Chapter 29 Playtime So annoying!

Chapter 29: Fooling Around and Frustration

Most men hold a grudge.

Zhong Yao has two elder brothers, so she knew this all too well.

Once, she had a fierce argument with her second brother. She scratched his face, and he pushed her. Afterward, they both swore they would never speak to each other again.

That evening, the estate had a theater troupe performing. Watching the play, Zhong Yao became so engrossed that she tugged on her second brother's sleeve, laughing and chatting with him. Her second brother, also in good spirits, replied and spoke with her for quite a while before suddenly remembering they'd sworn off being siblings, leaving them both embarrassed for a moment.

After they reconciled, whenever they annoyed Madam Zhong, she would mock them by bringing up the harsh words they had said about cutting ties during their argument.

But they were family, so they could just put on a thick skin and play dumb to get past it.

However, Xie Chi was not her family.

Under his gaze, Zhong Yao couldn't bring herself to repeat those affected words, "this unworthy one."

"Is it that difficult?" Xie Chi feigned confusion. "You said it quite fluently just now."

Zhong Yao lowered her head, hemming and hawing for a long time. She peeked at Xie Chi from under her lashes, quickly looked down again, then raised her face to give him an embarrassed smile.

Her round cheeks were still slightly damp and flushed, like the sunset after a rainstorm. Her clear, bright eyes were moist and spirited, resembling black onyx just emerged from water, shining especially brilliantly when she smiled shyly.

This demeanor was clearly an attempt to gloss things over, but it was also charmingly naive and adorable, which annoyed Xie Chi.

He was exposing her shortcomings, yet after stammering for so long, she was trying to win him over by acting obedient.

So annoying.

With Zhong Yao's interference, the various emotions in Xie Chi's heart scattered like dust. He finally understood his grandmother, because at that moment, he also felt like rolling his eyes at Zhong Yao.

However, Xie Chi was far less open and unrestrained than the Xie Matriarch. He cared more about propriety, so he just turned his face away impatiently.

By backing down first, he meant the matter was glossed over.

Zhong Yao completely relaxed and eagerly poured another cup of tea for Xie Chi, asking ingratiatingly, "Heir Xie, do you really have news about my second brother?"

Her crying annoyed Xie Chi, her putting on a polite facade displeased him, and this obedient, fawning attitude was equally vexing.

Clearly, it was Zhong Yao's problem, but in summary, even Xie Chi felt he himself was temperamental and hard to please.

So damn irritating.

Xie Chi didn't want to speak, so he just nodded.

"Where is he?" Zhong Yao asked.

Looking into her sparkling eyes, Xie Chi thought to himself that if he hadn't found traces of her second brother, there would have been quite a scene today.

But if he just told her the news about the Zhong family's second brother like this, how could he get her to behave next time something similar happened?

Then again, it was he who wanted to cut ties first, and today she had suffered many humiliations for no reason...

Xie Chi frowned, suppressing all the useless, chaotic thoughts in his heart. First, he ordered the guards waiting outside to row the pleasure boat out into the open water, then asked, "Do you know the origins of the Xu River water bandits?"

"I know some."

Initially, Zhong Yao didn't know much. After the bad news about her second brother arrived, her parents investigated extensively and inquired a lot from General Qin, who had returned from the Xu River. Now, she had a pretty good grasp (70-80%) of the Xu River water bandits.

Xie Chi nodded and asked again, "Have you seen the documents and records related to the Xu River water bandits that General Qin submitted when he got back?"

"No," Zhong Yao said. "But I have a general idea."

Currently, the world was mostly peaceful. The emergence of a bandit stronghold outside of Misty Mountain was seen by many as a great opportunity for promotion and rank.

Unfortunately, this benefit ultimately fell to Xu Su. He marched off valiantly and, not wanting to disgrace his grandfather or his aunt the Empress, made many preparations. Upon arrival, to demonstrate his ability and courage, he took three or five men on a small boat to actively scout the water stronghold's terrain.

