Chapter Nine
'Please don't leave me, okay?'
After silently cleaning up the mess, Fei Yu placed the long towel by the basin, then crawled into bed and hugged Xing Liu.
Xingliu heard something amiss, struggled to open his eyes, kicked away his drowsiness, and carefully pondered Feiyu's words.
He thought about it three times, but still couldn't understand why he wanted to leave Fei Yu. Did he say he wanted to leave? No! Where did Fei Yu get such a strange idea?
Could it be that Fei Yu is the one who wants to leave? No, Fei Yu clearly said he didn't want him to leave... Sigh! I don't understand at all, so I might as well ask.
'Why should I leave?' Xingliu asked in confusion.
'You and Moyan…' Fei Yu was too heartbroken to finish her sentence.
He used to be able to sense Xingliu's thoughts—a very strange, very strange feeling. Even though they hadn't spoken, he just knew what Xingliu meant. But now, he couldn't sense them at all.
"I'll be right back with Moyan." Xingliu smiled faintly, a hint of sorrow in her smile.
From the very first time they met, he could sense Fei Yu's thoughts—a strange and vivid feeling; he simply knew what Fei Yu was thinking.
But now... is it because their hearts have grown apart? A deeper distance than when they were strangers, causing him to lose his connection and no longer understand Fei Yu.
Everyone who is about to leave says goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, but how many of them will actually meet again?
Fei Yu buried her head in Xing Liu's neck and then, in a roundabout way, said that Xing Liu was lying.
"Where else can I go if I don't come back?" Xingliu laughed.
'The world is so vast, how can I know where you are going?'
Xingliu couldn't see Feiyu's eyes, nor could he sense Feiyu's emotions, but he clearly heard Feiyu's voice trembling with tears.
Fei Yu was crying, she was actually crying... Hearing Fei Yu's crying, Xing Liu suddenly went from being half-awake to fully awake.
Now is not the time to sleep. If he falls asleep instead of Yu running away, he will regret it for the rest of his life.
'I don't understand. Weren't we just fine a moment ago? How come you...' Xingliu couldn't comprehend what Feiyu was thinking.
"I overheard your conversation with Moyan," Feiyu whispered.
"Hmm!" Xingliu turned to face Feiyu and lovingly wiped away Feiyu's tears.
Xingliu couldn't figure out what was wrong with his conversation with Moyan. Moyan was in a bad mood, so he comforted him. Then Moyan said he wanted to go to Zhaoyang Kingdom, and he curiously asked what Moyan and Qinlei were arguing about... That was it! What was Feiyu sad about? He didn't understand at all. He was smart all his life, but at this crucial moment, he was no different from an idiot!
"You said you were going to Zhaoyang Kingdom." Fei Yu's tone was accusatory and helpless.
"Yes, I have some silver notes at Panyinglou, and I'm going to get them." Xingliu answered honestly.
'Oh!' Fei Yu paused for a moment, her expression stiff.
"Yes! That's right." Xingliu tried hard to suppress his laughter and maintain a serious expression.
"So you're coming back?" Fei Yu asked anxiously.
"Of course." Xingliu nodded vigorously.
"That's good." Fei Yu smiled and kissed Xing Liu a little shyly.
Fortunately, things didn't turn out the way he expected, and Xingliu would still come back to him.
But... why did he still feel something was off, as if something was blocking his way and he couldn't find a way out?
Xingliu was unaware of the strangeness in Feiyu's heart, nor did he realize that even after the misunderstanding was cleared up, he still couldn't sense Feiyu's emotions, still couldn't feel...
Unlike the affectionate Fei Yu and Xing Liu, Mo Yan, who was sleeping not far away, was facing a major battle in his life.
Mo Yan was so drunk that he was completely limp and should have been bedridden all night, but an uninvited guest disturbed his sleep in the middle of the night.
Whether the visitor was clever or foolish, he should have acted quietly, but instead grabbed a servant to lead the way. He should have knocked the servant unconscious afterward, but instead, he naively waved his hand, telling the servant to leave and not disturb him.
