Chapter 34

Chapter 34

After having dinner outside, the three returned to the hotel. They initially wanted to book a separate room for Jing Xi, but the hotel was fully booked due to the tourist season.

Xie Qingfeng hadn't expected there to be no rooms available. Hesitating, Jing Xi leaned in and whispered, “I can check the hotels nearby myself.”

The receptionist, who was close by, overheard and said, “At this hour, it's likely there are no vacancies nearby. You might find something in the city center. Would you like me to book a car for you, sir?”

Xie Qingfeng checked his phone for nearby hotels and found them all full. This place was conveniently close to the airport, popular for layovers or a night's stay upon arrival in B City.

Jing Xi had just arrived and couldn’t even recognize the characters, so letting him go alone to find a vacant hotel room was obviously not a good idea.

Xie Qingfeng shook his head and declined: “No need, we can stay in one room.”

Jing Xi looked surprised and hesitated, “Would that be inconvenient?”

Hao Jixin, who was nearby, chimed in: “If it's not okay, I can give up my room to Jing... Mr. Jing, hehe, I don't mind sharing a room with the master.”

Maybe I could even absorb some of the master's spiritual energy, get a little smarter or become immune to ghosts, he thought.

After speaking, he felt a sudden chill, looked up, but didn't find anyone staring at him, just that Jing Xi had shifted his gaze back to Master Xie.

Xie Qingfeng walked towards the elevator first, actually giving serious consideration to Hao Jixin’s suggestion.

Inside the elevator, with just the three of them, Jing Xi spoke again before Xie Qingfeng could: “I can sleep in the living room.”

His tone was calm yet firm.

Xie Qingfeng remembered a rumor about the emperor: ever since his days as a prince, crown prince, or as the new emperor, he had been unapproachable due to a childhood spent neglected in the Cold Palace, rarely keeping people close.

He didn't even keep attendants for personal tasks like bathing or dressing.

He did everything himself and was not easy to get along with.

Xie Qingfeng guessed that the young emperor would rather not sleep than stay in Hao Jixin's room, as he likely wouldn't let anyone, even those he knew well, get close, let alone Hao Jixin, whom he had just met.

At his own room's door, Xie Qingfeng opened it with his card and said to an eager Hao Jixin, “He's not comfortable in unfamiliar environments. It's okay for us two men to share a room for one night. Mr. Hao, you go ahead and sleep.”

Hao Jixin was quite disappointed, while Jing Xi already spoke up: “Let's arrange it that way.”

Xie Qingfeng entered first, and while Hao Jixin wanted to share more about the day’s events and hadn't even stepped in, Jing Xi was already closing the door halfway, extending his arm out with his wristwatch facing forward, clearly signaling: it's late.

Hao Jixin slapped his forehead, realizing that the master had expended a lot of energy dealing with the Miao family's property issue and indeed needed to rest early.

Xie Qingfeng, after reaching the sofa, took off his hat and looked back, not seeing Hao Jixin: “Has he gone to his room?” This didn't seem like his usual behavior.

Jing Xi also took off his mask and hat, his tall frame making the modest living room seem even smaller: “Mr. Hao thought it was too late and didn’t want to disturb.”

Xie Qingfeng didn't ponder much, acknowledging it was indeed late: “Your Majesty, why don’t you go shower first? I’ll tidy up the room in a bit. You can manage for one night, and I'll sleep on the sofa.”

Jing Xi pointed to the sofa: “I can sleep on the sofa.”

Although Xie Qingfeng no longer saw him as his sovereign, it had only been a day, and he couldn’t let the former emperor sleep on the sofa while he took the bed: “That’s not appropriate. I can meditate instead.”

To him, there wasn’t much difference.

Jing Xi sighed, his eyes downcast and his expression tinged with melancholy: “National Teacher, have I disrupted your life? Not only do you have to help me pay off debts, but now I'm even occupying your sleeping space…”

Xie Qingfeng had never seen the young emperor looking so pitiable, not even when he was a child. He glanced helplessly at the sofa, which was fortunately large enough for sleeping: “Then as Your Majesty wishes.”

Jing Xi naturally had no objections.

Xie Qingfeng wondered what had happened in the four years since his supposed death that had made the young emperor so sensitive.

Fortunately, the hotel facilities were already familiar to him. Xie Qingfeng initially wanted the young emperor to go freshen up first, but he refused.

Xie Qingfeng had no choice but to go himself, returning after a quick shower and blow-drying his hair. Making sure the young emperor could manage on his own, he then went back to his room.

The room was soundproof, but with his keen hearing, he used his spiritual power to create a barrier to block external sounds and soon fell asleep.