The first time, they successfully circled to the back of the stronghold without alerting anyone.

The second time, they were discovered by two minor bandits, but it didn't matter—they captured them alive.

The third time, confident, they tried the same trick again. Shortly after the small boat entered the center of the water, it stopped moving and just kept spinning in place.

General Qin initially thought Xu Su had some plan.

He was a general from the battlefield, sent to the Xu River to protect Xu Su and prevent any accidents. He couldn't steal Xu Su's thunder, so he stayed on the sidelines the entire time without intervening.

After waiting a long time and realizing something was amiss, he sent people to investigate. They found the small boat empty, with only a pool of blood left in the cabin.

Zhong Yao's second brother was one of those who disappeared.

General Qin knew things had gone wrong. Concerned for the safety of Xu Su and the others, he didn't directly send troops. Instead, he tried every possible means to send people to infiltrate the water stronghold and gather information.

Later, hearing that Xu Su had been killed by Zhong Yao's second brother, he realized the captured men were either already dead or forced to become bandits. Without further hesitation, he completely wiped out the stronghold.

The water bandit leader was killed; the rest were either dead, wounded, or captured alive. Only three, with excellent swimming skills, escaped underwater.

Zhong Yao said, "General Qin had it rough... he wiped out the water bandits but still got blamed..."

"If he hadn't had it rough, he wouldn't have spoken up for your second brother."

Zhong Yao immediately understood: those conflicting accounts about who killed whom were actually General Qin helping behind the scenes.

She thought to herself that once things settled down, she should have her parents go thank him. Aloud, she asked, "What does this have to do with my second brother's whereabouts?"

Xie Chi said calmly, "Do you know about the three who escaped underwater?"

Since it was related to her second brother, Zhong Yao had been paying attention. She replied, "I heard one body was found by the riverbank, another was captured by the authorities in Wu County, and only one is still at large."

"What was his name?"

"They said he was a minor leader, named Dou... Dou Wu?"

This person wasn't prominent among the water bandits, not very noticeable, and didn't even have a portrait. Zhong Yao had to think for a moment to recall his alias.

"Correct," Xie Chi said. "The Xu River water bandits appeared half a year ago. According to the bandits' confessions, Dou Wu has been there since the beginning."

Xie Chi's tone became more meaningful when mentioning this person. Zhong Yao didn't understand and looked at him puzzled. Seeing Xie Chi's deep, thoughtful gaze, he slowly said, "Nine months ago, there was some internal turmoil among the Misty Mountain Bandits. The Second-in-command left with a few trusted followers, and their whereabouts are unknown."

Zhong Yao felt a sudden jolt. She widened her eyes and asked, "He is Dou Wu?"

"His surname is Chang, named Chang An. Eight years ago, due to a dispute with a neighbor, he secretly entered their home late at night and slaughtered the entire family, from the eighty-year-old elder down to the infant in swaddling clothes. After being wanted by the authorities, he fled and hid deep in the Misty Mountains. During that time, he occasionally came out to rob, kill, and plunder, known for his cruelty. When he left the Misty Mountains, he had already held the position of Second-in-command for six years."

These deeds were too brutal, unheard of by ordinary people. Zhong Yao listened, both shocked and frightened, yet unable to curb her curiosity. She had unconsciously moved closer to Xie Chi.

A breeze blew in through the small window of the pleasure boat, lifting the dark hair that fell over her chest and sending it drifting onto Xie Chi's shoulder.

Xie Chi lowered his gaze, following that strand of hair to Zhong Yao. He noticed her hair was fine yet thick, appearing jet-black in the shadows but revealing a golden sheen under sunlight, much like the shimmering ripples on the water in the light.

Regarding split ends, Xie Chi looked closely at several strands but found none.

"And then?"