"Step back..." This word should be quite familiar to Mo Yan, because there is someone around him who gives this order from time to time, but the conversation outside the door is not enough to wake Mo Yan.
There was a naive intruder and a foolish servant. After the blade at his neck disappeared, he didn't think to call for help. Instead, he obediently retreated and went back to his room to sleep, just as the man had told him to.
Because of this, poor Moyan was forced to be shaken awake in the middle of the night by a person with a dazed expression.
"Silent words!" Qin Lei called softly, his eyes filled with anxiety.
Tonight, the full moon shines brightly, and even without candlelight, Qin Lei can still see Mo Yan's not-so-delicate but beautiful curves.
At least for Qin Lei, who sees beauty in everything, it was a beautiful curve.
Mo Yan is a martial artist, and since he came to Qin Lei's side, Qin Lei has been pliing him with alcohol all the time, so his alcohol tolerance has improved. The amount Fei Yu used to pli him with was not enough to keep him lying down for a whole night.
Therefore, when Qin Lei approached the bedside, Mo Yan already sensed it. As soon as Mo Yan opened her eyes, she reached out and punched Qin Lei.
"I...I don't think I've offended you!" Qin Lei covered his face and cried out in a mournful tone.
'Can't I beat someone up if I haven't offended them?' Mo Yan glared at Qin Lei unreasonably; only Qin Lei could elicit such a reaction from Mo Yan.
"You can beat him, of course you can beat him. Beat the left side if you want; if you're not satisfied with the left, I'll let you continue beating the right side." Qin Lei said cheekily, bringing his face close to Mo Yan's.
Unexpectedly, Mo Yan actually reached out and punched Qin Lei hard in the left cheek.
Qin Lei, seeing stars, covered his face. "You've already hit him, are you done being angry now?"
As he said this, Qin Lei himself was also very doubtful. Why did he have to be so obedient to Mo Yan? Could love really make people stupid?
Mo Yan turned his head away, too lazy to pay attention to Qin Lei.
"You were fine before, how come you suddenly disappeared? If I hadn't just found out that Xingliu was in Xiayu Kingdom, we probably would never have seen each other again. Aren't you going to miss me?" Qin Lei asked sadly, putting away his playful expression.
When he couldn't find Mo Yan anywhere in or outside the palace, his chest began to ache slightly. When he couldn't find Mo Yan anywhere in Yanwu Capital either, he was so frightened that his heart almost stopped beating.
"Do you care?" Mo Yan stared at Qin Lei coldly.
"Of course I care." Qin Lei nodded vigorously.
'Hmph!' Mo Yan turned his head away.
"What are you angry about?" Chin Lei asked with a sigh.
He racked his brains, but he couldn't come up with a reason for Mo Yan to run away.
"You know it yourself." Mo Yan was referring to their nightly intimacy, but to Qin Lei… "You mean the selection of concubines? So you already knew!" Qin Lei sighed heavily, beginning to protest his innocence. "I really had no choice. Before, I could use the excuse of mourning for my father, but now that I've made you my heir, my mourning period is almost over, and I can't delay any longer! I promise that once they enter the palace, I won't touch a single one of them."
Qin Lei quickly raised his hand to swear, but he soon saw Mo Yan, with a solemn expression, slowly shake his head.
'No...' Chin Lei lowered his head in disappointment, considering other possibilities.
A moment later, Qin Lei suddenly raised his head. "So you're angry that I went to the brothel without telling you? I thought you didn't know, but it seems I was too naive. I promise it won't happen again. I must have been out of my mind that day..." Mo Yan shook his head, his face ashen.
'The matter of harassing the prime minister's son?' Qin Lei asked timidly.
The answer was still no, and a hint of murderous intent flashed in Mo Yan's eyes.
'I kissed the tea server at Fanghua Residence…'
Mo Yan shook his head again, his fists clenched, as if he really wanted to strangle Qin Lei.
