Chapter 45

Chapter 45

Sitting in the private room of Lan Yue Pavilion, Rong Tang still felt the bitterness on his tongue.

Like a kitten drinking milk, he couldn’t help sticking out his tongue again and again, retracting it when he felt it was unseemly, repeatedly sneaking little licks, and quietly cursing the antagonist in his heart.

Su Huaijing caught a glimpse of this and instantly forgot his earlier annoyance, where he had felt like forcing Rong Tang to swallow a pill as large as a lion's head.

This time, he remembered to bring tea leaves to Lan Yue Pavilion and had Shuangshou brew and serve it, then pleasingly placed it in front of Rong Tang, softly coaxing, "Tang Tang, how about some tea?"

Rong Tang glanced at him irritably and asked, "Did you also put Coptis in this?"

He's so smart!

Throughout his three lifetimes, Rong Tang had not tasted every delicacy, but he was well-versed in various kinds of medicinal soups and pills. Traditional Chinese medicines have strange tastes – some are astringent, sour, fishy, or even sweetly spicy, but none are particularly pleasant to drink.

But in all his three lifetimes, none of the medicines he tasted were as bitter as the ones Su Huaijing had been brewing these days!

He had watched Su Huaijing break long strips of Coptis into pieces and add them to the medicine pot!

That's just too much!

Rong Tang, initially complaining non-stop, sulkily asked, "Are you trying to murder your husband to inherit my wealth?"

Before and after their marriage, he had often talked about what would happen after his death, but this was the first time Su Huaijing found such talk endearing instead of displeasing, his voice soft, "How could I dare."

Rong Tang hummed through his nose, avoiding eye contact. Su Huaijing obediently poured him a cup of tea and placed it in front of him, bending over and blinking expectantly at him.

Feeling watched, Rong Tang's bravado faded, his mouth bitter, craving something sweet to soothe it. He shifted in his chair, turning away to block Su Huaijing's view and started sipping the tea in small gulps.

The moment the sweet tea touched his tongue, Rong Tang’s eyes and brows relaxed in comfort, and he involuntarily pointed his toes with delight. Indeed, no matter how good the environment and lavish the feasts in Song Garden, they couldn't compare to Su Huaijing’s tea.

The antagonistic act of feeding him Coptis had slightly redeemed itself!

Su Huaijing, watching him surreptitiously drink the tea, found him so adorable he didn’t know what to say. Tempted to touch, he feared he might not resist the urge to pinch Rong Tang’s lips, now glistening from the tea, and forcibly shifted his gaze, picking up some lychees from the table and silently began peeling them to distract himself from these thoughts.

Lan Yue Pavilion was always crowded at night, and being the penultimate day of the Shehua Meeting, it was particularly lively. Even from within the private room, the sounds from outside were incessant.

Someone knocked on the screen, and Sheng Chengming entered with Lu Jiaxi.

Rong Tang, secretly sipping his third cup of tea, raised his eyebrows in surprise, "Your Highness seems to have found a kindred spirit in Master Lu?"

Lu Jiaxi, following behind Sheng Chengming, immediately pulled a face of distress upon seeing a familiar figure, as if seeking help. Sheng Chengming, however, laughed heartily, "Hahaha, young Lu is quite amusing. His poetry and conversation are very much to my taste. I’m even considering taking him as my sworn brother!"

Rong Tang’s hand trembled, spilling some tea from his cup. He sneakily glanced at Su Huaijing’s expression and said, "Your Highness is too generous."

Poor little Lu, almost becoming one of Su Huaijing’s enemies out of nowhere.

Lu Jiaxi’s face was a picture of misery, like a child facing adults, constantly signaling to Rong Tang with his eyes. But as soon as Sheng Chengming turned back, he slapped Lu Jiaxi’s shoulder with a laugh, "Young Lu is adorable!"

Lu Jiaxi immediately switched to a face of joy and gratitude, as skillfully as a face-changing artist in Sichuan opera, "I am honored by Your Highness’s favor."

He had spent the day touring with Sheng Chengming, visiting various places, and had familiarized himself with many noble young men of the capital. His social interactions today exceeded those of the past five days combined.

Lu Jiaxi found himself missing the days he spent composing poetry with Officer Mu, who would remain silent all afternoon if left undisturbed!

Rong Tang watched their interaction from across the room, amused, and once again confirmed that Su Huaijing and Ke Hongxue had teamed up to pave the way for Lu Jiaxi, albeit in an incredibly unorthodox manner.