Xie Qingfeng slept particularly deeply that night and woke up the next day to bright sunlight filtering through the curtains. It was already eight o'clock when he sat up, much later than he usually slept.

It was quieter than usual in the morning.

After getting dressed, Xie Qingfeng opened the door, wondering if the young emperor had slept comfortably. But as the door opened, he was momentarily stunned by the scene outside.

The young emperor was practicing punches with his back to Xie Qingfeng. The room was air-conditioned, yet his exercise had heated him up, leading him to take off his shirt. His long, dark hair was casually tied back, barefoot on the carpet, fists clenched, swinging through the air as if slicing through it with the force of his movements.

Each punch moved his arm muscles firmly and powerfully, causing the curtains to flutter up and down with the breeze of his punches.

What Xie Qingfeng first noticed, though, were the old sword and knife scars on the young emperor’s back, partly hidden by his black hair.

They were old wounds, looking about three or four years old, likely sustained on the battlefield.

The scars had long since healed, but in Xie Qingfeng's eyes, they still spoke of the pain endured at the time.

The young emperor's life these past years was not as luxurious as it appeared on the surface. Xie Qingfeng knew well the effort it took to survive in that cutthroat imperial palace.

But he was a man of the National Teacher's Palace, unable to make his own decisions before becoming the National Teacher, and even less so after.

He couldn’t even control his own life, let alone Jing Xi’s.

Knowing it was one thing, but seeing the marks these years had left on the young emperor, Xie Qingfeng remembered their first meeting when he was injured.

。

Later, no longer suffering from hunger, he was still covered in scars.

A strange sadness welled up in Xie Qingfeng’s chest, hidden as he turned his head when Jing Xi looked over, but visible again when he turned back to see Jing Xi already putting on his shirt.

Jing Xi spoke, but Xie Qingfeng didn’t hear.

Xie Qingfeng remembered he had blocked out external sounds before sleeping last night, dispelled the barrier with a wave of his hand, and the sounds rushed in: “Sorry, I blocked out the sound before sleeping. What did you just say?”

Jing Xi smiled and shook his head: “I was worried my punching woke you up, but it seems not. Go freshen up, I’ll have breakfast brought in.”

Xie Qingfeng didn’t refuse and quickly went to the bathroom.

When he came out, breakfast was already set up, and Jing Xi was neatly dressed, covering all his old wounds, still looking every bit the distinguished and aloof emperor.

Unfortunately, the emperor had now fallen to the mortal realm and become pitiable.

After Jing Xi returned from washing up, Xie Qingfeng took the extra chopsticks and started serving him, speaking softly, “Eat up, we can order more if it’s not enough.”

Jing Xi was pleasantly surprised, his eyes filled with trust and reliance: “This is enough.”

The two had a particularly harmonious breakfast, and as Xie Qingfeng went to pack his things, Jing Xi, with his back turned, smiled, feeling very pleased.

When Hao Jixin arrived on time, he immediately felt a subtle atmosphere in the room. He wondered if it was his imagination, but the Emperor Jing seemed much friendlier to him than before. Did he look a bit more handsome today than yesterday?

"Master, the money from Chairman Miao and Qi Wenhuan has been transferred. Chairman Miao followed the Zhang family's approach and gave twenty million." Compared to this, Qi Wenhuan’s one hundred thousand really paled in comparison.

But Qi Wenhuan was just a side note.

Xie Qingfeng acknowledged, these amounts were just numbers to him, but he was unsure if he had enough money to pay off the young emperor’s debts.

However, it wasn’t convenient to ask Hao Jixin about it now; he would find another time to inquire.

Hao Jixin: "Master, Chairman Miao contacted me again, wanting to know how many days you'll be staying in B City. He said he has found out the identity of the master with Duan Yue, which is tricky to deal with. He fears a trap and would like to request your presence tonight. He won’t let you go unrewarded, depending on what you think.”

Thinking of the substantial amount received from Miao Feng, Xie Qingfeng didn’t mind staying an extra day: “Ask Mr. Miao about tonight. As for more payment, that’s not necessary.”

Twenty million was already an excessive amount for dealing with last night's property issue, and it felt too much to keep.

Besides, the young emperor was the main contributor last night.

But since the money was for paying off the young emperor’s debts, he wouldn't take any for himself.

Hao Jixin thought it made sense; Chairman Miao was a big fish, and offering a discount could lead to more opportunities in the future.

He then remembered the efforts of Emperor Jing last night: “Does Emperor Jing have an account? Should I transfer the money to him?”

Even brothers settle accounts clearly, let alone childhood friends.

