Chapter 15

Chapter 15

"What are all these guards and sentries even good for!"

In the main hall, Lady Sun raged, "A marquis's estate of this standing, yet a thief could come and go as if it were deserted! If something had happened to you, would they have enough heads to make up for it?!"

Luo Qianyu, holding a hand warmer, with warm tea and soup set out on the table before him, advised, "Mother, you can't blame them. That thief was highly skilled and used knockout incense. They couldn't have prevented it."

"And Fourth Brother too! Doesn't he usually boast about his skills? A high-ranking Imperial Guard officer like a Battalion Commander, yet a thief ran right into the house, and he still let the assassin escape, deliberately leaving his elder brother in danger?"

Luo Qianyu broke into a cold sweat. No wonder Luo Shifu went from being brothers to rivals in the later parts of the original book. These words were indeed biased. A bit player hearing this would want to switch sides, and a villain would turn outright evil.

"Luo Shifu is an Imperial Guard Battalion Commander, not a deity. I got away this time mostly thanks to him."

"A deity? Even if he's not a deity, your fourth brother has racked up quite a few nicknames." Lady Sun sighed softly and said slowly, "Qianyu, have you heard of 'Ghost-Frightener,' 'Life-Reaper,' and 'Bloody-Handed Fourth Son'? Mention any one of them, and even a babe in swaddling clothes would be scared into crying."

Luo Qianyu was taken aback.

Though he wasn't really listening, he still spoke fairly for Luo Shifu: "A man doing his job has no say... Maybe he doesn't like it either, but it's his duty. He has to do what his job requires."

"I don't care." Lady Sun, her heart aching for him, tightened her grip on her handkerchief. "These past days, you've bruised your knees from kneeling, sprained your waist, and grazed your leg while riding! And now an assassin had the audacity to sneak into the bathing pool with ill intentions."

Lady Sun glided gracefully to stand before the Young Marquis, advising gently, "My son, this string of bad luck must be the work of evil spirits."

Luo Qianyu: "..."

"Your fourth brother acts without restraint, never knowing when to hold back. Given the torture he metes out, he has likely provoked many vengeful spirits, and now they've latched onto you as well." Thinking of this, Lady Sun's concerns grew, and worry showed on her face. "In my view, why not pick a day to visit the Hanshan Temple in the northern part of the city? Sincerely burn some incense and pray to Buddha, ask for the Buddha's protection to drive away this evil influence, and pray for your health and safety."

Luo Qianyu naturally knew there were no ghosts in this world. If there was any irresistible force, it was just the damn plot.

And as for these injuries, it was purely because this Young Marquis was too pampered.

But his mother, as someone actually from this ancient time, had no way of knowing this and could only attribute these accidents to ghosts and gods, which was understandable.

The Young Marquis took a spoonful of silver ear and lotus seed soup and agreed, "Alright, we'll pick a day sometime..."

"No, tomorrow." Sun Shi interrupted him.

Luo Qianyu coughed lightly, the spoon clattering back into the bowl.

"With the Imperial Examinations approaching, we can also pray for you to have a flash of inspiration during the palace exams, to come out on top and bring glory to our ancestors." Lady Sun grew more enthusiastic as she spoke, lowering her voice, "Before the Wen family was found guilty, stripped of rank, and fell into decline, Wen Yu's grandfather and mother often visited Hanshan Temple for meditation and worship. I heard they were regular visitors there."

The topic had actually turned to Wen Yu.

Luo Qianyu was startled and couldn't help but prick up his ears, afraid of missing a single word.

"That Hanshan Temple's blessings are well-known and far-reaching. If your heart is sincere, you're sure to receive the Buddha's protection." Sun Shi clasped her hands together and made a gesture of prayer toward the air. "Wen Yu's first-place ranking back then was likely also greatly aided by Hanshan Temple's blessings. This time when you go, you must sincerely worship and pray. You will surely pass the imperial exams with flying colors, maybe even win the top scholar title for your mother."

Luo Qianyu: "..."

Who, him, get the top scholar title??

But, Wen Yu's grandfather and mother were regular visitors of Hanshan Temple back then? Had Wen Yu also gone? Could he have been a regular visitor too?

