Chapter 55: Incapable of Carnal Desires

Chapter 55: Incapable of Consummation

Li Zhiming paced restlessly, waiting for the outcome.

He had no idea whether that lunatic Sang Yu would keep his word—if he went and slit the girl's throat, it'd be too late to do anything about it.

After two days, Feng Yin came back with good news.

But Feng Yin, who didn't know the inside story, looked pretty down and pissed off. And when he looked at Li Zhiming, there was even a hint of sympathy and pity in his eyes.

"So, got some news for me?"

Li Zhiming grabbed him by the arm and asked.

Feng Yin hesitated, then said, "Young Master, there's news, but you should brace yourself—it might not be good news."

Li Zhiming nodded. "Alright, spit it out."

"Well, here it is." Feng Yin took a deep breath before dropping the bad news. "Magistrate Li submitted a memorial to the court today, impeaching the Prime Minister and asking the Emperor to call off the engagement..."

"Call off the engagement?"

Li Zhiming's voice went up several octaves.

His expression flickered through a bunch of emotions before finally breaking into a huge grin. He laughed, genuinely delighted—he hadn't actually expected it to work.

Feng Yin stared at him, bewildered and alarmed. "Young Master, you... don't take it too hard. If you need to cry, just cry. Don't be like this... you're freaking me out..."

"Who said I'm upset? I'm not upset—I'm ecstatic."

Oh no, this looked even more like he was heartbroken.

Three young ladies in a row had all met with misfortune; it was only natural he couldn't handle the shock.

Feng Yin sighed inwardly, accepting that his young master was just too devastated.

But he couldn't help adding more.

"Young Master, don't be sad. It's not your fault. The Prime Minister said Miss Li woke up this morning and suddenly went crazy. The Emperor sent someone to check, and it was true—so the engagement was called off."

"?"

Li Zhiming's smile froze on his face. His mouth twitched as he wondered if he'd heard wrong.

"Wait, what happened to Miss Li?"

"She went crazy. I heard that after she woke up, she was babbling nonsense, like something had traumatized her. She couldn't even recognize her own parents, and kept mumbling 'I was wrong' over and over. The maid on night duty had no clue what happened either."

Feng Yin was still rambling on.

Li Zhiming couldn't listen anymore.

A person who's gone mad—alive but a walking corpse, a torment to her family. How was that any better than death?

"Young Master?"

"You can go now."

"Yes."

"Wait. Get Sang Yu."

Sang Yu arrived quickly, shut the door behind him, and smiled, looking for credit: "So the young master's heard the news about the engagement being called off? How's it feel—happy?"

"Happy?"

Li Zhiming stared at him in disbelief and shook his head. "You're seriously insane. Can't you do anything besides hurt people?"

Sang Yu's expression went ice-cold in an instant.

He stepped forward, closing in on Li Zhiming step by step, then reached out and grabbed his chin, squeezing hard. "Li Zhiming, isn't this what you wanted? What right do you have to judge me?"

"You—"

"I could crush you as easily as I'd crush a bug."

Madness and possessiveness flooded Sang Yu's eyes, growing wild and taking root deep in his heart, branching out into a towering tree.

The two stared at each other, tension thick in the air.

Li Zhiming's gaze was defiant—defiant with coldness and disgust.

That look of disgust—he'd seen way too much of it, and didn't want to see it anymore, least of all on Li Zhiming's face.

Yet, this very person had always been kind to him before—taking care of him, protecting him, making him laugh.

The book had said so—this was what love was.

He clearly liked him, so why was he being so cold and hypocritical now?

Sang Yu wished he could crush him to pieces. His grip got tighter, and Li Zhiming's face twisted in pain as he shrank back, enduring it in silence.

Seeing him like this only made Sang Yu want to mess with him more.

He released his grip.

Li Zhiming rubbed his bruised chin, silently cursing—was this guy a bull or what?

Sang Yu sneered down at him. "I've done the young master a favor, and I expect a reward. If I'm not satisfied, I'll be unhappy."

"?"

(What can't be written gets skipped.)

After this incident, rumors started spreading outside that the Prime Minister's eldest son had been too flirtatious and wild in the past, breaking the hearts of many young ladies.

Now he was reaping what he sowed—cursed to kill his brides.

A curse so strong that even the Emperor's betrothal couldn't break it—that was seriously scary. It scared off most people, though there were still plenty who tried to seize the chance to suck up to the Prime Minister.

Having seen Sang Yu's cold-bloodedness firsthand, Li Zhiming steeled himself and knelt in the Prime Minister's study.

"Father, to be honest, your son can't consummate a marriage—can't perform in the bedroom. I beg..."

"What???"

The Old Prime Minister shot up from his seat like a rocket, darting over in an instant. His face went pale as he yanked Li Zhiming up from the ground. "What did you say?"

For basic morality and decency's sake.

I've got nothing left but to swallow my pride.

Li Zhiming hung his head, feigning a sorrowful and helpless look, and sighed: "I was badly injured before, and I'm no longer capable. I wanted to keep it a secret, but I truly can't bear to drag innocent people into this."

"You little brat."

The Old Prime Minister cursed loudly and reached out to tear at his clothes directly.

Oh crap.

"No..."

Li Zhiming instinctively clutched his robes and shrank back, his ass clenching—damn this reflex!

"I'm your damn father! Let me see."

"No, no, no, I can't. Father, I—I'm not feeling well. I'm going back to my room."

The hickeys on his body hadn't faded yet.

If his father saw them and realized his son had been ridden like a horse, and that's why he didn't dare marry,

the Old Prime Minister would probably beat him to death with his own hands.

Li Zhiming dodged his dad's grabby hands and bolted.

He thought he'd gotten away with it, but he'd barely sat down to catch his breath when the physician showed up.

When Feng Yin led the physician in, his face was a mess of emotions.

As Li Zhiming's personal bodyguard and study mate, he'd followed the eldest young master since childhood. The Prime Minister must've already grilled him, so he definitely knew what Li Zhiming had said.

Oh god, this is social suicide.

Li Zhiming played dumb, calmly extending his hand for the physician to take his pulse.

The physician also had a complicated look on his face, his eyes kept darting over to him, and even more so, subtly drifting toward his crotch, his brows knitted into a deep frown.

Feng Yin watched anxiously and blurted out: "Doctor, can my master's ED still be cured?"

"?"

"?"

The air went dead silent and awkward, the three of them with totally different looks on their faces.

The physician was the first to react, clearing his throat lightly and waving him off: "You go out first. I need to take a closer look."

"Get out." Li Zhiming also shooed him away.

Feng Yin left reluctantly, closing the door behind him.

The physician looked at Li Zhiming, then said hesitantly: "Young master, your pulse shows no problems in your body, no serious illnesses either. What's more..."

He trailed off, looking conflicted.

"What else?"

"Sang Yu: Who's impotent?

Li Zhiming: I don't know.

Sang Yu: No matter. I can get it up. You don't need to move—I'll do the moving.

Li Zhiming: I can! I totally can!

Sang Yu: Oh, you can't.

Li Zhiming: I can! I'll recharge right now! So, dear goddesses, please give this poor kid a rating. I'll bow to you—don't make me kneel and beg you all! o(╥﹏╥)o"