Chapter 103: Reunion (2)

Chapter 103: Reunion (2)

Xiang Zhi wasn't annoyed—at least not on the surface. With a look of childlike innocence, he sized up the grim, cold-hearted giant from head to toe.

The color of his pupils made it clear this man was from a foreign tribe.

Given the recent goodwill between Yu and Jing, he was nine times out of ten a Jing tribesman.

He was certainly big enough to be called a hulking brute, but his eyes held a tricky mix of cunning and menace—clearly not someone to underestimate.

Xiang Zhi hadn't yet made the connection to Helian Che.

For one thing, Helian Che should be at the Four Directions Lodge, getting ready for bed.

Second, Xiang Zhi's own heart was as small as a needle's eye, and judging others by himself, he'd long since hated this man on Le Wuya's behalf. So he flat-out refused to believe the two could be sitting together all chummy at a street stall.

Xiang Zhi figured that Le Wuya, back when he was Magistrate of Nanting, had made friends with some Jing tribesman from the border region.

He gave Le Wuya a faint smile: "Brother Wenren sure has a way with people. Wherever you go, someone's always got your back."

Before Le Wuya could respond, he turned to Helian Che: "Sir still hasn't said—who are you, and what's your relationship with Lord Wenren?"

Helian Che ran his fingertip along the rim of the empty ice bowl.

A thin layer of cold mist clung to the outside of the bowl.

He used that faint chill to cool his head: "...Family."

Helian Che answered as if it were no big deal, but in truth, he loaded each of those three words with the weight of a thousand pounds.

"Oh, 'family.'" Xiang Zhi found that amusing and snapped open the little fan in his hand. "As far as I know, Brother Wenren's old home in Jiangnan has just an old father and an old cat. Oh, and lately he's picked up a dog in Nanting. So which one are you, good sir?"

Helian Che's fingertips tensed, and his cold, menacing stare landed on that drought-demon mask.

Xiang Zhi tilted his head with an innocent look, meeting his gaze with eyes full of pure, guileless sweetness.

Le Wuya jumped in: "Seventh Master seems to know my household situation inside and out."

Xiang Zhi's look at Helian Che was warm and gentle as a spring breeze, but when it turned to Le Wuya, it was a storm ready to break.

He said, dripping with sarcasm: "This gentleman seems like a refined man of few words. Lucky for us, Brother Wenren is a man of many. So why don't you introduce this 'family' of yours—who exactly is he?"

Le Wuya: "Brother Da and I clicked right away..."

"Click at first sight, and that makes him family?" Xiang Zhi pressed. "How many times have I met you?"

Le Wuya did some quick mental math and answered honestly: "Can't remember."

Honestly, he really couldn't remember.

In their past life, they'd seen each other every day, gotten on each other's nerves every day, and long since lost track of the specific days and months.

Come to think of it, thank god for them.

Without Xiaoliu's gentle care and Xiaoqi's attention-seeking antics, he probably would've tried to kill himself at eighteen and turned to dust long ago.

Xiang Zhi beamed, then turned to Helian Che to tattle: "Brother Da, you see—everything he's wearing from head to toe was bought by me, yet he can't even remember how many times we've met. Clearly this man is hard to get along with and has no conscience at all. I'm afraid you'll find him hard to handle."

Helian Che shot back: "You bought his clothes?"

Once he got confirmation, his gaze swept over Le Wuya critically, and he said: "Terrible taste."

Xiang Zhi's face stiffened: "...What?"

Helian Che had never been a fan of Dayu clothing.

In his view, Le Wuya's bold, striking brows and eyes would look best paired with vivid jade and agate.

He should wear a fine, pricey agate forehead piece, braid his curly hair into little plaits, throw on a purple robe with red trim, ride a white horse with a golden bridle, and roam free through green hills and white clouds.

Helian Che pulled himself out of his daydream: "I said your taste is terrible."

Xiang Zhi's hand on his knee clenched into a fist, and he let out a barely audible hiss of breath.

He glanced at the pile of trinkets spread across the table: "Brother Da, if this is your taste, then it's hardly any better, is it?"

Helian Che frowned slightly at the useless baubles: "This is his taste."

Xiang Zhi cracked a small smile and laughed cheerfully: "What a coincidence, Brother Wenren—I'm just like him. Low taste, both of us love the cheap stuff."

