Chapter 70

Chapter 70

“Homeroom Teacher, can this child still wake up?”

“If he doesn't wake up, the money would be wasted.”

“He has a nice face. If he survives and is willing to stay, our lives could be better.”

……

You Nan’s consciousness felt as though it were submerged in water; the voices in his ears were hazy and indistinct, impossible to make out clearly.

With his eyes closed, he didn't know how much time had passed when the invisible bonds holding him suddenly gave way.

His lying body regained sensation.

You Nan’s first feeling was pain, his second was agony.

His chest was tight, his mouth dry, and every part of his body ached intensely.

You Nan fought to wake up; his eyelashes fluttered, and the fingers at his sides twitched slightly.

Hang Youxuan, who had been silent until then, with sharp eyes, spotted from behind the others the will to survive in the pitiful child on the bed and quickly exclaimed, “He moved! The kid's alive!”

Hearing this, everyone turned to look.

You Nan, lying on the bed, seemed to be roused by Hang Youxuan’s words. His eyelids twitched violently a couple of times before finally opening.

You Nan took in the unfamiliar ceiling above him, a dull pain throbbing in his head as the memories of the original body came flooding in.

The original body shared his name, also called You Nan. He was the illegitimate child of a wealthy family in the south.

Though not accepted by his father's family, he lived with his mother outside the main household, at least ensuring they had food and clothing, with servants to care for them.

But they were born into troubled times.

It was now the fifth year of the Songjia era. The Song State had recently pacified the Guanzhong region, but other parts of the country were still plagued by war. Warlords and powerful nobles abounded, and the common people suffered the most.

The original body's family was wealthy and based in the south, but they were still affected by the turmoil. The family had to pack in a hurry and flee for their lives.

The original body's father, worried about his mistress and son, insisted on bringing them along despite opposition. On their journey north, they encountered fierce bandits mid-route who, seeing their several carriages, blocked the road to rob them.

The original body's father got down to beg the bandits but was beaten unconscious.

Amid the chaos, the family was scattered—some fled, others ran.

To protect her son, the original body's mother begged the madam in tears to take him and escape, while she stepped forward to distract the bandits who had discovered the madam's group.

The original body's mother knew the madam disliked her presence. If she were gone, her child would have a hard time living as a dependent.

But at least she hoped the madam would remember her sacrifice, ensuring her child's survival.

The madam agreed, and a small group fled in the confusion.

The madam did provide the original body with food, but as the journey dragged on, most of their money and provisions, originally stored in the carriages, were abandoned. The remaining food was not enough.

In the day-to-day turmoil of the chaotic times, the original body's mother's sacrifice meant little.

The madam resented her. Though her actions had somewhat changed the madam's view of the mother and son, the original body was still not regarded as family.

The original body's father drifted in and out of consciousness, often feverish, rarely awake, and unable to speak clearly. With the family now destitute—no food and no money for medical treatment—the madam hardened her heart.

She sold the original body to a human trafficker for silver, using the money to continue the father's treatment and buy some food.

Though nominally a concubine's son, the illegitimate child held little status, almost like a servant. Selling him in such circumstances drew no objections.

Selling the child might even give him another chance at life. His future would depend on his own luck.

The original body, following behind them, ate sporadically, suffering from hunger and exposure. He had lost both his mother and father in quick succession, then was abandoned by his “family.”

Under repeated blows, he grew despondent and fell ill.

The human trafficker, angry, beat him but, mindful of the silver spent to buy him, refused to accept the loss. He aimed to resell him at a higher price.

The trafficker spent a dozen coins on the original body, buying cheap medicine from a wandering doctor to keep him alive.

The original body was tenacious—perhaps fate wasn't ready to claim him. He pulled through.

Though he survived, he remained sickly and listless, always drowsy.

The trafficker took him and other pretty children bought along the way to the capital.

Among them, the original body's looks weren't outstanding. He was fine-featured and pleasant-looking, with a soft charm that grew on you over time.

The trafficker brought the group to a brothel, where a madam took a liking to the original body.

As the original body listened to them discussing his price and calling for someone to take him away to be cleaned and trained, he grew terrified, unfamiliar with such things, and struggled to escape. But after just a few steps, his body went weak, and he collapsed to the ground.