Rong Tang got lost in thought for a moment, not noticing his lips curling up and his eyes softening, until Su Huaijing leaned over, stealthily slid his hand around Rong Tang's waist, and turned him around, asking in a darkly playful tone, "Do you find them that interesting?"

Rong Tang was momentarily stunned, slightly frazzled.

He had just been upset, and now the antagonist is acting like this! What’s going on?

Sighing internally, Rong Tang stuffed one of the lychees Su Huaijing had just peeled into his mouth, making his cheeks bulge, and then coaxed soothingly, "You’re the most handsome."

Su Huaijing was momentarily taken aback, then smiled broadly, contentedly eating the lychees, finding them unbelievably sweet.

Rong Tang couldn’t help but laugh. He found it hard to stay angry at Su Huaijing for long, and when he did get upset, it felt more like a mild grievance than true anger.

But it wasn’t a serious grievance, just the lingering bitterness in his mouth.

Thinking this, Rong Tang felt the bitter taste surge back, and helplessly started stuffing more lychees into his mouth.

As the moon rose high, the silhouettes of dancing and music boats on the Lotus Lake were faintly discernible, and a burst of surprise erupted from the crowd below as the play began with a clash of gongs and drums, as if astounded by the appearance of a character.

Rong Tang’s eyes lit up. He spat out the lychee pit in his mouth and excitedly pulled Su Huaijing’s arm to go outside.

Su Huaijing, caught off guard, was dragged along. They squeezed into a spot at the railing on the third floor and looked down. On the stage below, the play had reached the entrance of the mistress character, dressed as a courtesan, slender-waisted and delicate-shouldered, with eyes full of allure and amber pupils that made anyone they looked at feel favored.

Su Huaijing instinctively felt displeasure.

He frowned, looking at Rong Tang beside him who was absorbed and excited, feeling increasingly irritable. His fingers absentmindedly fiddled with the waist token at his side, his gaze growing darker.

Wanting to take Tang Tang back.

Wanting to lock him up.

Not wanting him to look at others.

Not wanting him to watch someone else so intently in front of him.

Wanting to fasten a golden chain.

……

In the dim light of the pavilion and the noisy crowd, the sounds of early summer insects were drowned by human voices. Just as these malicious thoughts were about to ferment, Rong Tang turned and grabbed Su Huaijing’s hand, his eyes sparkling as he said, "Huaijing, look!"

Su Huaijing paused, the warm and real sensation of his wrist being grasped felt like a surge of warm sunlight, irresistibly dispelling the malevolent thoughts in his heart.

He fell silent, then took Rong Tang’s hand in his, leaned closer, and asked softly, "Look at what?"

"That actress," Rong Tang said with a smile, but the next second, his wrist was gripped painfully, causing him to let out an involuntary hiss.

Su Huaijing, brought back to reality by this soft cry, loosened his grip, quickly rolled up Rong Tang's sleeve, revealing several noticeable finger marks on his pale skin.

Su Huaijing immediately felt regretful.

He looked down, his expression somewhat despondent as he gently rubbed Rong Tang's wrist, his voice hoarse, "I'm sorry…"

Rong Tang blinked, not understanding why he was apologizing, "You didn't do it on purpose, and it's not that painful."

“……”

Some people are like little angels from heaven, always indulging the people in this world, as if they would never be blamed for harboring any sinful thoughts against them.

Su Huaijing thought, I did it intentionally.

He suppressed the emotions in his heart, asking softly, "Why are you looking at her?"

Rong Tang immediately snapped back to reality, his eyes lighting up, and he gently beckoned Su Huaijing to come closer.

Su Huaijing leaned in, and Rong Tang whispered excitedly, "I want to snatch her away!"

“……”

Su Huaijing's eyes darkened, his tongue lightly pressing against his cheek, wanting to lock up this particularly disobedient Young Master, but rationality ultimately held back his impulse. Lowering his voice and eyes, with his eyelashes shielding the turmoil in his eyes, he asked solemnly, "Tang Tang, do you want to take her as a concubine?"

Rong Tang, who had been in high spirits, was taken aback by the question, his entire body stiffening.

Sensing the change in the person in front of him, the waves in Su Huaijing's eyes grew more tumultuous, yet the words he spoke were increasingly gentle, "If Tang Tang wants to take her into the mansion, where do you plan to settle her?"

Su Huaijing asked, one question at a time.

"Should we also prepare a study for her?"

"What about her bedroom? Would it be exactly like yours?"

"Should she also have her own mansion and carriage?"

As he spoke, he even chuckled lightly. They were standing so close, almost cheek to cheek, unnoticed by the crowd focused on the performance below. Su Huaijing raised his hand to adjust Rong Tang's collar, his thumb gently pressing against his neck, leaving a faint pink mark on the delicate skin.