Jing Xi gave Hao Jixin a look that unexpectedly made him uneasy: “What, what’s wrong?”

Xie Qingfeng looked away: “No need, keep it all with me for now.”

Jing Xi's mood improved: “In the future, don’t ask; what's mine is his.”

Hao Jixin left the hotel still puzzled: Are childhood friends really this close nowadays?

"Why is it that his childhood friend, like one of them, Xie Weihuan, turns out to be a trap-setter?"

"He too wished for a childhood friend like Jing Yingdi, who seemed incredibly handy to have around."

"Engaging in a fight with just the clear wind in his sleeves."

"Since they needed to stay in City B for one more day, with Chairman Miu arriving in the evening, the three of them decided to head straight to the city center."

"They could also visit the Zhao family's jade exhibition, which they hadn’t managed to attend the day before."

"The exhibition was held for three consecutive days."

"Today was the second day."

"The suggestion to visit was made by Hao Jixin, and the decision was finalized by Jing Xi. With a two-to-one vote, Xie Qingfeng, who was indifferent about buying jade, thought it wouldn’t hurt to take a look."

"He planned to buy the jade pieces he liked from the Zhao family after repaying Jing Mianfeng’s 'debt of servitude,' if they were still unsold."

"When the group arrived at the jade exhibition, it was nearly noon, and not too crowded. All three were fully disguised with masks and hats."

"Despite attracting a few extra glances, they weren’t stopped."

"Xie Qingfeng and Jing Xi followed behind as Hao Jixin excitedly moved from one glass case to the next."

"For Jing Xi, it was his first time at such a jade exhibition. Through the glass, he could see that some of the jade pieces were of decent quality, but most couldn't compare to the carefully selected ones in his private vault."

"However, some of them looked extremely beautiful."

"Jing Xi kept an eye on Xie Qingfeng's gaze, noting the display cases where he lingered a bit longer."

"Up ahead, Hao Jixin, finding pieces he liked, took out his phone to take photos."

"Jing Xi looked over, lowering his voice to ask Xie Qingfeng, 'What’s he doing?'"

"Xie Qingfeng glanced and replied, 'Taking photos.'"

Jing Xi was puzzled: “What is taking a photo?”

Xie Qingfeng realized that he was unfamiliar with all the functions of a smartphone, so he took out his own, found the camera app, and explained how to take photos and videos to Jing Xi.

Fortunately, Jing Xi was a quick learner and had an excellent memory. After hearing the explanation once, he could remember it, and with a bit of practice, he would get the hang of it.

Indeed, Jing Xi quickly mastered it after trying his hand at it.

After fiddling with the phone for a while, he suddenly looked up at Xie Qingfeng, who was moving to the next display case: “Turn around.”

Xie Qingfeng turned around, only to be captured in a photo by Jing Xi.

Surprised that Jing Xi was photographing him, Xie Qingfeng asked when Jing Xi approached, “Why are you taking pictures of me?”

Jing Xi casually replied as if it was unintentional: “I’m just testing out the skills I’ve just learned.”

Xie Qingfeng didn’t think much of it: “There are so many pieces of jade here, you could practice by taking pictures of them.”

Jing Xi looked up, as if he had an epiphany: “I didn’t think of that.”

Xie Qingfeng didn’t mind being photographed and didn’t fuss about it, especially since Jing Xi started practicing by taking pictures of the jade behind the glass cases.

As Xie Qingfeng wandered through the exhibition, he indeed found a few pieces he really liked, with good jade quality and substantial spiritual energy, but the prices were extraordinarily high.

He decided to let it go, thinking that if he actually bought them, his recent efforts would be in vain.

Right now, his priority was to earn money to pay off debts, focusing first on settling the young emperor’s affairs.

Along the way, Xie Qingfeng noticed that the young emperor was quite curious, frequently taking out his phone to snap a picture whenever they passed something interesting.

Hao Jixin, curious, tried to get a closer look each time, but Jing Xi always blocked him.

Whenever Hao Jixin tried to peek, he would meet Jing Xi’s cold gaze. Without saying a word, Jing Xi made Hao Jixin back off, no longer daring to approach.

Hao Jixin thought to himself, “My goodness, that's terrifying. Did Emperor Jing spend the last four years not in retirement but ruling some mountain as a king?”

“His gaze is way too intimidating.”

The three of them decided not to leave today and booked three rooms in a downtown hotel.

They spent the afternoon resting in their rooms without going anywhere.

Xie Qingfeng hadn’t meditated for the last two days, so he decided to isolate himself from the surrounding noise and meditate in seclusion.

Hao Jixin hid in his room playing video games.