'I bought aphrodisiacs to see you get all excited... So you found out. No wonder you're angry. I know I shouldn't have, but...'
With a bang, Qin Lei's mutterings were interrupted by Mo Yan's punch.
"You bastard! There are so many people outside, why are you still messing with me? Go to hell!" Mo Yan jumped out of bed and chased after Qin Lei, kicking him all the way, wishing she could kick this philandering emperor to death on the spot.
"Believe me, you're the only one in my heart." Qin Lei hugged Mo Yan's legs tightly and said pitifully.
"Nobody would believe you." Unable to move his legs, Mo Yan could only resort to punching.
"My relationships with them were just fleeting infatuations; with you, it will last forever," Qin Lei said with a forced smile.
He rubbed against Mo Yan, intentionally or unintentionally rubbing against her sensitive areas, which provoked Mo Yan's rage to turn into another kind of frenzy... It felt like a fire was burning inside her, and the force with which she was hitting Qin Lei decreased a lot.
"That's what I hate about you. All you ever do is think about doing things," Mo Yan said bitterly.
'Then, then I won't touch you!' Qin Lei quickly released Mo Yan and smiled ingratiatingly at Mo Yan.
Mo Yan's gaze grew colder after Qin Lei left. Perhaps in a way, just as Qin Lei longed to embrace him, he also longed to be with Qin Lei.
Mo Yan stared coldly at Qin Lei. After a moment, he seemed to remember something and kicked Qin Lei again in anger. However, judging from the slighter force, he had already calmed down by half.
'I really only have you.' Qin Lei pressed his advantage, stood up and stepped forward, wrapping his arms around Mo Yan's waist, pressing the two tightly together.
"Didn't I say I don't like being all lovey-dovey every day? You always ignore what I say, so how do you prove you love me?" Mo Yan coldly glared at Qin Lei.
"Moyan... so that's what you're angry about!" Qin Lei said with a sigh.
"Yeah, didn't I just say that?" Mo Yan glared at Qin Lei, not really wanting to pay attention to him.
'I should have known better than to say those things,' Qin Lei muttered.
He was so stupid as to bring his own crime upon himself. Even if he agrees to go back with him now, there will probably be more trouble after they return to Yanwu Kingdom.
'I hadn't thought of it until you mentioned it. As for the matter of being made a concubine, I already knew about it.' Mo Yan's anger, which had mostly subsided, was reignited by Qin Lei.
'Ah!' Chin Lei felt so ashamed of his self-inflicted grave that he wanted to smash his head against a wall and die.
'The prime minister's son, the tea master of Fanghua Residence, and the aphrodisiac—you better remember this!' A glint of light flashed in Mo Yan's eyes.
He struck Chinley in the ribs with his elbow, causing Chinley to be speechless from the pain.
"There really won't be a next time," Chin Lei pleaded loudly.
Ignoring him, I continued kicking him.
"Good Moyan, I beg you, please believe me! There really won't be a next time," Qin Lei pleaded.
As Qin Lei clutched his wound and groaned in pain, he couldn't help but blame himself. If only he hadn't guided Mo Yan, at least he would still have a chance to win, unlike now... Waaah! It hurts! If this continues, Yan Wuhuang will die!
"Go to hell!" Mo Yan struck again, determined to beat Qin Lei half to death.
Not far away, Xingliu was sleeping soundly, a stark contrast to their noisy chatter.
Because the two of them were arguing incessantly, and Xingliu was still sleeping soundly, neither of them noticed something, something that would be fine for Moyan and Qinlei, but would drive Xingliu crazy—Feiyu was missing.
The morning breeze was a bit chilly, and Xingliu's mood was especially cold.
Last night was the first time Fei Yu had hugged him, and he felt pretty good about it. Both of them were very satisfied, and they talked well with Fei Yu afterwards. He couldn't see anything wrong with Fei Yu.
However, when he habitually turned over to look for Fei Yu in the early morning, the cold bedding next door suddenly froze him.
Fei Yu is gone.