Su Huaijing looked at the pink mark and asked softly with a smile, "Tang Tang... now that your health is better, are you thinking of having offspring?"

Downstairs, the opera singer's voice was melodious, reaching a poignant, tearful moment, complemented by the music, making the atmosphere rich and colorful.

Several lamps went out upstairs, casting a dim, ambiguous light. Rong Tang swallowed unconsciously, leaning forward, almost willingly and actively pressing into Su Huaijing’s chest.

He tilted his head up, whispering close to Su Huaijing's ear in a soft, compliant voice, "Is this how you see me?"

Dark waves churned in Su Huaijing’s eyes, but he didn’t respond.

Rong Tang sighed softly, his voice light but filled with a subconscious doting, "Huaijing, I’m a selfish person and find hassles annoying. In my life, having one person to devote myself to is enough. Another would just be too much for me."

"Am I not good enough in some way? Why do you lack confidence?" Rong Tang asked in confusion, "You’re handsome, intelligent, kind, and thoughtful to me. Except for the bitter medicine, I can't find any fault with you. Why would you think I want to take a concubine?"

He said, "I’ve even talked about wanting you to take care of my mother in the future. If I take a concubine and have children now, who will look after you when I'm gone? How will you stand in the Ningxuan Wang mansion?"

Rong Tang stepped back and looked directly into Su Huaijing's eyes, a smile forming on his lips, "You said yourself, you only care about me in this world. Coincidentally, I only care about you and my mother. Why would I bring another concubine into the mansion to add more responsibilities?"

"It's tiring," he said in a softened tone, with a hint of coquettishness, "Marrying a wife or taking concubines is tiring, having children is troublesome, and what if they inherit my illness? What kind of person would I be then?"

Rong Tang's lips moved, "In this lifetime, I can only burden you. Don’t think about pushing me away."

He smiled lightly at the dimly lit railing, and for a moment, Su Huaijing thought he looked like a perfect and charming young nobleman.

Had they met under different circumstances, perhaps Su Huaijing would have invited him to the Liujin Tower to drink wine and admire the moon, to watch the river lanterns floating on the Jinfen River, stealing glances at his little angel in the dim light of the night.

Su Huaijing had no resistance against Rong Tang.

Su Huaijing remained silent for a long time. Rong Tang was anxious, unsure if he had been appeased. He waited nervously until Su Huaijing raised his hand to gently caress his neck, murmuring, "I'm sorry."

Rong Tang breathed a sigh of relief, his smile deepening, "Okay, I accept your apology." He cautioned, "But you can't do this again next time."

Su Huaijing didn’t respond.

Rong Tang shook the hand holding his, "Hmm?"

"…" Su Huaijing paused, as the opera downstairs moved to the next scene, and finally said, "I can't promise that."

Rong Tang's smile faltered, "?"

Su Huaijing: "I get jealous."

His voice was muffled, lacking the playful tone he had with Sheng Chengming earlier. It was a seriously earnest declaration, "I get jealous when you look at others, I get angry when you like someone else, and if you talk about taking someone else home, I might go crazy."

Su Huaijing looked directly into his eyes, "Tang Tang, if you want to be good to me, you can only be good to me in this lifetime."

"You must always watch me, you must hold my leash tightly, you must always be by my side."

"Be a little good to me, then..."

"I will give you a medicine recipe that isn’t bitter."

-

When Sheng Chengming came out, he felt an odd tension between Su Huaijing and Rong Tang.

If their interaction before was like sweet and sour green plums, now it seemed more like unripe, tart plums. He couldn’t pinpoint exactly what was off, but something was a bit…

He exchanged a glance with Lu Jiaxi, both seeing the 'maybe I should go back' thought in each other’s eyes.

But Rong Tang quickly noticed them, raising his hand in greeting, "Second Prince, Master Lu."

Su Huaijing followed with a somewhat displeased look.

Sheng Chengming: "…"

Lu Jiaxi: "…"

Both retreated half a step in sync, then moved forward together, smiling stiffly as they greeted Rong Tang, "Cousin/Young Master."

Rong Tang exhaled in relief, stepping aside to make room for them, "It's a bit crowded here, you guys can watch from this side."

Sheng Chengming quickly waved his hand, "No need, no need, I wasn’t very interested anyway. You watch, cousin."

Rong Tang smiled and said, "I didn’t come here to watch this play anyway."

He had simply come to snatch someone, but who knew that casually saying so would hit the villain's self-destruct button.