Wen Yu during his noble young master days... Luo Qianyu couldn't imagine it.

Three years ago, Wen Yu should have been the same age as he is now.

He was probably a small young man, though beautiful. Since he managed to become the top scholar, he must have been devoted to studying, with no time for martial arts... His chest probably wasn't as hard as it is now, and he couldn't have lifted me easily. I could probably have taken him down with one move.

He couldn't imagine if Wen Yu, meeting his three-years-later self, would get a taste of the same shame and annoyance I felt recently. Unfortunately, by then, I would probably have already run away and would never see such a scene.

Thinking of this, Luo Qianyu felt a little better.

"Tomorrow, you and your fourth brother will go together, take two servants." Sun Shi instructed, "Worship more, be sincere, don't rush back... Don't let your mother's donation of several hundred strings of cash for incense and oil at that Hanshan Temple go to waste."

The Young Marquis listlessly agreed.

He thought, since he must go tomorrow, he would bring Chun Sheng along.

That poor child's mother was seriously ill and had only recently shown some improvement. He must surely want to go to Hanshan Temple to burn incense.

It had rained the previous day and again that morning. By the time the two arrived at Hanshan Temple, it was nearly dusk, as the sun set behind the mulberry and elm trees, evening scenery fading.

-

Luo Qianyu stood before the temple gate, looking up at the towering vermilion temple doors. His brow raised slightly as he inwardly assessed, feeling the place was somewhat deep, secluded, and gloomy, quite fitting its name.

Chun Sheng beside him, carrying a wooden basket, saw his young master's strange expression and asked blankly, "Young Master, is something wrong?"

"...It's nothing. It's just that the temple's incense smell is a bit strong, giving me a headache." The Young Marquis paused, then asked, "Has Luo Shifu not caught up yet?"

Earlier on the mountain path and steps, Luo Shifu had run into a Company Commander. That Company Commander had stopped his Battalion Commander, talking for quite a while. Luo Qianyu, too lazy to wait, had taken Chun Sheng and gone up the mountain first.

"Not yet. Presumably, once Fourth Young Master finishes discussing official business with the Company Commander, he will catch up soon." Chun Sheng smiled slightly and added, "Hanshan Temple has thriving incense offerings, with many worshippers. The smell is inevitably strong. If you're tired from walking, Young Master, perhaps rest inside the temple for a moment?"

Luo Qianyu nodded.

The two stepped into the temple, heading straight for the main hall.

Chun Sheng followed silently behind. Inside the temple, incense smoke curled, the Buddha statues were tall and solemn, and it was surprisingly empty—no one else around, not wasting this hour. Luo Qianyu walked to the prayer mat, hesitated for a moment, then knelt down.

Seeing this, Chun Sheng hurriedly knelt beside the Young Marquis, clasped his hands together, and bowed his head in worship.

Out of the corner of his eye, the Young Marquis glanced at Chun Sheng beside him. Seeing the child kneeling properly, eyes lowered, silently reciting something, probably praying for his mother's recovery.

So he himself also lowered his head, following what Lady Sun had said, praying to ward off evil, avoid misfortune, seek peace and smooth sailing, and also pray for the good omen of passing the imperial examinations with high honors.

But he muttered inwardly: Heavens, can you have a bit of conscience? Let me leave this damned place! If I really can't go back, then just don't let Wen Yu recognize me or catch me. Let me run away smoothly in the future...

But what Chun Sheng wished for in his heart was completely opposite to his master's. He silently prayed: "May the Young Marquis have a lifetime of peace and smooth sailing, free from disasters and hardships, meet a good match, and be together year after year."

Luo Qianyu, his mind filled with miscellaneous thoughts, was bowing when suddenly his nose twitched.

He actually caught a faint, elusive, extremely light fragrance.

The Young Marquis's brow froze. Under normal circumstances, he definitely wouldn't have paid much attention. But having just learned a lesson not long ago, his nostrils flared, and it felt increasingly familiar. He wasn't sure if it was his imagination.

Luo Qianyu's heart tightened, an inexplicable sense of foreboding surging within him.