A curious voice snapped Xie Chi out of his thoughts. He shifted his gaze and saw that Xue Fang had also sidled over at some point, and just like Zhong Yao, was wide-eyed, waiting for him to continue.

Xie Chi recalled where he had left off and continued, "The neighbor's family he killed was surnamed Dou, a family of five."

Zhong Yao understood the connection between the two names, and her breathing instantly quickened.

Chang An was a man with a rap sheet a mile long, wanted by the authorities for years, with his portrait posted in every prefecture. After turning traitor and leaving Misty Mountain, he had nowhere to go. To survive, he could only hide in a den of thieves.

Otherwise, why would bandits spring up in the previously peaceful Xu River so soon after he left?

The name Dou Wu might have been a coincidence, but what if it's him?

Moreover, thinking it over, the style of the Xu River bandits was a bit like that of the Misty Mountain Bandits.

Zhong Yao had encountered the Third-in-command of Misty Mountain and knew how ruthless they were. She also knew they had it in for Xie Chi because they were impressed by his skills and wanted to "invite" him to "visit."

A "visit" was just a polite word for forcing him to join the mountain, a method extremely similar to how the Xu River bandits forced her second brother to turn outlaw!

"It must be him!" Zhong Yao's breathing grew erratic as she exclaimed loudly, "It must be him!"

She was both panicked and calm, her words jumbled: "The Xu River stronghold was destroyed. Besides Misty Mountain, there's nowhere left where he could so easily evade capture. He'll likely go back... To get his old status back, he'd need to prove his worth. Young Master Xu is a nobleman. Second Brother... Second Brother is glib-tongued and also a person... Ah! He can train dogs! He taught a puppy to fetch my handkerchief!"

Zhong Yao was almost certain of her second brother's whereabouts, feeling both fearful and excited.

Fearful because Chang An was extremely vicious—he could kill an entire family and then adopt their surname, even choosing such a name. This showed not only a complete lack of remorse but also that he took pride in it.

Excited because if Dou Wu and Chang An were the same person, her second brother was most likely kidnapped and taken to Misty Mountain.

Zhong Yao sprang to her feet and was about to leave, forgetting she was on a boat. Her sudden movement made the boat rock, startling her so much that she grabbed Xie Chi's shoulder for balance.

"Where are you going?"

Zhong Yao was too flustered to notice the displeasure in Xie Chi's voice. Anxiously, she said, "To find my mother, my eldest brother..."

"What good would that do?" Xue Fang's voice suddenly interjected. "Don't be stupid. My elder brother is right here, yet you still want to go find others."

His tone suddenly turned ingratiating as he clung to one of Xie Chi's arms. "Elder Brother, I'm the most obedient. When you go to Misty Mountain, take me with you, please? My martial arts have improved a lot; I can help."

Reminded by him, Zhong Yao suddenly came to her senses, remembering that Xie Chi had a deep grudge against Misty Mountain and was about to leave the capital to deal with the bandits.

She exclaimed "Ah!" and immediately sat back down beside Xie Chi, clasping his arm with both hands. "Heir Xie, did I press on your shoulder just now? Does it hurt? Let me rub it for you..."

With that, she placed both hands on Xie Chi's shoulders and began kneading and pressing in a practiced manner. As she worked, she asked, "Is this pressure okay? If it hurts, you must tell me; don't be polite with me..."

"With such little strength, how could my elder brother possibly feel pain? Don't look down on my elder brother!" Xue Fang sternly reprimanded Zhong Yao, then turned to Xie Chi. "Elder Brother, see, I'm the one who believes in you, right? I'm your best younger... sister."

Zhong Yao, repeatedly targeted, felt greatly wronged. "You make your request, I make mine. For no reason at all, why are you picking on my mistakes?"

"You should say 'this humble woman'!" Xue Fang turned his head to correct her, then said to Xie Chi, "Elder Brother, look, she's not obedient at all!"

