Chapter 22

Chapter 22

The deeper he went, the cloyingly sweet the smell became.

Xie Licheng stopped before a semi-transparent screen, and suddenly felt he couldn't bring himself to go any deeper.

The young master inside was as beautiful as a glistening white snake.

He, meanwhile, was a male slave who looked honest and loyal on the surface but was actually sly and rotten underneath.

He was really worried that if he went in, he might end up doing something he shouldn't.

He had his lines he wouldn't cross—he didn't bully the old, the weak, women, or children.

But having limits didn't make him a good man, and it didn't mean he could stay totally unaffected when tempted.

Xie Licheng just stood outside the screen and said to the person inside: "Young master, I came over now because there's something I need to tell you."

The person inside didn't answer right away, and Xie Licheng faintly heard the sound of clothes being put on.

He figured since it was spring and the weather was pretty warm,

and Gu Zhangyuan's room was this warm, he probably didn't wear much to sleep at night.

Xie Licheng felt it get even hotter in there, until it was hard to breathe.

It took a while, but finally Gu Zhangyuan's voice drifted out slowly from inside.

"Come in and talk."

Xie Licheng felt this was a bit improper, but he wasn't the type to overthink things.

He figured if Gu Zhangyuan, a young master, didn't care, why should he, a grown man, be all shy about it?

Besides, they were both adults—if he went in and really couldn't hold back and did something, honestly, Gu Zhangyuan was partly to blame for that too.

Before Xie Licheng could keep spiraling in his thoughts, the person inside urged him on.

Gu Zhangyuan: "Come in and talk."

Xie Licheng said "yes," then ducked his head a little and walked around the screen to go in.

Gu Zhangyuan was lying in bed, with a gauze curtain draped around it.

The candle on the nearby stand was dim, and he couldn't see clearly what was inside.

Xie Licheng walked up to the bed, hesitated, then went on: "I think there's something off about this estate."

The beauty behind the gauze curtain seemed to move a little. "What's off about it?"

Xie Licheng: "It's just... I couldn't sleep earlier and went out for a walk, and I thought I saw someone sneaking around outside your courtyard, young master."

Gu Zhangyuan didn't answer right away. Honestly, he was feeling a bit regretful too.

He'd been bold when he set out, but now that he'd actually arrived, he found the place remote and backward, with a few big mountains connected nearby.

Hearing this horse slave suddenly bring it up, he wondered—was he saying this on purpose to scare him and take advantage of him? Or had he actually found something?

Remembering how the guy always liked to hide his true nature, Gu Zhangyuan wanted to use this chance to test him.

"Who was it? Did you... get a good look at him?"

Xie Licheng: "No. When I was heading to your courtyard, I felt someone hurry off. He ran off right next to your courtyard. I got worried, so I came in to check."

"You didn't even see who it was, and you're using that to scare me?"

Hearing that Gu Zhangyuan seemed a bit annoyed, Xie Licheng frowned slightly.

"I didn't mean to scare you, young master. I'm genuinely worried about you and wanted to come keep you safe."

"But... there are so many people in this estate. You don't know who has it out for me, so how exactly are you going to keep me safe?"

Xie Licheng wanted to say he'd stick close to Gu Zhangyuan from now on, but since it was late at night and he'd come running over saying he wanted to guard him up close, it looked more like he had bad intentions.

Xie Licheng: "I'd like to stay in your courtyard, young master, so I can help out if anything happens."

Gu Zhangyuan suddenly reached out and pushed aside the gauze curtain. Xie Licheng quickly looked down, afraid that if he was even a second late, he might see something he shouldn't.

Gu Zhangyuan wasn't disheveled at all—he was wearing a set of snow-white underclothes.

He got up from the bed and walked slowly over to stand in front of Xie Licheng.

From Xie Licheng's lowered gaze, he could only see the slender waist under the underclothes.

A young master's waist was always a lot slimmer than a man's.

Gu Zhangyuan took two or three steps in front of him, and Xie Licheng's eyes followed the sway of his waist.

Xie Licheng didn't think much of it—he was just thinking... such a thin waist, he could probably wrap one hand around it.

Gu Zhangyuan said, "Can I really trust you?"

Xie Licheng: "Yes."

"But... the feeling you give me is really weird. You're not scared of seeing a dead body, yet you put on this honest face. Honestly, I'm a little scared of you. Especially when you stare at me with those eyes, I feel like you're not as simple and honest as you look."

Hearing that, Xie Licheng raised his eyes to look at his face.

Xie Licheng's disguise was indeed sloppy—not because his acting was bad, but because he felt time was running out and there was no need to play the part too well.

Being called out so directly by Gu Zhangyuan, he wasn't all that surprised.

Xie Licheng: "Young master, don't be afraid. What I said to you does have some lies in it, but one thing is a hundred percent true. That is... I will never betray you. I hope you won't be scared of me or wary of me. I'll protect you, take care of you, and never let anything happen to you."