This smell... how is it a bit like the knockout incense he smelled in the bathing pool that day?

Luo Qianyu abruptly sat up, his gaze quickly sweeping the surroundings, finally landing on the incense burner in the center of the main hall.

He saw smoke dispersing from the incense burner, seeming normal, nothing unusual.

The Young Marquis didn't hesitate. He quickly stepped forward, looked down, and his guess became reality—he indeed found a patch of wet incense ash inside the burner.

And that knockout incense he was exposed to that night was colorless and odorless, only releasing its fragrance when it met water!

Alarm bells went off in his head. Luo Qianyu cursed his luck and swiftly grabbed the incense burner, hurling it out the window without hesitation. A wisp of smoke traced a faint arc before the burner thudded onto the grass outside the temple with a dull thud.

"Young Master…?"

"Chun Sheng!" Reacting quickly this time, Luo Qianyu decisively tore a strip of cloth from the window curtain and tossed it to the stunned Chun Sheng. "Cover your nose and mouth—there’s knockout incense in that burner. Don’t breathe it in!"

Hearing this, Chun Sheng’s face paled. He immediately took the cloth and hurriedly complied. "Yes."

Luo Qianyu’s mind raced. The more he thought about it, the more suspicious it seemed.

So… was it the same thief from that day?

Having failed last time, had he moved his operation to Cold Mountain Temple?

But according to the original plot, the thief’s target wasn’t him… it was Wen Yu.

Just as the two were about to leave, the plump little bird on his shoulder suddenly grew restless, as if catching a scent. It let out a short, urgent chirp.

"Chirp!"

Flapping its wings, it struggled to take flight, heading in the opposite direction—straight toward the inner room behind the Buddha statue.

Luo Qianyu’s steps involuntarily halted. He turned but found himself strangely unable to move, lost in thought.

After only a moment, he turned to Chun Sheng and ordered, "Go find Luo Shifu. Tell him his elder brother is drugged again, and see how long it takes him to get here."

"What… Young Master, what about you?" Chun Sheng’s face filled with alarm, his footsteps stopping. "You can't be serious!"

"Just do as I say." The Young Marquis said no more. "I’ll be right back!"

Worried but hesitant, Chun Sheng didn’t want to leave. Yet the Young Marquis’s expression brooked no argument. He was no match for his master in a fight, and staying might not help. Gritting his teeth, he quickly turned and dashed out of the temple.

Meanwhile, Luo Qianyu followed the direction the red-tailed bird had flown.

Passing through the main hall, he didn’t find the expected temple backyard or any side halls. Instead, just beyond a quiet corridor—northwest of the hall where he and Chun Sheng had been—the space opened up… This looked more like another hidden entrance.

Luo Qianyu frowned slightly.

What was going on?

Two main entrances to the same Cold Mountain Temple?

Despite his confusion, his steps didn’t falter. Following the red-tailed bird into the entrance, he pushed aside the cloth curtain. He saw… another small temple chamber.

The moment he stepped inside, his eyes instinctively scanned the room. The chamber was dimly lit, with faint mist curling from an incense burner. He could vaguely make out a figure lying on the ground.

At that moment, the little bird fluttered its wings and gently landed, perching on that person’s shoulder.

Luo Qianyu focused his eyes. It was one thing not to look, but once he clearly saw who it was, his heart lurched, and he gasped—

It was Wen Yu!

…

Why was it Wen Yu?

What was Wen Yu doing at Cold Mountain Temple?

No time to think now. His heart hammered, but he pushed on. Luo Qianyu quickly stepped forward, knelt down, and shook the person’s shoulder, calling softly, "Wen Yu?… Wen Yu!"

"Wake up… Can you hear me?"

Wen Yu’s eyes were slightly open, as if he’d heard the voice, but they struggled to focus. His face was pale, a fine sheen of sweat beading on his forehead. Clearly, he had also been drugged, to the point where his mind was foggy.

Luo Qianyu’s heart sank. This was bad.

Having been caught off guard before, he’d been wary this time. He’d only inhaled a small amount of the knockout incense and could still stay alert. But Wen Yu had evidently been under its effects for some time, the drug already deep in his system. If not for the little bird leading the way, things could have gotten ugly.