This immediately revealed the severity of his illness to the madam.

In the capital, many favored southern styles, and in recent years, delicate southern boys were in vogue. But no matter how frail these young men appeared on the surface, their constitutions had to be sturdy enough to endure.

The madam immediately turned hostile and refused him.

The trafficker smiled ingratiatingly and agreed.

The others were sold off one by one, leaving only the original body stuck in the trafficker's hands.

Frustrated, the trafficker cursed him for being worthless, kicking and beating him. Mid-beating, he noticed the original body's looks and thought of disreputable ways to profit.

He dragged him into the grass to try something, but as he loosened his belt and grabbed the original body's hands, he realized the boy had already been beaten to death.

Terrified, the trafficker fled without even retrieving his belt.

After that, You Nan knew nothing.

You Nan opened his clear, lucid eyes to look at the strangers gathered around his bed. He blinked, and tears welled up.

His eyes were full of confusion and despair.

Hang Youxuan, standing at the back, couldn't bear to watch.

She and the troupe leader had found him.

When they saw him from a distance, they witnessed a monster attempting to do something to him.

They quickly hid.

In these times, life was hard for women. One had to be cautious when traveling outdoors.

They saw that bastard's clothes half undone, and he seemed to have discovered something before being scared off. After waiting a while, they went over to check. They called out but got no response, then checked for breath—there was none—and realized the person was dead.

People in this area lived on the fringes of society; many actors and women of the pleasure quarters who died were simply wrapped in a straw mat and tossed by the roadside to be eaten by dogs.

The bodies of the young and attractive were often used for other purposes.

Perhaps, as fellow outcasts, they couldn’t bear to see such pitiful ends.

The women usually helped when they could, hiding the bodies or digging a pit to bury them.

They had intended to drag the body to the riverbank, but halfway there, they noticed a slight movement. Checking again, they found a faint breath—the person was still alive.

They quickly brought the person back and spent two hundred wen to hire a physician for treatment.

Their opera troupe was made up of lonely, helpless women. Though they were called performers, their lives weren’t much different from those in the brothels of the back alleys.

With no customers around at the moment, everyone draped their robes over themselves and came to see the newcomer.

"Why are you crying?"

"What’s your name? Where is your home?"

"Can you speak?"

A chorus of voices asked many questions but received no response, so they turned their pleading eyes to the troupe leader.

The troupe leader was the only man in the opera troupe.

He wore a blue robe, stood tall and straight, with fair and handsome features—truly a man of jade-like elegance, with well-defined brows and clear eyes.

"You all go out for now."

The troupe leader said without looking directly at them, "And bring some food in while you're at it."

The women wearing powder and makeup hurried out upon hearing this, leaving only Hang Youxuan still accompanying him.

Hang Minyu told her to go out too, "I'll stay here, you go keep watch outside."

Hang Youxuan obeyed him and left as well.

"How is he?"

As soon as Hang Youxuan stepped out, the others immediately surrounded her.

Hang Youxuan closed the door behind her, "We just stepped out one after the other, he's still the same. Let's fix him some millet to tide him over."

Even the poor families in the capital now make do with millet to get by.

So do these women.

Once Hang Youxuan spoke, whatever others wanted to say, they swallowed it back.

Hang Youxuan was the first one the troupe leader ever took in, given a name by him, and took on his surname.

Only she, among these people, had enough sway to make others listen when she spoke.

"Alright, then I'll go warm it up, there's some left from breakfast."

Inside the room, You Nan locked eyes with the man by the bed. But with his eyes blurred with tears, he couldn't tell if the tears were from the original body or from his own physical discomfort, and for a moment, he couldn't make out the man's features clearly.

You Nan was a man, so Hang Minyu wasn’t so careful with him. He directly took a damp cloth from the nearby basin and wiped his face clean of tears.

The man’s expression was calm as he wiped, saying, "Hang Youxuan and I picked you up off the roadside—you were already dead. We intended to bury you as a good deed, but you’re a tough one—didn’t die after all. We pulled you through, and you fought your way back."

"Since you’ve survived, just live. Work off what I spent on your medicine, food, clothing, and shelter, and after that, you can decide whether to stay or go. If you still want to die, I won’t get in your way."