For a moment, Rong Tang thought Su Huaijing was about to break down right there, which scared him into frantically poking at the system.

Fortunately, that didn’t happen. He gave up his spot to Sheng Chengming and Lu Jiaxi. Downstairs, the performers changed, and Su Lian'er left the stage to go to a small courtyard behind Lan Yue Pavilion to change clothes. Rong Tang took Su Huaijing’s hand and headed down the stairs.

His baby was in a bad mood and needed comforting.

A child who grew up deprived of love, finally having someone who cared for him so completely, would be deeply shaken upon realizing that this affection could be shared with others, realizing he might not be the most special one. For an ordinary child, this might result in crying and tantrums, but for a great antagonist, it could lead to a breakdown or transformation.

If he turned, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Rong Tang led Su Huaijing by the hand, walking along the stone path on the island in the lake, just like the night they first came, letting the gentle breeze brush through their hair.

He turned back to Su Huaijing, both amused and annoyed, asking, "Am I not good enough for you?"

It's really quite heartless.

In his previous two lifetimes with Sheng Chengli, even under the pressure of system tasks, he had never been this good.

Su Huaijing pressed his lips together, not speaking. Rong Tang listed his actions: "That night at Fengyue Tower, on the carriage to the medical clinic, you actually wanted to kill me, right?"

Su Huaijing’s eyes trembled, his fingers subconsciously clenching, palms sweating. A foreign feeling of panic and dread arose in his heart.

He opened his lips, instinctively wanting to explain, but he, who was always skilled at sophistry and deception, found himself speechless at Rong Tang's light-hearted remark.

And it seemed Rong Tang didn’t need his excuses.

He glanced at Su Huaijing briefly, then focused on the path ahead, "You wanted to kill me, yet I took you to see a doctor, gave you silver and a waist token, and promised to marry you. Haven’t I been good enough to you?"

Su Huaijing pressed his lips, remaining silent.

Rong Tang asked further, "You’ve been in the capital for only three months, initially staying at the Li residence, not meeting outsiders; later, when I visited Yong'an Alley daily, you only had contact with me. But on the fourth day after our marriage, you left the Wang mansion. Who did you meet?"

Su Huaijing’s heart trembled uncontrollably, his gaze towards Rong Tang turning fervent.

Rong Tang continued, "My second brother, who is acquainted with Sheng Chengming, how could he acquire so many rare and expensive medicines? He has parents and a younger sister; even if he received favors from the prince, he should have kept them for his family. How did they end up with me?"

"My relationship with Sheng Chengming, at best, is that of cousins, but in reality, we share no blood relation. It’s more like a lord and vassal. My father is his father's subject, and I am naturally his subordinate. Why would he be so cautious and flattering towards me?"

Rong Tang softly asked, "You met Sheng Chengming that day, didn’t you?"

In fact, there were many other things that could be discussed.

Like the sudden murderous intent in Su Huaijing after meeting Shen Feiyi; like his acquaintance with Lu Jiaxi; like his own words, "Only I must profit."

But once unraveled, it would lead to many things Rong Tang shouldn’t and wouldn't have any reason to guess.

Therefore, he only spoke of facts that both could understand and see.

Rong Tang smiled, turning his head to look at Su Huaijing, his voice soft, "If I were not good to you, after knowing you secretly worked for Sheng Chengming, should I have locked you up at home? Or should I have eagerly sent Shuangshou in the carriage late at night to pick you up from Liujin Tower? Do I have nothing better to do?"

Rong Tang didn’t hold Su Huaijing’s actions against him, nor did he ask why he did so. He just smiled, expressing how well he had treated him.

Yet Su Huaijing remained unsatisfied.

On the island, unlike inside Lan Yue Pavilion, the light was so dim that faces were nearly indiscernible, but the bright, twinkling eyes in the darkness were clearly visible.

Unable to restrain himself, Su Huaijing stepped forward, embraced Rong Tang, and buried his head in his neck, asking hoarsely, "When did you find out?"

Rong Tang replied, "Quite early. You didn’t intend to hide it from me, did you?"

Sometimes Rong Tang really felt Su Huaijing was like a petulant child, doubting him while openly testing him, not hiding anything.

He had no doubt that if he had other intentions, he could have left the antagonist a widower long ago.

He found it somewhat amusing and said, "I’m not even wronged, what are you doing?"

Embracing him like a pitiful child, burying his head without lifting it, acting coquettishly?

After a long silence, Su Huaijing murmured, "Lock me up."

Rong Tang was taken aback, "Huh?"

"You said it, lock me up at home," Su Huaijing reminded him, "Just do it."