The Young Marquis pressed his lips together, swearing inwardly. In the original book, there were often sleazy plots where cannon fodder or buy-stock gongs drugged the protagonist shou with ill intentions. But he never expected to stumble upon the crime scene himself this time.

Luo Qianyu stood up, warily scanning the surroundings. His gaze finally settled on the incense burner. Without hesitation, he stepped forward and, with practiced ease, tossed both the burner and its incense out the window.

Even with the cloth covering his nose and mouth, a hint of the scent still seeped in. Luo Qianyu held his breath slightly, realizing the smell from this burner was completely different from the one in the previous room.

The fragrance here was lighter, the mist thinner. The authentic scent of sandalwood lingered around his nose, indistinguishable from genuine temple incense at first whiff.

Even on guard and trying to discern it, it was still hard to detect anything amiss.

Luo Qianyu clenched his fist, a surge of anger washing over him.

The mastermind behind this was truly despicable.

To ensure the protagonist shou fell into the trap, they had placed two different types of incense in two burners, in two rooms, at two entrances of Cold Mountain Temple—as if afraid the little beauty wouldn’t take the bait.

What kind of incense burner was this… were they raising gu here?

The Young Marquis bent down and helped Wen Yu sit up.

The red-tailed bird perched on Wen Yu’s shoulder, tilting its head as it watched the young marquis take something from inside his robe—what looked like a pill. Luo Qianyu murmured, almost inaudibly, "That night at the hot spring, the thief who originally came for you didn’t succeed."

"Mother, worried something might happen to me, said it was better to be safe than sorry. She gave me an Imperial Fragrant Pill, supposed to cure all poisons. Its effects are probably… similar to your Snow Lotus?"

"Never thought it would actually come in handy… Good thing I brought it with me today."

As he spoke, he used his fingertips to part Wen Yu’s lips. Pinching the pill, he placed it into the other’s mouth. His fingertips were soft and slightly cool, brushing against a faint, lingering dampness.

Luo Qianyu’s movements paused briefly. He said nothing, but a faint pink tinge spread across his fingertips.

The Young Marquis put the pill in. However, after closing the other’s lips, he found Wen Yu hadn’t swallowed it. The pill remained lodged between his lips and teeth, not going down.

Even the basic swallowing reflex had become sluggish. Fine sweat beaded on Luo Qianyu’s temples. Seeing no other choice, he could only call softly, "Wen Yu, open your eyes. Don’t fall asleep."

"Wake up," Luo Qianyu whispered. "Or if you can’t wake up, just swallow."

Despite coaxing for a while, there was still no response.

Luo Qianyu froze for a moment, feeling a wave of confusion. In situations like this… wouldn’t it be like those drama scenes where they have to pass the medicine mouth-to-mouth?

But the pill was stuck between Wen Yu’s lips and teeth. Blowing air to help was one thing, but if he really wanted to pass the pill… would he have to use his tongue?

No way!

As soon as this thought surfaced, Luo Qianyu immediately wanted to back out. Not only did his ears tingle, but his heart also filled with resistance.

After all, this was the world of a book. Wen Yu’s first kiss shouldn’t happen here, and his certainly shouldn’t either… Besides, with so many gongs coveting Wen Yu, kissing the protagonist shou would earn him endless hatred—better to just end his life outright!

But the situation was urgent. For a man to fuss over such a thing was petty. If he didn’t get Wen Yu to take the pill soon, the effects of the knockout incense would only deepen. If the mastermind behind this saw the timing was right and showed up, both of them might be done for.

The little bird stood on Wen Yu’s shoulder, tilting its head as it watched the Young Marquis, seemingly puzzled by his hesitation. It let out a soft, gentle chirp.

As if urging him to hurry.

Luo Qianyu gritted his teeth, heaved an inward sigh, and even wondered if he owed Wen Yu something in a past life, and was now being made to repay it bit by bit in this life. Mentally chanting 'saving a life comes first', he lowered his head and leaned close to Wen Yu's face.

Before their lips could meet, their breaths tangled, intertwining in the space between them, sending a shiver down the back of his neck.