Hang Minyu spoke in a cold tone.

"This place isn’t like anywhere else. This area is full of low-class pleasure houses. To get by, you do what you gotta do. There are many women here, and when they have trouble going out during the day, we help them out. At night, no matter what you hear, keep your wits about you."

As he spoke, Hang Minyu looked up to check the expression of the person on the bed.

His skin was pale, now almost devoid of color, like snow.

His eyes were dazed, dark eyes swimming with tears, the despair fading slightly, mixed with a hint of surprise and sorrow.

Amid the lifelessness around him, a faint glimmer of life began to show.

Hearing Hang Minyu’s words, You Nan knew where he stood.

The last memory of his past self was of a gloomy, dark sky and aching all over.

You Nan hadn’t been sold into a brothel to become a courtesan but had instead landed in the "Opera Troupe."

This was a step up from being a courtesan.

You Nan blinked, feeling as though he had forgotten something but unable to recall what.

His throat was dry and hoarse. A strong hand supported his neck, and cold tea that’d been sitting there was brought to his lips, like a drink of water in a desert.

After drinking the water, You Nan finally got his voice back.

"I—my name is You Nan."

His hand clutched the sheets under him. "I’m willing to stay."

After saying these words, You Nan realized just how weak he really was.

He couldn’t even finish a sentence without needing to catch his breath.

A flicker of something unreadable passed through Hang Minyu’s eyes.

He had saved many people—all the women in this house were taken in out of pity.

At first, when they heard about this line of work, none were willing.

He had saved men before too, but they all changed their expressions and ran off after just a few days.

Hang Minyu wanted to see how much You Nan could accept and tested him, saying, "However, if a customer sets their eyes on you, you’ll have to do it."

The little color left on You Nan’s lips vanished completely.

He didn’t make a sound, just lowered his eyes silently.

Hang Minyu knew he understood and said no more. Just then, someone knocked on the door. "Troupe leader, the millet porridge is ready."

Hang Minyu raised his voice, "Come in."

The person who entered wasn’t Hang Youxuan but a young girl with her hair tied up.

She was different from the other women, she didn’t have the strong smell of cheap rouge on her.

The little girl quietly fed You Nan the porridge.

You Nan had been hungry for a long time, but he didn't eat much. After half a bowl, he stopped.

The millet porridge didn't taste good; it was gritty and scraped his throat. His throat was already sore, so he couldn't eat any more.

"Give it to me."

Hang Minyu reached out toward the little girl, and the bowl was handed to him.

Holding the bowl, he walked out, saying, "You stay here and watch over him."

The little girl replied.

Hang Minyu went out and closed the door.

The girl had fed him with a spoon, and there was nothing unclean about it. Since both he and You Nan were men, there was no reason to be disgusted.

Hang Minyu held the bowl and downed it in one gulp, expressionless.

After eating a little, You Nan wasn’t ready to sleep yet. He spoke to the child, "Where are we?"

It took him a while to finish the sentence, and his voice was very faint.

The little girl listened patiently, "This is in the capital of the Song State, inside South Lane."

It was the first time the little girl had been this close to a man other than her troupe leader.

You Nan looked at her face and asked, "Little girl, how old are you?"

The little girl smiled, held up her fingers, "I'm eight years old!"

You Nan smiled back. The little girl stared at his clean face in awe, "Brother, you're really good-looking. Please don't die, okay? That’d be a shame. Do you have any other family? If not, why not live with us?"

You Nan lowered his eyes, "I don't know if I'll ever see them again."

The little girl covered her mouth, realizing she had said the wrong thing, "I shouldn't have asked."

Her tone was filled with regret, clearly feeling guilty.

You Nan didn't mind, "Your troupe leader is a good person."

Hearing You Nan praise Brother Hang, the little girl's eyes lit up, "Of course! If it weren't for Brother Hang, I would have died long ago."

You Nan was genuinely curious this time, "So, has Brother Hang saved others too?"

The little girl nodded vigorously, proudly, "All the sisters in the courtyard were saved by Brother Hang."

An eight-year-old girl is naturally curious, and You Nan could see the traces of protection on her.

The girl was like a young, vibrant tree, full of energy, untouched by hardship.