As Xie Licheng said this, his eyes were locked on Gu Zhangyuan's handsome face.

Such a great beauty—he really was willing to take care of him, protect him, and keep him out of danger.

The only question was whether the other guy was willing to let him take care of him and protect him.

Gu Zhangyuan, uncomfortable under his shameless stare, frowned a little and said to him, "Kneel!"

Xie Licheng didn't hesitate at the order and immediately knelt on one knee in front of him.

Seeing that his attitude was still respectful, Gu Zhangyuan felt a bit satisfied but also a bit dissatisfied.

He knelt to him—always quick and clean.

But when he knelt, it was always just on one knee.

Such a posture made him look less like a loyal servant and more like... someone courting him.

His demeanor was far from humble, carrying instead a hint of pride and triumph.

Gu Zhangyuan, with his long lashes lowered, looked at him and said, "I don't know why, but sometimes I really want to hit you. I always feel like you don't truly respect me from the bottom of your heart."

Not just disrespect, but perhaps... he wanted him too?

At that thought, Gu Zhangyuan suddenly felt a pang of regret.

He regretted choosing such a wild, untamable man, and also regretted meeting him alone in the dead of night.

Xie Licheng was clever and alert in other aspects.

But when it came to matters of love and romance, he had no experience at all.

He didn't catch the underlying meaning in Gu Zhangyuan's words, thinking he was still distrusting him.

So Xie Licheng said, "If you want to hit this servant, go ahead. I'm thick-skinned and tough, I don't fear pain."

As he spoke, he reached out and grabbed Gu Zhangyuan's wrist, urging him to strike him.

Xie Licheng wasn't a masochist; he only dared to say and do this because he knew Gu Zhangyuan was kind-hearted and soft-hearted.

He knew someone like Gu Zhangyuan responded better to softness than force and wouldn't have the heart to punish a servant harshly.

It was precisely because he felt emboldened that he dared to act so recklessly.

Clearly, Gu Zhangyuan also knew what he was thinking, which only made him angrier.

Moreover, this horse slave was becoming more and more presumptuous, daring to grab his hand without permission.

Gu Zhangyuan pulled his hand back displeased, and when he thought about how Xie Licheng had even squeezed his fingertips as he withdrew, he felt deeply offended.

He had a temper of his own; he wasn't some pushover to be bullied.

With that in mind, he wanted to kick him, to remind him who was the master and who was the servant.

But unexpectedly, as soon as he lifted his foot to kick, his ankle was caught by Xie Licheng.

His strength was astonishing; with a slight tug on his ankle, he pulled his whole body into his embrace.

The refined, handsome young man was now held tightly in Xie Licheng's arms.

The moment the beautiful young man fell into his embrace, even Xie Licheng's remarkable composure wavered.

For a fleeting second, he wanted to ask Gu Zhangyuan if he was truly willing to let him get so close at night, whether he really intended to sleep with him.

Unfortunately, it didn't seem like the right moment.

As he stood up holding him, he glanced at the window nearby.

This action truly frightened Gu Zhangyuan.

He had said it—this wretched servant didn't respect him at all.

See, now he was revealing his true colors right away.

With one arm, Xie Licheng effortlessly lifted Gu Zhangyuan, and seeing the panic and anger in his eyes, which were turning red, he quickly covered his mouth with his other hand.

Held and silenced, Gu Zhangyuan panicked and struggled with all his might.

The divine young master did have some strength, but it was only enough to handle useless scholars; against Xie Licheng in his current state, his struggles seemed like nothing but playful coaxing.

Afraid of truly scaring him to tears, Xie Licheng carried him to the bed while whispering in his ear, "Don't be afraid, I won't do anything to you."

Gu Zhangyuan let out a couple of muffled whimpers, glaring at him with his beautiful eyes.

His look said, "If you won't do anything, why haven't you let me go?"

Xie Licheng nodded toward the window, signaling for him to look. Gu Zhangyuan froze at his look, then turned to look.

A shadowy figure stood by the side window. Sensing something off in the room, the person quickly caught on and bolted.

Gu Zhangyuan knew Xuan Cui's and Yuan Qiao's silhouettes well, and understood their personalities thoroughly.

If Xie Licheng had come to see him now, they wouldn't be hiding outside eavesdropping.

At the thought of that shadow, a chill of fear ran through Gu Zhangyuan.

He quickly turned around in Xie Licheng's arms, instinctively burrowing closer to him, and asked fearfully, "Who was that? It seemed like a man—could it be a bandit?"

Xie Licheng didn't answer his question but gently laid him down on the bed.

Gu Zhangyuan lay on his back, looking up at Xie Licheng who loomed over him.

He had felt embarrassed before, being embraced and held by a man.

But now, he had no time to worry about shame or any other trivial thoughts.