It would be fine, he thought. He couldn’t bring himself to confine Su Huaijing, so if Su Huaijing locked himself up, that would work too.

Rong Tang: "?"

He was somewhat incredulous, "Are you serious?"

Su Huaijing took a deep breath, inhaling the sandalwood scent on Rong Tang, calming his mind. He ground his teeth, wanting to nibble on Rong Tang's neck.

He let go and stepped back, "Not really."

Rong Tang felt relieved but glanced at Su Huaijing displeasedly, "Don’t say things like that in the future."

"Okay," Su Huaijing responded, then asked, "So what did you mean when you said you wanted to snatch someone?"

They were in front of a small courtyard on the island, temporarily used by the Zi Yu Troupe. The front hall was converted into a dressing room, with many actors inside doing makeup.

Rong Tang asked a servant at the door to invite Miss Su Lian'er out, then turned to Su Huaijing, "The Second Prince can be impulsive at times, acting without thinking. I worry that assisting him will wear you out, so I thought of finding an intelligence agent to share your burden."

Su Huaijing was stunned, took a moment to understand his implication, and his eyes suddenly widened.

A person emerged from the moon gate, elegant and stunning, the moonlight enhancing her beauty. Dressed as an actress, her natural charisma was not hidden but made even more enchanting.

As she approached, Rong Tang raised his hand and smiled, "It's important for a lady to maintain her reputation, please stop there."

Su Lian'er paused, curtsying gracefully, "I've met the two gentlemen. May I know who you are and what brings you here?"

Rong Tang took off a jade pendant from his waist and hung it on a nearby branch, "Ningxuan Wang Mansion, Rong Tang. If lady finishes her performance tonight, she might unfortunately catch a cold and ruin her voice, needing rest and unable to return to Lan Yue Pavilion."

Su Lian'er frowned, "What do you mean, sir?"

Rong Tang asked, "Has anyone ever told you that you bear a striking resemblance to a certain deceased noble?"

Su Lian'er's expression froze, her gaze at Rong Tang now tinged with caution.

Rong Tang knew then that she had heard similar remarks before.

Rong Tang sighed softly and advised, "If you don’t want to be used as a pawn and live in constant fear, heed my advice: go back to your room and rest early, and don’t go back on stage."

In the original story, Su Lian'er was indeed one of the main character’s concubines, but she died in the bed of a wastrel visiting the Pear Garden before Sheng Chengli even left the palace to establish his own residence.

In this era, the lives of actors were as insignificant as weeds.

Sheng Chengli did avenge her later, but what was the use? The dead cannot be brought back to life.

In his previous two lifetimes, Rong Tang tried to change her fate of death, but all in vain.

In the first lifetime, Su Lian'er’s face was disfigured, and she eventually died in an epidemic; in the second lifetime, she died innocently before even reaching the original plot.

With the incident of Madam Yue in the past, Rong Tang always felt that if Su Lian'er had more contact with Sheng Chengli, like in the previous lifetimes, she might die even earlier.

After advising, he pointed to the jade pendant hanging on the tree branch, "After you return to the city, if you don’t want to make a living by singing anymore, you can take this jade pendant to Tangjing Residence in Yong'an Alley and have someone find you a place to stay. Then, you can do something else for a living."

As soon as he finished speaking, a servant hurriedly ran up the path behind them. Rong Tang tensed, but before he could speak, Su Huaijing pulled him aside. Su Lian'er stepped forward and took the jade pendant, too rushed even to thank them, as the servant approached, smiling, "Miss Su, your singing was wonderful. The prince invites you back, saying there’s a reward for you."

Rong Tang frowned, wanting to stop her, but Su Huaijing tugged at his sleeve to calm down. The next second, they saw Su Lian'er cough weakly, her voice barely audible.

"I’m flattered by His Highness's favor, cough cough... but I feel a cold coming on, and after singing for so long, I really, really can’t keep going—"

Before she could finish, there was a loud thud. Rong Tang watched in shock as she collapsed backward onto the ground, eyes closed.

The messenger panicked instantly, and the courtyard erupted into noisy footsteps. Rong Tang was stunned, while Su Huaijing chuckled softly beside him, an unreadable emotion in his laughter, pulling him back the way they came.

They had walked some distance before Rong Tang finally regained his senses, tugging at Su Huaijing's sleeve, "She’s even better at acting than you—"

Su Huaijing: "What?"

Rong Tang changed his statement, "She's more ruthless than you. Falling like that, she could have hit her head and died."