"Whether your taste is refined or not doesn't matter; what matters is that our hearts are in sync." He looked at Le Wuya tenderly. "Brother Wenren, don't you think?"

Le Wuya watched him play innocent and was tempted to argue, just to get under his skin.

But then he remembered the last time, under the parasol tree at Golden Terrace, when Xiang Zhi had grabbed his collar and, with a heart full of sorrowful devotion, called him "Master" over and over—Le Wuya's heart softened in a strange way.

Le Wuya, putting himself in the other's shoes, knew that if he didn't let him win this verbal sparring match, Xiang Zhi would stew in silence, and might even go out of his way to find an excuse to take a bite out of him.

He opened his mouth to answer but quickly shut it again.

...As far as Le Wuya knew, this elder brother of his didn't seem like a particularly forgiving soul either.

Just as he found himself stuck between a rock and a hard place, a gentle voice came from his side out of nowhere: "Seventh Brother, whose heart are you trying to sync with?"

Xiang Zhi, who'd been gearing up for a fight with this mysterious "Brother Da," froze at the sound of that annoying voice.

After a moment of weighing whether to unite against the outside threat first or start an internal squabble, Xiang Zhi lifted his head and called out sweetly: "Sixth Brother. This is Brother Da, a dear friend and close companion of Brother Wenren."

To fend off outside threats, you've got to secure peace at home first.

Let him first sow discord and pit them against each other.

Helian Che studied this fox-faced man.

Xiang Zhi Jie met the gaze of this burly, wary leopard, a sharp glint flashing in his ink-black eyes.

Neither brother had ever met Helian Che—they wouldn't know him if they saw him—but under Le Wuya's training in their past life, they'd developed a knack for reading people.

But Xiang Zhi Jie's understanding of Le Wuya was a bit different from Xiang Zhi's.

Xiang Zhi Jie knew his teacher's mind was extraordinarily complex.

He could be cold and merciless.

When he shot Kui Zizhao, it was with the same swift, deadly precision as when he shot that Liu profligate he'd never even met.

He could also be forgiving and gentle.

Even facing him and Zhi, the sons of his enemies, he could offer them a genuine heart.

Kids in the palace grow up fast.

Zhi Jie, separated from his birth mother at a young age and sent to the side of the cold and difficult-to-please Imperial Consort Zhuang, grew up even faster than the other princes.

From the very first time he laid eyes on Le Wuya, Zhi Jie, under the guise of his care, had quietly and without a fuss seen right through him.

Zhi Jie found it pretty amazing.

Teacher Yue, just like Little Seven, never let a slight slide, hiding his sharp wit behind jokes and teasing, but he also, like Zhi Jie, was far from home and adrift in loneliness, with only two roads ahead: make it on his own or fall apart.

But Teacher Yue was not a child of the royal family.

His very blood and where he came from were a complete mystery, which made him even more pitiful than Zhi Jie.

From that moment on, little Zhi Jie's heart ached for eighteen-year-old Le Wuya.

From the moment he put that warm hand warmer into his hands, it seemed like Zhi Jie was destined to worry about him for the rest of his life.

A Teacher Yue like that would never hold a grudge against his own family.

So Zhi Jie, living up to his name, greeted Helian Che with proper respect: "Greetings, eldest brother."

Xiang Zhi was like: "?"

Did the Little Stutterer's tongue get twisted again?

He'd clearly said this guy's last name was "Da"...

Xiang Zhi had just been grumbling to himself when he suddenly caught on. He pressed his lips together, glanced at Helian Che, and went quiet.

Helian Che's cold gaze lingered on Zhi Jie for a moment, then he casually looked away.

He had no interest in these two rich kids.

He just wanted to see how Le Wuya would treat them.

Le Wuya tipped his head back, his tone changing: "Why are you here too?"

"No work for me today, so I came to check out the scene," Zhi Jie said. "Did you and eldest brother have plans to meet up?"

Le Wuya gave a little shake of his head: "Nope, just ran into each other."

"So how long have you been wandering around by yourself?"

"About two hours."

Zhi Jie: "That long? And you didn't call me to keep you company? Weren't you bored stiff?"

Le Wuya had been trading barbs with Xiang Zhi, saying whatever popped into his head and having a blast; but now, seeing Zhi Jie and hearing his gentle words, his heart felt like it was soaking in warm water—a whole different kind of comfort.

He stretched his legs out like a cat: "You're a busy man; I wouldn't dream of bothering you."