You Nan's respect for Hang Minyu deepened.

The little girl counted on her fingers, "Actually, there were many others, but some left after repaying their money, and some ran away without repaying. The latter are so annoying!"

She muttered, "It’s tough to make money."

"Only the sisters in the courtyard and I stayed with the troupe leader because we had nowhere else to go."

Seeing the child's enthusiasm, You Nan asked more questions and gleaned more details.

Before the Song State seized the Central Plains, it had undergone two dynastic changes. Originally, this was the Qiang State, but the Qiang king was backstabbed by his general, who stormed the palace, leading to the fall of the Qiang State.

That night, the Qiang palace was filled with screams and bloodshed.

The general took the throne and changed the dynasty, but within a few years, foreign invaders attacked.

The emperor, who had been on the throne for less than a few years, led the campaign himself but was pierced through the heart by an enemy arrow.

After the invaders entered the pass, they established the Song State.

The country founded by the former Qiang general was swiftly forgotten.

However, since the general's coup, up to now, large and small wars have continuously erupted within the country. There are always powerful nobles rising up under the banner of restoring the Central Plains, making life hard for everyone.

"Brother had a very hard childhood. During the escape, his mother was very good to him." The little girl lowered her head, her voice softening.

You Nan looked at her gently, "How’d you know?"

Qing Er spoke softly, aware that she shouldn’t be telling these things about Brother Hang, "I heard it from the sisters."

When Hang Minyu was young, his family fled north to survive. The roads were packed with refugees—many were alive, but even more had died, some from starvation, others from illness.

He came from a poor family, and halfway through the journey, only he and his mother remained.

For a mother and son among the refugees to survive, the only way was for the mother to continuously rely on different men, scrounging for food to keep her son alive.

Hang Minyu's mother was pretty, which allowed her to keep her son alive.

However, the journey was treacherous, and Hang Minyu's mother fell ill, with not long to live.

To ensure he could eat, she struggled to the next city and begged someone who had come out to buy things to save her son.

That person did odd jobs in an opera troupe. Seeing that Hang Minyu was young and good-looking, he took pity on him and brought him back.

By the time Hang Minyu came out of the city, his mother had already died.

Hang Minyu wept in the snow for a long time, but his mother never came.

Later, he became one of the children training in opera in the Opera Troupe.

Qing Er hadn't talked this long with anyone in a while. The sisters in the courtyard often kept things from her, not letting her listen, and they lacked the patience to hear her out.

Facing this kind brother, the child had much more to say.

"I heard from the sisters that Brother Hang is great at opera singing." Qing Er had never seen Hang Minyu on stage, but that didn't stop her from imagining, "But I came too late; the sisters arrived earlier. They said that sometimes, when there was demand, Brother Hang would do gigs at private events to earn money."

You Nan murmured. After eating, he grew sleepy.

He closed his eyes as the child talked.

"But Brother Hang said that the Opera Troupe he was in before had struggling business later on, ran out of money, and went under. Brother Hang inherited his master's Opera Troupe, but somehow, he was left alone."

The little girl's voice was soft as a breeze, "So later, he took us in one by one and brought us all together in the Opera Troupe."

In the final moment before his consciousness drifted off, You Nan thought to himself.

Qing Er's Brother Hang took someone in, perhaps hoping to find some company.

He is all alone, with no one left in his life.

You Nan didn't know how long he had slept. When he woke, it was already dark. The room was not lit, pitch black, but lanterns were lit outside. Light shone through the paper-covered window.

It was quiet in the room, and he could hear many unfamiliar accents in the courtyard.

There were men, and also the laughter of many women.

"You're awake?" a young voice called out to him.

You Nan then realized Qing Er was still with him.

The room was dark, and You Nan jumped when he noticed Qing Er. He slowed his heartbeat and asked her, "You're still here?"

"Mhm," Qing Er replied softly, her voice so quiet only the two of them could hear.

"The sisters won't let me out. They told me to stay here and locked the door."

Qing Er's voice carried a hint of dejection. "The sisters are afraid the guests outside might see me. I know—it's because I'm still young."

You Nan went quiet upon hearing her words.

Qing Er experiences this every night; she’s no longer as scared as she was at first.