Su Huaijing's lips curved, but his eyes lacked amusement, "If she hit her head, it might be fatal, but if she really got taken to Lan Yue Pavilion, that would definitely be deadly."

Rong Tang feigned ignorance, "What do you mean by that?"

Su Huaijing looked at him, a hint of a smile on his face, "Does Tang Tang really not know?"

Rong Tang: "…"

He remained silent, finding the antagonist quite annoying.

Su Huaijing: "As an actress entangled in princes' schemes, how could she escape unscathed? Moreover, Sheng Chengming mentioned her striking resemblance to the late Consort, resembling a prince's mother. Tang Tang, do you understand what that implies?"

Rong Tang: "What?"

Su Huaijing: "First, she could be despised, even killed by the prince himself, because he would never tolerate his mother, already a subject of criticism, being mocked as a plaything; second, she could catch the emperor’s eye."

Su Huaijing turned his head, asking, "Which of these two outcomes do you think would be beneficial for her?"

Rong Tang was startled, feeling a chill crawl up his spine belatedly.

Su Huaijing, however, smiled and asked, "I'm just curious, why did Tang Tang want her to take your jade token to my residence?"

Rong Tang blinked hard, digesting the words Su Huaijing had just casually mentioned.

He had never doubted before, but now that he thought about it...

He clearly had a god-like perspective and the ability to teleport, yet why couldn't he save Su Lian'er in either of his two lives? Unless—

Unless her death was something the main character desired to see.

If this hypothesis held true, then considering the death of Mu Jingxu…

"Tang Tang?" After a long silence, Su Huaijing prompted him.

Rong Tang licked his slightly dry lips and said, "You already suspect me of wanting a concubine. If she goes to the mansion looking for me, what if my mother also thinks I’m fickle?"

Su Huaijing paused, then smiled, holding Rong Tang's hand. They walked past Lan Yue Pavilion and headed towards the ferry dock, where Shuang Fu and Shuang Shou were already waiting.

On the Lian Lake, there were pleasure boats and new lotus leaves peeking out of the water. Boats came and went from the garden.

Rong Tang bent over to touch the lake water, feeling somewhat stifled.

Su Huaijing asked, "Is this also a gift you’re giving me?"

Rong Tang, momentarily puzzled, straightened up and looked at him in confusion.

Su Huaijing said, "Su Lian'er, is she also a gift from Tang Tang to me?"

Rong Tang was momentarily stunned, his first thought being that the antagonist was asking if he was giving one of the main character’s women to him. But this thought was quickly dismissed by a scoff from the system.

Regaining his composure, he nodded, "I worry about you getting exhausted. She has been in the capital for many years and knows many officials and nobles. If she still wants to sing, you can arrange that for her; if not, setting up a tea house, tavern, or even a gambling house would be good sources of information, depending on your preference."

Rong Tang added, "If you need more money, you can take it from the treasury, no need to inform me."

Su Huaijing was momentarily stunned.

What he originally wanted to say was: Is this also a gift from Tang Tang to me? Like Shen Feiyi?

That evening, after uncovering so much about him, Su Huaijing couldn't help but try to probe for some genuine reciprocity from Rong Tang, but was met with this conversation, leaving him unsure of what to say next.

Feeling a warmth in his heart, he also bent down beside Rong Tang, reaching his hand into the lake water, grasping Rong Tang's palm and giving it a squeeze. He asked in a hoarse voice, "Won't you ask me why?"

Rong Tang: "Why what?"

"Sheng Chengming," Su Huaijing said.

Rong Tang decisively shook his head: "I won't ask."

But Su Huaijing asked him, "Why not?"

Rong Tang, looking down, swayed his hand in the lake, feeling the resistance of the water.

He said, "You can do whatever you want. If it's dangerous, I'd rather you didn’t tell me."

Su Huaijing's voice became more strained: "Why?"

Rong Tang earnestly said, "Huaijing, don't hand your weaknesses to others."

Even if I treat you the best, don't trust me too much.

"I just want you to be safe. You can do whatever you want. After all, you wouldn't harm me," Rong Tang said.

Su Huaijing gazed at him intently. For a moment, he had a strong urge to ask: "What if I wanted to harm your family?"

"Apart from your mother and you, what if I wanted all of them dead?"

Su Huaijing shouldn’t fear anything. Before meeting Rong Tang, he had spent nine years in Shu territory and another two months in the Li residence upon returning to the capital. He had seen too many dark schemes and been the victim of numerous plots.

He shouldn't be afraid of anything in this world.

But he couldn’t bring himself to ask this question.

He was afraid to hear Rong Tang's answer.

He feared seeing fear in Rong Tang's eyes.