Just then, hurried footsteps sounded from behind, followed by Chun Sheng’s anxious cry: “Young Marquis! Are you all right?”

Luo Qianyu quickly sat up, relief washing over him. Suppressing his racing heart, he said, “I’m fine. Why are you back? Where’s Luo Shifu?”

Chun Sheng came to a stop, doubled over, hands on knees, panting heavily. “I couldn’t find the Fourth Young Master and was worried about you, so I followed the direction you went.”

The Young Marquis felt like he'd found a savior. “You came just in time. This person has been affected by a drugging incense. I just tried to give him an Imperial Fragrant Pill, but he can’t swallow it. Do you have any ideas?”

Chun Sheng hurried forward, glanced down at Wen Yu, thought for a moment, then produced a short, slender bamboo tube from inside his robe. “Young Master, try this. A doctor I called for once used a bamboo tube to feed medicine to my unconscious mother—insert it into the throat, pour some water, and the medicine will go down smoothly.”

What a clever little fellow!

Luo Qianyu’s eyes lit up. He quickly took the handy device and shot Chun Sheng a grateful look. “Chun Sheng, you really have a way.”

Chun Sheng chuckled softly. “Hehe.”

The Young Marquis gently guided the bamboo tube to Wen Yu’s mouth—the pill wasn't too far back—then took the water flask from Chun Sheng’s basket and slowly fed a few sips of water. As the water flowed down the tube, the pill was finally washed down.

The Young Marquis only let out a relieved breath after confirming he had swallowed. “He swallowed it.”

After observing for a while, Wen Yu’s face remained somewhat pale, his forehead hair damp with sweat, making the phoenix pattern stand out, a vivid crimson.

His nose was high-bridged, his eyelashes long, casting faint shadows in the dim light—so beautiful it was startling.

Seeing the fine sweat covering his forehead, Luo Qianyu guessed the medicine was taking effect and that he must be feeling quite uncomfortable. He instructed Chun Sheng, “Get a fan.”

Chun Sheng nodded.

He took a cloth bundle from inside his robe, carefully unwrapped it, and revealed a golden folding fan, impeccably preserved, with faint characters inscribed on its surface.

Luo Qianyu was taken aback, his gaze fixed on the fan. The more he looked, the more familiar it seemed. He asked in surprise, “This… is the one I gave you?”

Chun Sheng nodded. “Yes.”

“I thought you pawned it?”

Chun Sheng hesitated, his face flushing. He pursed his lips before replying, “The treasure you gave me… I just couldn't bring myself to pawn it, so I’ve kept it with me all along. I thought when the weather turned hot and you needed it, I could take it out to fan you.”

Hearing this, Luo Qianyu felt a complex mix of emotions and momentarily found himself at a loss for words.

He reached out and took the fan, sighing softly. “Never mind.”

Unfolding the fan, he gently fanned Wen Yu. The cool breeze brushed against Wen Yu's cheeks, dispersing some of the sweat beads. The other’s brow relaxed slightly, and his breathing seemed to grow steadier.

Luo Qianyu continued fanning, but his mind was already calculating.

He estimated that it would take at least another quarter of an hour for the Imperial Fragrant Pill to take full effect, and Wen Yu would regain consciousness by then. He needed to make his escape before that.

Though he knew that countless such situations would arise in the future of the book, and as either Luo Qianyu or the Young Marquis, he couldn’t intervene every time, since he had encountered this one, lending a hand—at least to spare Wen Yu from the wolf’s jaws this once—was the least he could do.

Just this once.

He would interfere only this once.

Lost in thought, he failed to notice the faint tremor in the eyelashes of the person in his arms.

The movement was extremely slight, unnoticed by either of them.

Though his vision remained blurry, it gradually focused, landing precisely on the folding fan in Chun Sheng’s hand.

On the golden fan surface, only a few characters entered his view—

“Top the Golden List, Succeed at Once.”

In the dim light, they stood out starkly.

His half-closed gaze lingered on those words for a long time. Wen Yu clenched his teeth, and two words suddenly flashed through his foggy mind.

…

It was him.