The little girl found a spot on the bed platform to lie down. Having become familiar with You Nan through their daytime conversation, she said, "I'm going to get some sleep. If you need anything, just call for me."

You Nan was surprised. "Aren't you afraid of me?"

Qing Er blinked. "No, I'm not."

Brother Hang said that Brother You Nan, in his current state, couldn't even beat her.

The sisters were also quite reassured about it.

You Nan noticed the child's low opinion of his physical strength and pursed his lips.

How could these older sisters and brother feel at ease leaving a child alone with a stranger?

You Nan had slept too much and wasn't sleepy.

He closed his eyes but was awakened by a sudden sound at the door. His eyes flew open.

"It seems to be locked from the inside," a man's voice said.

"That little girl must be in there."

"She is."

There were two unfamiliar men outside.

"If she's already part of the brothel, why not bring her out?"

You Nan listened intently, his nerves tense.

He clenched his hand, pushing himself up with difficulty from the bed, and winced—the pain in his chest was intense.

The traffickers must have kicked him hard.

You Nan got up, but as soon as he got out of bed, he nearly collapsed from the pain, unable to stand.

Gritting his teeth, he reached out to nudge Qing Er.

A familiar voice came from the doorway. "Sirs, why are you out here so late instead of staying in your rooms?"

"Troupe leader, you're just in time. Why can't this door be opened?"

"Yeah, let us have a look too."

Hang Minyu understood their motives but showed no panic. "There's nothing to see inside."

The guests outside persisted, ignoring Hang Minyu's words. When they found the door locked, they unreasonably tried to break the window.

They had had their eyes on her for a long time and were determined to see this time.

Two sisters, awakened by the commotion, hurried over and joined Hang Minyu to stop them.

As the standoff continued, the door opened from the inside, revealing a pretty but not plain face that looked even more stunning under the moonlight.

You Nan opened the door wide, allowing them to see the entire room.

Inside was only a bed, a table, and chairs—nowhere to hide.

It was tiny and bare.

The two male guests stared at You Nan's face, frozen for a moment.

The others quickly looked around and, not seeing Qing Er, finally relaxed.

They wondered where Qing Er was hidden but didn't dare look around too much.

You Nan disliked the way the two men were staring at him.

Frowning, he covered his mouth with the handkerchief Qing Er had given him and broke into a fit of harsh, wrenching coughs.

His frame was thin and frail, and as his sleeves slipped down, they revealed bony wrists and a section of pale, luminous arm.

You Nan coughed so violently that he doubled over, his body shaking so hard it seemed he might cough up his lungs.

The two girls immediately stepped forward, waving handkerchiefs in front of their noses and feigning disgust. "Sir, what's so interesting about this? He's just a sick man. Probably won't last long."

"Exactly, why risk getting sick?"

This dissuaded the two men.

A man might be fun too—though he was frail, if they were careful, once shouldn't kill him.

But if they caught his illness, that would be bad luck.

Seeing their interest wane, the two girls subtly breathed sighs of relief.

"But didn't you pick up a little girl a month ago?"

They still weren't ready to give up.

Hang Minyu stepped forward. "She's a hired servant. She comes from a poor family, but she still aims to be a decent girl."

"Please don't make things difficult for us," Hang Minyu said with a faint smile.

He was handsome, but tall—half a head taller than the two men before him. He was also hard to figure out.

"Yes, if the authorities find out, we’ll all be finished."

The young woman continued to persuade them.

Only then did the two men finally give up on the idea.

But they were still displeased. "You should’ve said so earlier. You got our hopes up over nothing—we thought you were hiding someone and keeping them from us."

"Ah, what are you saying, sir? This place is under the watch of the authorities. We have to report anyone who comes through here..."

As she spoke, the young woman escorted them out.

They returned to their rooms, leaving only You Nan, who had finally stopped coughing and caught his breath, and Hang Minyu standing before him.

Hang Minyu took two steps forward.

Hang Minyu bent down, his strong arms lifting You Nan effortlessly into the air.

You Nan stiffened, instinctively wrapping his arms around his neck.

Hang Minyu felt the body in his arms—as light as a feather.

It reminded him of that winter long ago, when he waited endlessly for his mother only to be met instead with a heavy snowfall.