Even the slightest possibility made him anxious.

Su Huaijing closed his eyes, then gently pulled Rong Tang's hand out of the lake and dried it with a cloth, softly saying, "Be careful not to catch a cold."

Rong Tang let him dry his hand obediently, feeling a sudden, uncontrollable sense of weariness and annoyance as they returned to the courtyard and he looked up at the red pavilion.

He softly called out, "Huaijing."

"Hmm."

"Let's go back tomorrow," Rong Tang suggested.

Su Huaijing naturally agreed, asking, "Go back where?"

After some thought, Rong Tang said, "Yong'an Alley, to your residence. Let’s take it easy."

He was almost sick of attending the Flower Viewing Festival, having achieved nothing but altering the stances of Ke Hongxue and Mu Jingxu, and nothing good.

All the scheming and plotting, it was exhaustingly tedious.

Rong Tang thought, let the Emperor Ren Shou and his sons go to hell!

Su Huaijing chuckled upon hearing his answer, asking softly, "Tang Tang, are you sure?"

Rong Tang: "About what?"

"If you come back with me, I'll lock you up and not let you out," Su Huaijing said with a smile, a seemingly threatening statement, yet his tone was not scary, even gentle.

Rong Tang responded, thinking that would be great, "Then remember to prepare lots of food and things for me to play with, just don't bore me."

Su Huaijing was momentarily taken aback, not expecting such a response, but then laughed, "Okay."

"I will also build you a cage of gold, adorned with climbing roses and roses, capture songbirds and smooth-furred cats to keep you company, and together with them, I'll cheer you up."

-

Rong Tang didn’t sleep well all night, his mind continually revisiting the words Su Huaijing said after meeting Su Lian'er.

From the moment he was killed by Sheng Chengli, he had been convinced that the heavens of this world were mistaken.

He felt disgusted yet understood why Sheng Chengli would kill Madam Yue as part of a scheme.

Although Madam Yue was a caretaker who had been with the main character since childhood, she was essentially a minor villainous character. Sheng Chengli eliminating her was normal.

Killing her for his own benefit was maximizing his interests, hardly something to criticize.

But Su Lian'er, in both the original story and Rong Tang's past two lives, was utterly devoted to Sheng Chengli.

Not to mention Mu Jingxu.

If they truly died because of Sheng Chengli…

Rong Tang closed his eyes, images of people he had known in his past lives but hadn’t met in this life flashing through his mind.

He lay in bed recalling how many graves and tombs he had visited, struggling to hold up his failing body.

Thinking so, Rong Tang felt a chill throughout his body. Even lying under the covers, he couldn’t warm his hands and feet, feeling as if the cold was emanating from his bones, spreading to every limb, dragging him into a hell devoid of light.

Rong Tang considered getting up to copy Buddhist scriptures, but his hand trembled physiologically when he tried to pick up the brush.

He found it ironic.

And didn't know whom to blame.

He had initially thought he would die within four years, and after Su Huaijing ascended the throne and killed Sheng Chengli, the world would collapse and vanish.

It shouldn’t have concerned him, but now he wondered, why should it be so?

Why should the lives of thousands of sentient beings in this world depend on a so-called heavenly main character who does not deserve his position?

Rong Tang couldn’t figure it out and even wanted to drag the system out to ask: Would it be enough if Sheng Chengli wasn’t killed by Su Huaijing?

Could he be made into a human swine, just like his father, dragged daily to the city walls for public display, shown to the people, shown to the heavens, not allowed to die, just kept alive by a thread, so that the world wouldn’t collapse and Su Huaijing could be his emperor?

Rong Tang felt a surge of unspeakable, vile thoughts in an instant.

He was... not exactly a very kind person to begin with.

He might not have directly shed blood with his own hands, but there had been no shortage of people who died because of him.

Wanting to torture someone without letting them die, the penal code of the Ministry of Justice listed dozens of methods, and the secret scrolls of the Imperial Censor even more.

Rong Tang lay awake all night with these thoughts tearing through his mind. When dawn broke, he got up, changed clothes, washed up, and then went up to the pavilion, staring blankly at the distant sky, waiting for Shuang Fu to pack their luggage.

Hearing footsteps coming from the pavilion, Rong Tang thought it was Su Huaijing, but turned to see Ke Hongxue approaching.

Carrying a food box and seeing him, Ke Hongxue smiled lightly, "Did Young Master enjoy the play last night?"

As he laid out the meal, Rong Tang, not sure if it was due to a sleepless night or hunger, felt somewhat nauseous at the smell.

He covered his nose and shifted aside a bit, saying, "I only watched a little."

