Chapter 50: Danger!

Chapter 50: Danger!

Li Ruoyao was married off as scheduled.

All the court officials came to offer congratulations, and the mood was festive and joyful, as if everyone had already forgotten Li Zhixing from three months ago.

A concubine's son, even if he made it into court, was looked down on, and no one cared about him.

With the wedding festivities in the mansion, the Second Madam was so furious she had a heart attack, throwing a fit and raising a ruckus.

She didn't manage to die, but she ended up half out of her mind. The Prime Minister had no more patience to soothe her, so he just left her locked in the courtyard.

Three days later, Li Ruoyao returned to her family home.

Li Zhiming grilled her with questions, and indeed, from Li Ruoyao's beaming smile, he could see she was truly happy and content, and only then did his anxious heart finally settle down.

Thank God. Everyone's safe now.

With his sister's issue settled, it was now Li Zhiming's turn.

The Prime Minister had already sent a matchmaker to propose, and the date was set. Li Zhiming was the last to find out, and he heard it from a servant.

He heard the young lady was gorgeous, a proper lady from a good family, well-read and sensible.

The wedding was set for the fifth of the month, two months out.

The Prime Minister called Li Zhiming in for a long lecture and scolding. When he came back, Sang Yu was standing under the tree in the yard, watching him coolly.

For some reason, Sang Yu's easygoing look was terrifying.

Li Zhiming guiltily hid the portrait behind his back—the one his dad had just given him of his future wife.

Sang Yu caught the sneaky move and teased lazily, "What's the young master hiding?"

"Huh? Nothing, just a painting my dad gave me to study."

"Let's see it, unroll it."

"Huh?" He shook his head. "Nothing to see. Let's play a game. I lost at Go last time, and I want a rematch. Come on, let's go."

He tugged Sang Yu toward the table.

Sang Yu didn't budge.

Shit.

Just as Li Zhiming was about to pull, his hand grabbed nothing, and the painting was already in Sang Yu's hands, unfurled with a swoosh, revealing a portrait of a graceful young lady.

Sang Yu's eyes went cold instantly, and Li Zhiming's heart skipped a beat.

"So this is who the young master's marrying?"

Li Zhiming's skin crawled, and he looked away, saying awkwardly, "It's not for sure, but my dad said the emperor arranged this marriage, so I can't say no."

The cold aura around Sang Yu grew thicker.

Li Zhiming rushed to explain, "It's not like I wanted to marry her. And I'm not gonna ditch you. If you think it's unfair, have my dad pick a girl for you too, and we can both get married."

"Marry together?" Sang Yu squinted.

Li Zhiming nodded like crazy. "Yeah, that way it's fair. Tell me what type you like, and I'll tell my dad. I promise it'll work."

He meant every word.

In his mind, Sang Yu was just butthurt—he'd been snatched up by Li Zhiming out of lust, and now Li Zhiming was marrying someone else without setting him up too.

The kid was old enough now, so seeing others get hitched would naturally make him jealous.

Especially since this girl was drop-dead gorgeous.

At Sang Yu's age, watching a bum like him land a hot wife would naturally piss him off.

He needed to be soothed. If he found a pretty girl for him later, he wouldn't lose it.

Li Zhiming's plan sounded great in his head.

Sang Yu snorted, tossed the painting back, and spat out two cold words: "No need."

Then he turned and headed back to his room.

"..."

Since the guy left on his own, Li Zhiming didn't bother chasing after him. Stuff that stirs up jealousy is best kept quiet, so as not to set the kid off.

So, for the next while, Li Zhiming spent his days working out, getting ready for both the hunt and the wedding.

Sang Yu rarely came out anymore, and Li Zhiming didn't bother him, just had servants look after him, like neighbors who didn't meddle in each other's business.

Also, because of the weather, the hunt was pushed back to after his wedding.

That gave him more time to prep.

As the wedding neared, he heard there was a poetry gathering outside, and the girl would be there. Li Zhiming couldn't resist the urge to see her, so he left the house.

The second he stepped out, someone slipped out after him.

Danger!

At the poetry meet of scholars and beauties, Li Zhiming finally laid eyes on his fiancée. She was a free-spirited girl, not as fragile as in the painting.

She had a bold, elegant charm.

And she was even prettier in person than in the painting.

In this era, there were so many beauties, each looking like a face generated by data—flawless, perfect, and talented to boot.

Returning from the poetry gathering, Li Zhiming wore a silly grin the whole way.

When he ran into Sang Yu in the courtyard, his smile couldn't be contained. As if finding someone to confide in, he excitedly pounced on him and gave him a big bear hug.

"I'm so happy, Sang Yu, guess who I met?"

Held tightly by him, Sang Yu caught a whiff of his scent up close—fresh and alluring.

He greedily closed his eyes and took a sniff, his voice slightly hoarse: "I don't know."

Li Zhiming didn't notice anything amiss, having completely forgotten his earlier warnings, and excitedly shared his joy: "I met Miss Wang! She's as beautiful as a celestial being, and we had a wonderful conversation."

The intense joy and excitement in his words almost seemed to seep through the layers of fabric and flesh, seeping into Sang Yu's heart.

But what reached him wasn't joy.

Li Zhiming went on and on, even grabbing his hand.

Sang Yu looked down at Li Zhiming's hand and saw the veins bulging from excitement, as well as the shy blush coloring his cheeks—it all spoke to a young man's crush.

"Does the young master really like Miss Wang?"

He asked.

"Of course." Li Zhiming blurted out, then scratched his head, a little embarrassed, "Everyone loves beauty; it's only human nature."

Yeah, right—'only human nature.'

A faint smile slowly spread across Sang Yu's face, though it was hard to tell what that smile meant.

After getting that off his chest, Li Zhiming whistled as he headed inside, practically soaring with happiness.

Having been single for years, with his last romantic prospect fizzling out halfway, he could finally find fulfillment this time—he'd finally landed a beauty, no longer lonely at night.

Caught up in this fantasy, Li Zhiming drifted off to sleep with a grin on his face.

In the quiet of the night.

The third watch sounded outside.

A small hole was poked through the window, and wisps of white mist curled their way inside, filling the entire room.

A quarter of an hour later.

The door was easily eased open, and a tall, slender figure stepped in, walking slowly to the bedside, pausing, then bending down to gaze at his sleeping face.

Cold lips pressed against his forehead.

As if unsatisfied, the intruder moved lower, covering his eyes, feeling the flutter of his lashes and the faint tickle it brought.

"The young master spoke of the joys of the flesh, something all desire—let me try it myself."

"Is there any kind and lovely soul who could give me a five-star review... (⊙︿⊙) ...the pain of playing solo"