The two of them vied to please Xie Chi—one by being subservient, the other by trying to discredit the opponent. If asked whom Xie Chi favored, it would undoubtedly be Xue Fang.

Zhong Yao's meager strength certainly couldn't cause him pain.

Her hands, like her waist, were also very soft, and her kneading was not serious at all. Each touch felt like ants crawling over his shoulders, burrowing into his flesh and blood, making it unbearable.

If not for Xue Fang's interruption, Xie Chi would have long since pulled Zhong Yao's hands away.

Now, there was no need to pull them away because the two were so engrossed in their competition, sandwiching him between them, yet no one paid him any attention.

"Be quiet." Xie Chi could bear it no longer and snapped.

In the past, even if such a reprimand worked, Zhong Yao would still mutter a few more words. Today was different. As soon as the words fell, silence immediately descended upon Xie Chi's ears.

"Move away from me."

The two people squeezing Xie Chi from left and right immediately retreated a bit. Zhong Yao, realizing she had almost been pressed against Xie Chi earlier, felt it was improper and thus retreated farther. After sitting down, she saw that Xue Fang had only moved back a tiny bit. Hesitating, she shifted back a little closer.

Xie Chi noticed this, his eye twitching. To avoid seeing what annoyed him, he turned his gaze away and said to Xue Fang, "If you behave obediently, I might take you."

Xue Fang was overjoyed. "I will definitely obey! I'll go back and practice my calligraphy diligently. Elder Brother, you know I'm different from Zhong Yao; I'm the most obedient!"

Xie Chi glanced sideways. "What did I just say?"

Xue Fang was clever and immediately obediently shut his mouth tightly.

Having dealt with this one, Xie Chi slowly turned to the other side and saw Zhong Yao's face almost pressed against his shoulder, looking at him with eager eyes.

He remained completely unmoved and said in a deep voice, "I originally had no intention of telling you about this."

Zhong Yao was shocked and somewhat hurt. "Why?"

"Because I won't take you with me."

Until the moment just before he said, "I have news about your second brother," Xie Chi had not intended to inform Zhong Yao of this possibility.

It was only yesterday, when he inadvertently saw the name "Chang An," remembered this man's crimes, and then connected him with Dou Wu from the Xu River bandits who was still at large, that he came up with this conjecture.

He had gone to see Zhong Lan yesterday precisely for this matter, but later, because Zhong Yao had disturbed his thoughts, he kept it hidden again.

Zhong Yao was slightly startled and quickly shook her head. "I won't go. I won't. What would I do there? I can't help at all."

She waved her hands repeatedly, her head also shaking, her cheek brushing against Xie Chi's shoulder. Xie Chi saw with his own eyes that a faint layer of rouge had been transferred onto his clothes.

The culprit remained unaware, still saying, "Yes, yes, keeping it secret is best. Because I would want to tell my mother and eldest brother, and they would definitely tell my father. My father might then go with Xu Guozhu to Misty Mountain. Wouldn't that just bring you a few burdens like Xu Su?"

This was indeed one of Xie Chi's concerns.

Moreover, that place was a den of thieves, very dangerous. He didn't want to bring unrelated people there, especially women and children.

He didn't refuse Xue Fang because Xue Fang knew martial arts, and there were also children in Misty Mountain. Most importantly, Xue Fang needed an opportunity to go there to reclaim his male identity.

"Heir Xie, I beg you to help find my second brother and take good care of him..."

Zhong Yao's hand naturally grasped Xie Chi's arm, shaking it gently as she whispered, "My second brother can do many things—train dogs, sing songs... When you rescue him, I'll have him serve you like an ox or a horse to repay you, okay?"

Xie Chi felt Zhong Yao was talking nonsense again.

Once he agreed to something, he wouldn't change his mind. Since he knew Zhong family's second son might be at Misty Mountain, he would naturally do his best to retrieve him safely.