“Is that so?” Ke Hongxue smiled, “But I heard the real drama didn’t even start. Sheng Chengxing threw quite a tantrum later.”

Rong Tang felt a slight acidity in his stomach and did not respond.

Ke Hongxue finished arranging the food, then looked up at Rong Tang with puzzlement, resting his chin on his hand, “But I’m curious, Young Master, you clearly don’t seem to like my senior brother’s little apprentice. Why did you help him?”

Rong Tang’s mind felt muddled, reacting slowly, and after a moment, he frowned and asked, “Help?”

Ke Hongxue raised his eyebrows, his surprised expression lingering briefly before dissipating, as if he had understood something. He smiled, “Then it seems there’s another reason. But, Young Master, what will you do now? The person involved thinks you are helping him.”

“From the time my senior brother found the Illusory Glass Grass and didn’t report it, to the well-prepared play at Lan Yue Pavilion that never started, it all seems like your behind-the-scenes help in the eyes of the Fifth Prince.”

The more Rong Tang listened, the more his headache worsened. He couldn’t bear it anymore. Irritated all night and now facing Ke Hongxue, even the initial restraint he remembered to maintain slipped, revealing an unprecedented irritation, “Help? I’d rather personally heat up a pot of oil and fry him in it. Why would I help him?”

Annoyed to death and disliking the smell of the food, he didn’t want to talk anymore. He got up and left the pavilion, leaving Ke Hongxue behind, who paused and then couldn’t help but laugh after a moment of deep thought.

Sitting in the pavilion, waiting for Mu Jingxu, Ke Hongxue turned his gaze and saw someone slowly walking through the flower path outside the courtyard.

The person wore an apricot-yellow robe, unaccompanied by any servant or maid, coughing every few steps and pausing frequently, struggling to make their way into the courtyard.

Ke Hongxue’s eyes narrowed, and the slight smile on his face quickly turned cold.

Rong Tang was still irritable after coming downstairs, feeling like acid was churning in his stomach. The aftereffects of a sleepless night emerged, making everything seem shaky.

He instinctively wanted to find Su Huaijing.

Even feeling a bit aggrieved.

He felt especially unwell. Where had Su Huaijing gone?

Why wasn’t he by his side?

Finding the room empty, Rong Tang instinctively thought to go out and look for someone, but as he turned around, he bumped into a person.

Light-colored pupils, fair skin, and a cinnabar mole at the corner of the eye on a youthful face, like a small, exquisite red fruit, endearing at first sight.

The moment the youth saw Rong Tang, his eyes brightened, making his entire face glow beautifully, like a rare treasure.

It had been a very long time since Rong Tang had seen him.

They had once spent days and nights together, even staying up late into the night talking. Rong Tang once thought that if he were on the battlefield, this person would be the one he’d trust with his back.

But it was this person who had plunged a sword into his chest right in front of him.

The feeling of nausea peaked at this moment. Rong Tang looked around, unclear why but desperately wanting to see Su Huaijing.

Suppressing the sickness, he intended to bypass Sheng Chengli and leave.

However, the other party bowed with hands clasped, weakly saying, “Chengli thanks my cousin for your repeated help!”

By this time, the main character's voice had changed. The original story described it as sounding like a phoenix's song, clear and crisp, inducing a sense of closeness in anyone who heard it.

But for Rong Tang, it was like a fuse being lit. Suddenly unable to restrain himself, he turned his head and vomited.

Bent over, he vomited for a long time, expelling a stomach full of acid. His face turned red, and tears of physical discomfort formed in his eyes. Initially, it was just annoyance, but when he looked up hazily and saw someone with a food box approaching from outside the courtyard, changing their expression at the sight of him and running over without regard for decorum, it overwhelmed him.

The faint sense of grievance inside Rong Tang suddenly broke through.

Feeling aggrieved for not sleeping the whole night.

The frustration of being misunderstood as helping Sheng Chengli, when he actually intended to take him away.

Feeling aggrieved that the male lead he had helped for two lifetimes turned out to be a bad person.

Lying in bed all night with an empty stomach, nearly starving, only to vomit up a belly full of acid water out of frustration.

Feeling sickened and aggrieved by the greasy breakfast prepared by Ke Hongxue.

Aggrieved at the sight of Sheng Chengli.

Aggrieved at not seeing Su Huaijing.

Rong Tang vomited until he was dizzy, his nose bubbling.

Su Huaijing rushed to his side in panic, his sleeve suddenly grabbed, as he heard his little Buddha say with a sobbing voice: “Huaijing, I feel terrible.”