Chapter 7: Private Meeting at the Villa – The Foolish Male Protagonist

Yue Guanyi saw Qiu Shuzhi’s surprised expression.

His muddled, stuffy mind suddenly felt as if doused by a bucket of ice water. The hazy delusions receded like the tide, replaced by a bone-chilling clarity. Only then did he realize what foolish words he had just uttered, so carelessly speaking such jealous-sounding phrases.

Yue Guanyi felt utterly stupid, wishing he could tear out that vile tongue in his mouth and chop it to bits.

She must find him disgusting now.

He felt as if plunged into a winter ice cave, his whole body cold. He lowered his head, not daring to meet Qiu Shuzhi’s gaze. His hands were clenched tightly, the bandaged ones slowly seeping a striking trace of fresh blood.

“Your Highness, your hand-” Qiu Shuzhi saw the crimson blood oozing from Yue Guanyi’s palm, like a streak of blood staining a piece of fine white jade.

Chang’an quickly dismounted and unwrapped the bandage on Yue Guanyi’s hand. The wound that had just scabbed over burst open again, revealing the bright red soft flesh inside – a shocking sight.

“Your Highness, your wound has reopened. Let Chang’an rebandage it for you.”

Yue Guanyi was still immersed in the nightmare of being despised by Qiu Shuzhi, oblivious to Chang’an’s words, his face even paler.

Looking at the bloody wound continuously seeping fresh blood, trickling from his palm down his fingers, then dripping to form a pool on the ground, attracting sidelong glances from passersby.

Many recognized his identity. To avoid drawing attention, Qiu Shuzhi whispered in his ear: “This official has offended you.”

With that, she directly pulled him into the carriage. The heavy curtains fell, blocking all outside views.

Chang’an immediately understood and drove the carriage away from the bustling market.

The carriage swayed back and forth, burning high-quality ambergris incense. White smoke curled within the enclosed space. His snow-white clothes and long hair falling over his shoulders, his downcast eyes were desolate.

Qiu Shuzhi picked up the gauze from the low table and silently began bandaging his wound.

Yue Guanyi’s eyelashes trembled as he suddenly withdrew his hand, saying anxiously: “I can do it myself, it’s too much trouble for Official Qiu.”

Qiu Shuzhi sighed, watching the blood spatter on his snow-white clothes like a red plum blooming in a vast snowy field.

“How can you bandage it yourself? Let this official do it. Does Your Highness disdain this official?”

“How could I-” Yue Guanyi shook his head vigorously.

How could he disdain her?

He would be overjoyed that Qiu Shuzhi was willing to touch him. He only feared that someone as lowly as himself would dirty her hands.

He wanted to keep far away from Qiu Shuzhi, a man’s dirty blood should not be in a noble woman’s sight.

Yet he shamelessly harbored a bold delusion – he also longed for Qiu Shuzhi’s pity!

“Give me your hand,” she said.

Yue Guanyi obediently extended his hand, his trembling eyes carefully watching her.

For a moment, Qiu Shuzhi felt as if she were training a large dog. Despite its fierce and intimidating appearance that frightened everyone, it was docile and submissive before its master, eyes fixed only on the master.

She brushed aside those random thoughts and took up the gauze to carefully bandage the wound, admonishing as she worked: “Your Highness, your wound is very deep and difficult to heal. Remember not to repeatedly tear it open, understand?”

Yue Guanyi nodded, extremely obedient.

In the quiet space there were only the two of them. Qiu Shuzhi’s eyes and mind were filled only with him. This feeling of being the center of attention made him feel as if in the clouds, his anxious heart also filled with happiness.

After bandaging the wound, Qiu Shuzhi’s hands were also stained with some of his blood.

He instantly felt extremely remorseful. His dirty blood had soiled the noble one’s hands. Those delicate, pure white hands now bore a stain. He wished he could kneel before her and lick away every speck of filth with his tongue, yet he feared his wild self would startle her.

The closer he got to her, the deeper that bone-deep sense of inferiority grew, as if carved into his very being. Qiu Shuzhi was the moon in the sky, while he was just a lowly insect. As he suppressed his wild fantasies under the moonlight, that pure moonlight grew ever more distant from him.

“My lady, please clean your hands!” Yue Guanyi took out a damp cloth from the side and respectfully handed it to her, his gestures and tone more like a humble servant than a prince.

“Thank you, Your Highness.” Qiu Shuzhi took the cloth and gently wiped her hands.

“I- I once learned to dance, but I’m not good at it,” he explained, trying to justify his earlier foolish, fawning words.

But some things become more muddled the more one tries to explain. Words could only make his expression more feeble.