"What did I say just now?" Xie Chi asked for the second time.

He had said quite a lot. Zhong Yao was momentarily confused by the question, but fortunately, Xue Fang was beside her, shaking his head excitedly.

Zhong Yao immediately understood and hurriedly shut her mouth.

The crying and clamoring had all ceased. Xie Chi only needed to close his eyes and ignore the two people with their silly grins before him to bring peace to his eyes, ears, and very being.

But things were never that simple. Since when did Zhong Yao ever do what he wanted?

“That push you gave me yesterday really hurt. It still aches now…” a soft, delicate voice whispered furtively.

This might be true, but spoken in such a tone at this moment, it was highly suspect as an attempt to play the victim.

Xie Chi glanced at Zhong Yao but hadn’t yet spoken when Xue Fang beside him started making muffled “Mmm! Mmm! Mmm!” protests at her, glaring.

He was being good—while scolding Zhong Yao for not listening, he strictly followed Xie Chi’s command, not opening his mouth at all.

Zhong Yao understood Xue Fang’s meaning too. She secretly observed Xie Chi’s expression and, seeing he wasn’t angry, was secretly delighted. Then, putting on a pitiful voice, she said, “The wound on my back still hurts too. It’s both painful and ugly. Last night, I caught a glimpse of it in the mirror and was so scared I had a nightmare…”

Xie Chi looked at her put-on pitiful act and said, “Is that so? I still have other medicinal ointments. Later, I’ll have Shu Feng apply a new bandage, alright?”

“…Th-that… then forget it.” Zhong Yao, feeling guilty, changed her tune. “Actually, the wound has already healed. It was just that I had a nightmare last night and thought it hadn’t…”

“And such a small scar doesn’t matter.” Zhong Yao, afraid he’d press further, hurriedly continued, “I’m a girl. Having a few more scars on my body isn’t a big deal. It’s fine as long as you, Heir Xie, aren’t injured. You’re so handsome; it wouldn’t look good if you had a scar…”

“…” Xie Chi’s expression darkened. He shot her a cold glance and said, “If you have the mind for nonsense, you should be thinking about how to deal with the Fourth Prince.”

Zhong Yao had long forgotten about the Fourth Prince!

Earlier, when she was upset, she found the Fourth Prince terrifying, feeling both humiliated, sad, and somewhat despairing. After crying to Xie Chi and learning about her second brother’s possible whereabouts, thinking of the Fourth Prince and his troubles now, Zhong Yao wasn't scared in the slightest.

“Dealing with the Fourth Prince is simple. Didn’t he want me to seduce you? I’ll seduce you then. Like this…”

She hooked a finger at Xie Chi, tilting her head with a smile. As she crooked her finger, she slowly leaned back, saying word by word, “…just like this… seduce…”

Xie Chi watched her playful antics and said, his voice calm, “Alright.”

“Huh?” He wasn’t angry, which surprised Zhong Yao a bit. “Really?”

“I’ll tell you if it’s real or not.”

As he spoke, Xie Chi stood up.

He was tall and upright. Suddenly standing, he blocked much of the sunlight streaming into the cabin. Zhong Yao only felt the light dim before her, and a dangerous aura was already upon her.

She gave a yelp, turned, and tried to run out, but a powerful hand seized her forearm, pulling her back like a kite.

Zhong Yao was pressed into a corner of the cabin. Xie Chi faced her, one knee bent on the cushion she sat on, the other leg standing. He leaned over her like this, head lowered, blocking Zhong Yao completely.

“Come on, seduce me again,” Xie Chi said.

Backlit, his expression was hidden in the gloom, looking somewhat dark. His voice was deep and rather frightening.

Zhong Yao shot him a couple of glances and cautiously asked, “Are you serious?”

“Mm,” Xie Chi replied calmly.

Zhong Yao looked at him again, then slowly extended her index finger.

