood on your face, and stuff my hair into your mouth. In short, I won't let you have an easy time."
These words sent chills down Fu Jingyuan's spine: "Did you damage your brain by taking too much morphine?"
Rong Xiang rolled his eyes at him: "You're the one who's out of your mind. I have no idea what you wanted from me!"
Fu Jingyuan was speechless, realizing that Rong Xiang's words made perfect sense. Every time he sought out Rong Xiang, it was because he had something to discuss. But after only a few words, the conversation would inevitably drift off into something else entirely, ending in a huff and abruptly parting ways, without him ever knowing why.
For example, today, he came for Yan Guanglin, but before they could even exchange a few words about her, they inexplicably started fighting again.
Thinking about fighting, Fu Jingyuan put Yan Guanglin's matter aside for the time being. He walked over to Rong Xiang and showed him the bite mark on his neck: "You're really this ruthless. We're friends after all. What if I bit you to death? What would you do then?"
Rongxiang snorted: "So what if I die? Everyone dies eventually."
Don't say that.
Rongxiang turned around and glanced at him: "What, you want to hear something nicer?"
Fu Jingyuan walked up to Rong Xiang and looked at him carefully.
Actually, her complexion hadn't improved at all. Although there was some color in her cheeks, her eye sockets were still bluish. Her lips were a sickly red, almost as if she had applied rouge.
How have you been feeling lately?
"very good."
That's the truth. Once he finished the morphine injection, he really couldn't feel any pain or discomfort.
"...Have you quit?"
Rongxiang walked to the chair in front of the table and sat down: "I'm most afraid of you saying this, but you insist on saying it."
What are you afraid of?
"This isn't a good thing, why do you keep reminding me of it?"
You have to face reality!
“I really tried, in Fengtian. But it didn’t work.” Rong Xiang turned to look at Fu Jingyuan. Because the pain was too deep and there was no other way, his expression was unusually calm: “I only lasted for six hours. The feeling was like my skin was being peeled off alive, and countless insects were crawling out of my joints. I couldn’t take it.”
Such a vivid description left Fu Jingyuan speechless with sadness. He gently walked behind Rong Xiang and leaned down to kiss his short hair.
This was his first kiss with Rongxiang.
Rong Xiang didn't react at all, so Fu Jingyuan walked over, put his hands under Rong Xiang's armpits, and forcibly dragged him up like a child.
The two were about the same height, so Fu Jingyuan easily kissed Rong Xiang's lips by tilting his head slightly.
Their breaths mingled so intimately that Fu Jingyuan even had a fleeting illusion, as if the beginning of life and the world had become perfectly natural, and all his previous experiences were merely playful rehearsals. He held Rong Xiang tightly, kissing him with trembling yet unwavering passion. His desire was still elusive, yet his lower body was already burning with intense heat.
He slipped his hand inside Rongxiang's shirt, slowly stroking upwards from her slender waist. Just as he was about to touch her chest, Rongxiang forcefully pushed him away.
"What's wrong?"
Rongxiang lowered his head, a faint blush appearing on his porcelain-white face: "Have you had enough?"
The next second, Fu Jingyuan pulled him into his arms: "I like you. From Fengtian to Xi'an, it has never changed."
Rongxiang rested his chin on his shoulder, looking somewhat tired: "Oh... that's a pretty big lie. Have you forgotten why you came here today?"
Fu Jingyuan was speechless.
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