His voice grew softer and more uneasy, to the point where he wanted to pull his own hair in regret, hating himself for his stupidity.

“How can the graceful posture of dancing girls compare to Your Highness’s golden branch and jade leaf status?” Qiu Shuzhi smiled faintly, her gentle voice dispelling all his anxiety.

Yue Guanyi’s face turned red, his ears flushed almost to the point of bleeding, like ripe red berries, so soft it made her want to pinch them.

“Your Highness, we’ve arrived at the villa,” Chang’an’s voice came from outside as the carriage stopped.

Clarity instantly returned to Qiu Shuzhi’s eyes, dispelling all her thoughts. No matter how soft and vulnerable the person before her appeared, he was still the current Crown Prince, Commander of the Imperial Guard, wielding great power – a living King of Hell.

If she dared to touch him, her head would likely be hanging high on the city gate tomorrow.

Qiu Shuzhi lifted the curtain and stepped down from the carriage.

Before her eyes was an elegant and imposing villa. Located right by the imperial city, tall walls surrounded a large courtyard with green bamboo partially visible, their cool shadows extending beyond the wall to form a bamboo screen.

Yue Guanyi followed behind her, about to descend from the carriage when Qiu Shuzhi naturally extended her hand to support him.

Yue Guanyi’s eyes trembled, nearly stumbling and falling from the carriage again as he had that night. He tightly gripped his fingers, avoiding her hand as he got down.

Supporting someone from a carriage was typically a servant’s job. How could he let Qiu Shuzhi do such a thing? She was the eternally cool and pure moonlight in his heart. Even if dust fell at her feet, he would kneel before her to brush away every speck. She was the bodhisattva in his heart, and he was willing to be the mount beneath her.

“Now that Your Highness has arrived at your residence, this official shall take his leave. Farewell!” Qiu Shuzhi cupped her hands and prepared to leave.

“Official Qiu, please stay. Since you’ve already come to my residence, why not come in for a while?” Yue Guanyi called out to detain her, his slender fingers clenched into a fist.

As soon as the words left his mouth, he inwardly cursed himself for being insatiable, greedy for more and more. He berated himself for being like a gluttonous beast, never satisfied, yet greedily longing for Qiu Shuzhi to be with him at all times.

Qiu Shuzhi paused her steps, looking at the fine beads of sweat on his forehead that had dampened his bangs. She felt somewhat puzzled – why did this person seem so nervous, yet still insist on detaining her?

Though she didn’t understand what was so frightening about herself, wasn’t he just tormenting himself by forcibly detaining her like this?

“Your Highness, men and women should maintain proper distance. It seems inappropriate for this official to enter your elegant residence,” she politely declined.

Yue Guanyi’s face flushed lightly as he forced himself to speak through his highly tense nerves: “It’s just to discuss official business. Official Qiu need not mind those worldly customs.”

Official business?

This reason she could not refuse: “Very well then.”

Yue Guanyi let out a sigh of relief, like a drowning man finally getting a chance to breathe.

They entered the villa together. Befitting the royal family’s grandeur, even this separate residence was a world unto itself. Within the capital, it recreated landscapes with flower shadows on walls, mountains, waters, and pavilions exuding refined leisure at every turn, as if an entire Jiangnan villa had been transported here.

Qiu Shuzhi sat on a zitan wood chair in the inner courtyard. In the spacious courtyard there were only the two of them, with Chang’an standing guard far outside.

“Please have some tea, my lady.” Yue Guanyi personally poured her a cup of tea, offering it with a red face.

Qiu Shuzhi accepted in a daze, watching the tea leaves float up and down in the cup as she asked, “What matter did Your Highness summon me for?”

Yue Guanyi sat in the chair beside her. Perhaps due to nervousness, he perched only on the very edge of the seat, sitting rigidly upright like a schoolboy left alone to face the teacher.

“I asked you here because of Her Majesty.”

“What about Her Majesty?” Qiu Shuzhi immediately tensed.

Seeing her so nervous about that puppet emperor, Yue Guanyi felt a twinge of jealousy, but still pretended to be calm as he said: “Your previous suggestion has made the Empress Dowager take special notice of you. Qin Shu will be exiled to Baiyue in a few days. The Empress Dowager now thinks very highly of you and will certainly want to recruit you as his protégé. Her Majesty’s meaning is to have you-”

“This official understands. This subject will remember the imperial grace and certainly not betray Her Majesty’s goodwill by allying with the Empress Dowager.” As soon as Yue Guanyi began speaking, she understood what the young emperor wanted to say.