Because they were close, her finger almost reached Xie Chi’s nose. Xie Chi’s eyes darkened as he watched that slender, pale finger slowly curl. His whole body tensed. Just as that beckoning gesture was about to be completed, he suddenly reached out to grab Zhong Yao’s wrist.

Zhong Yao, prepared, snatched her hand back with a speed that surprised even Xie Chi. Unfortunately, her wrist was still caught.

“I was just playing! I was playing with you!” Zhong Yao yelled, ducking her head and desperately trying to hide her hand behind her back. She looked panicked, but her voice still carried a laugh.

Today, Xie Chi had to teach her a lesson.

He started pulling her wrist out and said, “I’m playing with you too.”

Zhong Yao struggled fiercely to protect her tender fingers, but her strength was no match for Xie Chi’s. During the struggle, her body tilted, and her forehead thudded against the painted boat’s wall. She immediately let out a cry of pain.

“Ouch, ouch, ouch…”

Xie Chi saw her face all scrunched up, seeming genuinely hurt, snorted coldly, and let go.

Once free, Zhong Yao carefully placed her palm over the painful spot—not her forehead, but her side.

Only then did Xie Chi realize that was where she hurt. His face darkened as he asked, “Why didn’t you say it hurt earlier?”

“I was up to no good earlier,” Zhong Yao lifted her face, cheeks rosy, her eyes crinkled into a smile. “It doesn’t hurt when doing bad things.”

Xie Chi wanted to wring her neck.

He reluctantly let Zhong Yao off this time and was about to step back when his arm was grabbed again.

“Seriously, just cooperate with me a little,” Zhong Yao, still leaning in that narrow corner, looked up and said. “Once First Miss Chen’s news comes back, the Crown Prince will confront the Fourth Prince. By then, he definitely won’t have time for me. You just need to cooperate with me for a few days.”

Xie Chi stared at her with a fierce, dangerous glare, not speaking.

Zhong Yao wasn’t afraid at all. Still blushing, she smiled, raised a finger, and waved it left and right before Xie Chi, saying, “I won’t call you like a dog into the water or to fetch things… Just be a little nicer to me.”

Because she was leaning in the corner, the collar of her clothes had loosened slightly, revealing a sliver of delicate, fair skin.

And because of the earlier struggle, her breathing was somewhat hurried. With each breath, her collar moved slightly, making the light play on that patch of skin like a pearl glowing in a shell.

Xie Chi’s gaze inadvertently fell on it, lingering. Then, uncontrollably, his mind began to wander.

Back when Zhong Yao was injured, his eyes hadn’t fully recovered. By the time his eyes were better, Zhong Yao had already been entrusted to Shu Feng's care.

Therefore, he could confirm Zhong Yao’s injuries had healed, but he didn’t know the exact location, size, or appearance of the scar on her back.

Even if the scar wasn’t large, etched into Zhong Yao’s skin like that, it wouldn’t look good. It must bother her deep down, or worry that her future husband would mind it.

“…When I say I’m thirsty, you pour water for me. When I say your grandmother is awful, you have to go back and tell her off…”

Xie Chi suddenly looked up.

Zhong Yao was startled and quickly said in a reproachful tone, “Since we’ve made up, from now on you have to reply to my letters normally, or I’ll be sad again!”

Xie Chi gave her a long, searching look but didn’t answer.

He pulled Zhong Yao’s hand off his shoulder and stepped back, sitting down in a spot further away from her. To Xue Fang, he said, “You can speak now. Go talk to this chattering girl. Don’t let her bother me.”

Given sudden permission to speak, Xue Fang looked at him, then suddenly became furious, shouting, “I don’t want to talk!”

Then he gave a loud “Hmph!”, crossed his arms, and turned his back to the two of them.

He had thought that with Zhong Yao’s constant chattering, Xie Chi was finally going to teach her a lesson, but nothing happened at all.

Favoritism!

So much noise!

So annoying!