This was Xingliu's first thought. Although everyone in the house said he was daydreaming and that Feiyu had just gone out for a walk and would be back soon, he was still convinced that Feiyu had left.
It wasn't a trip to the market to buy things, nor a visit to a friend in a neighboring town; it was a departure from which there would be no return.
It's ridiculous. His feelings for Fei Yu had gradually faded over the days, but now they were vivid, and the reason for this vividness was that Fei Yu had left.
Time quickly proved Xingliu's idea to be correct; Feiyu did not return, and he waited from dawn until the moon and stars were sparse, but she did not come back.
His rain will not return.
The eyes that once twinkled with millions of stars now hold nothing; the star stream gazes blankly into the distance, silent.
Faced with the silent, waiting star, Mo Yan didn't know what to say.
"We were very happy." Sitting in the hall, looking at the lotus flowers in the front yard, Xingliu said with a light smile.
"Hmm!" Mo Yan nodded, having sensed something when he first arrived at this place.
"It was my carelessness." Xingliu was still smiling, but it felt more like she was crying.
'Starflow…' Mo Yan has never been a quick-witted person, and now he is even more at a loss for words.
"Let's go back to Panying Tower together! Didn't you say you wanted to go home and visit?" Xingliu looked up at Moyan, a smile still playing on her lips.
"Hmm!" Mo Yan could do nothing but nod.
Qin Lei, standing to the side, could only follow his beloved; he had no say in the matter.
They set off for the long-unseen Zhaoyang Kingdom.
Panyinglou was still open for business. Yubing was surprised to find that there was not much difference in revenue between having Xingliu and not having him, because Xingliu was willing to serve very few customers.
Zhan You is still working as a cook at Panyinglou, and the dishes she cooks are still as delicious as ever.
As his fame grew, he recently considered opening a small, independent restaurant. When Prince Yuan Shou found out, he tried very hard every day to persuade Zhan You to give up the idea and not reduce the time they spent together.
As for what methods they use to 'persuade' you, that's their business, and we shouldn't bring it up.
Yu Bing and Shen Qin remained the same as always. Yu Bing thought about making money every day, while Shen Qin thought about how to bring his beloved home.
Xingliu's room remained unchanged. Yubing, who loved Jinzi, unusually sentimental, said, "I always feel like you might come back at any moment, so I'll leave this room to you."
If Fei Yu were with him on this trip, Xing Liu might still be able to smile, but Fei Yu isn't here. What expression can he make besides a deadpan face? At most, he can forcefully pull up the corners of his mouth, which would be the greatest sincerity he can show.
Since the room hadn't been changed, Xing Liu's hidden silver notes were still in the same place. When Mo Yan pulled out a large stack of silver notes from under the bed, Yu Bing's jaw almost dropped.
If he had known he wouldn't leave the side room to Xingliu, he should have dug and searched more thoroughly. There would have been at least a hundred thousand taels of silver there, if not a million!
However, aside from watching Xingliu brazenly pocket the silver notes, all he could do was beat his chest and lament the missed opportunity to make a fortune.
The journey from Zhaoyang Kingdom back to Xiayu Kingdom was so fast that Xingliu felt it was too fast.
The lotus flowers in the pond have gone from small buds to full bloom, but Fei Yu is still not by the pond.
"You all go! I'll wait alone." Standing in front of the house, Xingliu said to the worried Moyan through tears.
Mo Yan remained silent, but Qin Lei knowingly pulled her away; they couldn't interfere in other people's love stories.
Fei Yu's biggest worry—her livelihood—has now been resolved.
After visiting Panyinglou Xingliu, he remembered that Zhaoyang Kingdom and Xiayu Kingdom are adjacent. Every spring after the snow melts, merchants from Xiayu Kingdom would set off for Zhaoyang Kingdom. A round trip would take at most two months, but the silver they earned would be enough to last a year.
But what's the use of knowing? Fei Yu won't come back.
Gazing at the lotus pond, Xingliu wept like a child.
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