She could understand – after all, no emperor could tolerate someone biting the hand that feeds them.

“No!” Yue Guanyi uncharacteristically interrupted her words: “That is only Her Majesty’s meaning.”

Qiu Shuzhi looked at him in confusion.

Yue Guanyi’s eyes burned intensely as he carefully analyzed the situation: “The Empress Dowager has great power behind him. If he knows he cannot win you over, he will certainly move to eliminate you.”

Qiu Shuzhi nodded, she certainly understood this point.

“There are not so many perfect solutions in this world,” she said calmly.

The path of an official was already treacherous at every step. Since she had chosen this dangerous road and chosen her master, she must remain unwaveringly loyal. Otherwise, swaying like grass in the wind would surely lead to a miserable end sooner or later.

As Qiu Shuzhi’s tone fell slightly melancholy, Yue Guanyi’s heart skipped a beat.

“You can comply with the Empress Dowager’s wishes and join the Qin clan,” he said.

Qiu Shuzhi felt somewhat dazed, staring at him in a stupor.

There were two major factions in the palace – one was the Qin clan, the other was imperial power.

She had always thought that as Yue Shen’s elder brother, Yue Guanyi should be on the imperial side. But she had forgotten that Yue Guanyi’s birth father was also from the Qin family – he had half Qin blood in him.

Seeing Qiu Shuzhi’s eyes gradually change, Yue Guanyi hurriedly said: “Please don’t misunderstand, I’m not asking you to betray Her Majesty.”

Qiu Shuzhi raised a delicate eyebrow.

Yue Guanyi slowly explained: “The Empress Dowager’s methods and schemes are extraordinary. You don’t need to butt heads with him at this time. I know you have ambitions to become a famous minister, and a famous minister must know how to endure… You needn’t worry about Her Majesty’s side, I will handle things for you.”

The air stagnated for a moment, the atmosphere became strange. Even breathing could be heard clearly. Yue Guanyi nervously awaited her response.

After a long silence, Qiu Shuzhi asked: “Why are you so kind to this official?”

Qiu Shuzhi was full of doubts, truly unable to understand the reason for Yue Guanyi’s eagerness towards her.

Yue Guanyi lowered his head, his curled fingers tightening again and again: “You are a capable minister. I want to preserve such a talented official for Da Qi.”

He spoke these insincere words brazenly. He only wanted her to fare well. If she wanted to pursue an official career, he would exhaust all his efforts, even if it meant being a stepping stone under her feet, to send her to a high position.

From the inside out, the roots of Da Qi were rotten. The whole country emitted an unpleasant stench. He cared nothing for country, people, or grand righteousness. Even if Qiu Shuzhi wanted to usurp the throne and declare herself emperor, he would willingly open the city gates and offer up the imperial seal.

“This subject thanks Your Highness!” Qiu Shuzhi knelt on one knee.

Yue Guanyi was greatly alarmed, his heart nearly stopping. Without thinking, he also knelt on both knees before her, supporting her with fingertips that were frighteningly cold: “Please rise quickly. How can I, a mere man, deserve such a bow from you?”

This bow from Qiu Shuzhi nearly frightened Yue Guanyi out of his mind. His hands supporting her arms were trembling, and he wished he could kneel at her feet and kowtow vigorously to alleviate a bit of the guilt in his heart.

Qiu Shuzhi grasped his hands in return, saying earnestly: “This official comes from a humble background. To receive such regard from Her Majesty and the Imperial Son, in the future I will certainly serve Her Majesty with all my heart and strength.”

Yue Guanyi’s hands were held by her, the warmth of her palms tightly enveloping his cold fingertips, as if he were basking in the warm spring.

He pressed his lips together, saying with personal motives: “The most important thing is for my lady to take care of herself.”

After their conversation concluded, he reluctantly saw Qiu Shuzhi off.

Chang’an entered at the appropriate moment and asked: “Will Your Highness return to the palace today?”

Yue Guanyi turned his back to him: “I won’t return. Close the door.”

Chang’an did not understand but dutifully closed the door.

The carved wooden door blocked out the outside light, leaving dappled window shadows interweaving light and dark on the inner courtyard floor.

Yue Guanyi slowly collapsed to the ground, his flawless white face pressed tightly against the spot where Qiu Shuzhi had knelt. He brought his bandaged hand to his lips, reverently and carefully kissing the gauze.

His Shuzhi, his Qiu Niang, she had wrapped his bandage today, she had held his hands. He was so excited he could barely contain himself.

His thin frame curled up like a young beast, like a fetus in the womb. He prostrated himself on the ground with his whole being, as if absorbing the warmth she had left behind.