Jing Xi had learned a lot in the past few days, especially about smartphones, mastering voice search to find information he wanted.

Before returning to his room, Xie Qingfeng mentioned he would be meditating, so Jing Xi, reassured, finally picked up his phone and entered a number, adding a new contact.

The response was immediate.

[Liang Chenglei: ??? Is this really you?]

[Jing: [Voice message] This is my new number.]

Liang Chenglei immediately called the number Jing Xi had provided, and as soon as the call connected, he began ranting nonstop: “Big brother! Can I call you big brother, please? Where have you disappeared to? Didn’t we agree it was just for a show? And then I come back and you’re gone?”

If it weren’t for knowing that this master was hired by the Zhang family, he was almost ready to call the police.

Jing Xi's voice came through the receiver, slightly distorted but increasingly authoritative and cold: “Contact me on this WeChat account in the future. Don’t call.”

Liang Chenglei felt like crying: “What about our plan for my comeback? The company is going crazy lately, and I bet they’ll try to make you reappear in the next few days! Where will I find you now that you’ve vanished?”

Jing Xi frowned: “I can’t in these few days.”

Liang Chenglei: “It’s not just up to me as an agent, you know. Do you know why I left halfway through a call yesterday? The company is in trouble. I just found out that President Qian’s investment failed and he owes a lot of money. Now, he’s hoping to turn things around with this last entertainment company. But as you know, the company’s development in recent years has been so-so. I had a few big names under me, but after they rose to fame, they moved on to better opportunities. The new talents are still in their development phase. That’s why President Qian is pressuring you for a comeback, hoping to use your popularity to help the company through this crisis. I thought we could hold on a bit longer, but it seems President Qian...”

Liang Chenglei didn’t want to pressure him like this, but he had just been to the company where President Qian spent half a day lamenting to him, revealing his desperate situation.

He had made a bad investment, accumulating a huge debt, and if things didn’t improve, he would have to use the company’s shares to pay off the debts.

This company was President Qian’s life's work and his last chance, naturally, he was unwilling to give it up.

So he came begging to him, asking him to talk to Jing Mianfeng about cooperating with a comeback. What else could he do? He couldn’t just watch the company change hands.

After Liang Chenglei finished speaking, he heard no response from the other side and anxiously asked, “Are you still there?” Worried that Jing Xi hadn’t heard any of his heartfelt pleas.

Jing Xi’s voice was exceptionally calm, summarizing a key point from Liang Chenglei’s words: “Your boss, who is also my boss, is forcing me to come back because he needs money. So, if he doesn’t need money, I don’t have to make a comeback.”

Liang Chenglei: ??

“That’s the logic, but we also need not to lack money. Unless someone foolishly invests a big sum in the company immediately.” But he thought that for a big boss like his, it wouldn’t be a small amount, definitely an unimaginable sum.

After hearing him out, Jing Xi asked seemingly out of the blue: “Apart from jade being valuable, is gold valuable too?”

Liang Chenglei felt like crying: “Gold is valuable, but it’s not as valuable as jade.”

Besides, a little gold wouldn’t solve the urgent problem.

Jing Xi: “How much does President Qian owe? How much does he need for selling his shares?”

Liang Chenglei was even more bewildered: “I think he meant... around two or three billion.”

Jing Xi, recalling his recent search on current gold prices, just hummed in response and then hung up the phone.

Liang Chenglei: ?? He hung up? Big brother, you just hung up like that? Can you give me a definite answer about whether you're making a comeback or not? I still need to contact the press and prepare a lot of things.

At that moment, a WeChat notification sound came from his phone.

Liang Chenglei instinctively opened it and found that Jing Xi had sent him a picture.

As Liang Chenglei looked down at it, he was almost dazzled, enlarging the picture in disbelief: ???

In the image, on a marble floor, there were two heavy wooden boxes, crammed full of gold bars.

The gold was either shining brilliantly under the sunlight or the overhead chandelier light.

A voice message from Jing Xi came right after.

Liang Chenglei, with trembling hands, converted it to text.

[Jing: I just calculated, each box weighs about a thousand kilograms, and there are two boxes, roughly three billion. If I become the boss, I don’t need to make a comeback, right?]

Liang Chenglei was completely stunned: ?

Then, Jing Xi sent several more pictures of jade pieces in glass windows.

[Jing: For the rest, contact the Zhao family in B City to buy these pieces. Don’t reveal that it was me who asked you to buy them. As for the gold, find someone to move it yourself.]

Liang Chenglei: ??

Liang Chenglei finally managed to stammer out in shock: “Holy shit, big brother, did you rob a gold vault?!”