Zhi Jie: "I can always make time for Brother Wenren."

Le Wuya was in high spirits.

After dealing with one silent blockhead and one smart-mouth, he finally heard something nice.

He held up his glass lantern like a prize, showing it off to Zhi Jie: "Pretty, right?"

Zhi Jie studied it carefully: "It's pretty, and it blocks the wind. Swap in a lighter, sturdier pole, and you could hang it at home for good."

Le Wuya grinned, hoping for more compliments, but a glimpse out of the corner of his eye made him freeze.

He was sure he'd spotted someone.

His smile grew even wider, and he suddenly got up, took a few quick steps forward, cupped his hands around his mouth, and yelled: "Hey!"

The sour plum drink stand was set up next to a little white stone bridge, with water flowing beneath and lights shimmering all around—a real picture-perfect scene.

The person he'd called out to was just about to step onto the bridge.

With all the noise around, he shouldn't have been able to hear Le Wuya's call.

But as if they had some unspoken connection, he stopped in the middle of the bridge and slowly turned around.

A wolf mask covered his face, but his demeanor softened it into something like a loyal, well-behaved family dog.

This was Wen Ren Yue's second trip to the capital, and his mood and look were completely different from the first time, when he'd been waiting for an official post.

He was in no hurry, stopping and going as he pleased, without much hope of actually finding his Brother Gu.

But when he turned around, there he was, standing in the dim light.

When his eyes met Le Wuya's from across the way, Wen Ren Yue's heart skipped a beat, then started pounding hard and fast.

Luckily, it was so noisy around them that no one else noticed this little flutter of his heart.

Le Wuya clasped his hands behind his back and asked, smiling: "And where might this traveler be from?"

Wen Ren Yue gripped the bridge railing with both hands and answered formally: "This traveler comes from the Southern Pavilion."

"And where might this traveler be headed?"

"This traveler seeks to find a friend."

As they traded questions and answers, Le Wuya's heart suddenly settled.

He thought, out of nowhere, how wonderful.

But just as that fleeting thought crossed his mind, Wen Ren Yue on the bridge suddenly changed expression and shouted: "Watch out!"

Le Wuya was confused for a second, then heard the sound of urgent footsteps rushing up behind him.

The next second, he was slammed down from behind by a huge force.

Luckily, the guy had some conscience—realizing Le Wuya couldn't take a hit, he immediately wrapped his arms around him, and as they fell forward together, stuck out a hot palm to protect the back of Le Wuya's head. With some serious core strength, he twisted in midair and used his own body as a cushion for Le Wuya.

Le Wuya, on top, hit the ground hard along with the guy.

He found himself staring at a kinda ridiculous bird mask.

The guy had none of Wen Ren Yue's composure or grace—his hair was a mess from running, he was gasping for air, and his chest was heaving hard, pressing against Le Wuya's with every breath.

"...I found you." Pei Mingqi stammered, his voice shaking with panic, "Found you, found you..."

Pei Mingqi stared at him hard, putting everything he had into that look, a wave of light and warmth washing over him.

Le Wuya reached back and patted his head, a jumble of emotions in his chest: "...What kinda crazy stunt is this now?"

Pei Mingqi did not take up his words because he couldn't bring himself to.

The wind was still whistling in his ears, mixed with Taoist Master Lu's words, nearly tearing his heart to shreds.

It was not until he saw Le Wuya that the hurricane in his heart slowly died down.

But he was tongue-tied. Facing Le Wuya, it was like a tiger facing the sky—nowhere to sink its teeth in. He couldn't pour out his feelings no matter how he tried. His heart was about to leap out of his chest, yet his words remained utterly incoherent: "I was so worried... I waited to death..."

Le Wuya gazed at him and thought, fool.

He reached out, stroking the crown of his head again and again, and teased, "Ah, this head was already soft as mushy flesh, and after this fall, won't the yolk be shaken loose?"

Pei Mingqi let out a long breath, knowing the words were both infuriating and infuriatingly true.

He opened his mouth, wanting to mount a rebuttal.

But when the words reached his lips, only three blunt syllables remained: "I missed you."

As for the expressions of the other three, He Lianche did not know, nor could he—after all, they were all hidden behind masks.

He stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his face dark enough to drip water.

He could see it clearly.

Putting everything else aside, this young man, who bore a striking resemblance to his younger brother, seemed to be particularly attractive to men.