Chapter 14: Enemies Meet, Enemies Meet

The odor on his body, even if fumigated with floral fragrance daily, could not be fully concealed. It was like the rotten stench emitted by corpses mixed with flower mud.

Everyone loathed him, disgusted by him.

What virtue or ability did he have to gain Qiu Shuzhi’s favor?

Qiu Shuzhi’s faint body fragrance lingered around his nose, making him intoxicated. The stronger and more fleeting the fragrance, the colder his heart became. Someone as good as her shouldn’t be someone he could taint.

He struggled to maintain his sanity and tremblingly withdrew his hand.

“No, I’m different from them…” He staggered back half a step, but forgot about the stool behind him. His feet tripped, and his entire body fell backward.

“Be careful, Your Highness.” A soft white dress hem, like a cold cloud, swept into his eyes. Qiu Shuzhi held his arm with one hand and embraced his waist with the other, barely supporting him.

Yue Guanyi lowered his head in shame. Qiu Shuzhi’s warm hands almost burned him, and his eyes were slightly moist with excitement.

“This humble official has offended you.” Qiu Shuzhi withdrew her hand, savoring the feeling of the touch just now. His skin was cold and delicate, like a piece of exquisite, finely textured cold jade.

“It’s nothing.” Yue Guanyi’s face turned even redder, like a pomegranate flower stained with morning dew.

Their movements attracted the attention of passersby in the night market, so they simply slipped out from the side. Outside, the sky grew darker, and clouds obscured the bright moon. The night market’s lantern lights stretched for miles, like a celestial river on earth.

“Your Highness is indeed different from other men,” Qiu Shuzhi suddenly said in a low voice.

Yue Guanyi’s heart instantly stopped.

As expected, she still minded men showing their faces in public. He wasn’t like ordinary men who were devoted to their families and gentle. He spent his days doing bloody and filthy things on the edge of a blade. Anyone who saw him would feel loathing.

“Your Highness, despite being a man, can do better than most women in the court. This humble official greatly admires you.”

Yue Guanyi didn’t expect Qiu Shuzhi to suddenly change the topic. He was stunned for a moment.

“Don’t you think I’m not abiding by the ancestral teachings of the ‘Three Obediences and Four Virtues’ from the ‘Chronicles of Virtuous Men’ and not adhering to male ethics?”

“Ordinary men who wholeheartedly devote themselves to their wives and daughters are certainly admirable, but I admire even more a man like Your Highness who doesn’t let women surpass him. There are thousands of men in the world, but only you shine so brightly.”

She smiled slightly. The night market’s lantern lights were like a flurry of snow, chaotic as silk, as if entering a world of fireworks.

The noisy night market seemed to become silent at this moment. Yue Guanyi could only hear the pounding of his heart.

He never had any grand ambitions. He was just an ordinary man, as ordinary as could be. He had thoroughly read and taken to heart the ‘Chronicles of Virtuous Men.’ From a young age, his only wish was to marry a good wife-master and educate his daughters. Later, when he fell into a brothel and met Qiu Shuzhi, his wish became to be Qiu Shuzhi’s man.

In his dreams, he fantasized about her again and again, but in the thick fog of the morning, he saw his own ugliness and felt ashamed.

Later, he returned to the royal family and stepped on blood to become the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, all because of a casual remark Qiu Shuzhi made to him when they were young: “Little brother, I want to enter officialdom. I want to revitalize the Qiu family.”

His heart was a muddy mess. Only by diving into officialdom and making a name for himself could he stand in a high position and wait for her arrival, using his blood-stained official robes to pave a glorious path for her.

The world cursed him, feared him, and humiliated him, but he never cared. Even he himself looked down on himself in this way.

But he never thought that he, who hid in dark corners skinning people and dismembering bones, would be such a dazzling existence in Qiu Shuzhi’s eyes. His years of forbearance and dormancy had gained the affirmation of his beloved.

“You overpraise me.”

So she liked this kind of man.

Yue Guanyi was overjoyed, and a faint blush outlined the deep corners of his eyes.

A gust of cold wind blew, carrying the sweet fragrance of apricot blossoms and tender willows. A light rain fell in strands like silkworm threads, shrouding the entire night market in a misty rain.

The night market vendors were in a mess, complaining about the uncooperative weather and starting to pack up their things to close their stalls.

The drizzle dampened Yue Guanyi’s long hair, and a raindrop hung on his dense crow-like eyelashes. The long wind swept up the falling apricot blossoms, blowing his white robes and making him one with the flowers and smoke.

“The rain is getting heavier. Your Highness, hurry back.” Qiu Shuzhi took off her outer robe to shelter him from the wind and rain. She waved to Yue Guanyi’s subordinates not far away, indicating that these people followed Yue Guanyi at all times, so she wasn’t worried about any danger on his way back.

Yue Guanyi was pleasantly surprised. He wished he could enshrine her clothes. How could he dare use Qiu Shuzhi’s clothes to avoid the rain?

“Hurry and bring an umbrella,” Yue Guanyi turned around and shouted at his approaching subordinates.

The subordinates lowered their heads in guilt. The rain had come suddenly, and they were all caught off guard.

“No need. The spring rain is cold. Your Highness’s precious body shouldn’t stay outside for long. It’s better to get on the carriage quickly to avoid catching a cold,” Qiu Shuzhi said.

“Then I’ll have my subordinates escort you back,” he said.

Qiu Shuzhi shook her head, and water droplets slid down the gentle curve of her face. “My home is nearby. It’s not a problem.” With that, she said to the two subordinates following behind her, “Why aren’t you escorting your master back?” This time, the subordinates boldly stepped forward.

Yue Guanyi tightened his grip on the clothes in his hand, disobeying her for the first time. “I absolutely cannot let Lord Qiu walk back alone in the rain.” Qiu Shuzhi couldn’t help but laugh. “Alright then.”

Hoofbeats rang out on the bluestone pavement, and the carriage wheels rolled on. Before long, they arrived in front of Qiu Shuzhi’s courtyard.

She lifted the curtain and saw a lantern hanging in front of the door, swaying in the cold, quiet night. In the misty rain, a lone figure stood in front of the door, holding an umbrella and gazing into the distance, waiting for someone to return.

“Cousin.” Qiu Shuzhi jumped off the carriage. “Why are you still outside so late?” Qiu Qiushuang gestured with his hands, “Waiting for you.”

“The rain is so heavy. You should have waited for me inside.”

Qiu Qiushuang didn’t respond to her. His gaze probed the carriage parked in front of the door.

In the fierce wind and heavy rain of the cold spring night, the horses, with their reins tightened, let out a low neigh. A hand slowly extended from the curtain. Yue Guanyi got off the carriage and walked step by step to Qiu Qiushuang.

The moment Qiu Qiushuang saw Yue Guanyi, his gaze turned cold, as if the air had instantly frozen into ice.

“This is His Highness, the eldest prince.”

“Your Highness, this is my cousin, Qiu Qiushuang.” Qiu Shuzhi made the introductions one by one.

Qiu Qiushuang slightly bent his knee in salute.

Yue Guanyi’s pale brows were lowered. Even if his entire body was soaked by the rain, it didn’t diminish his innate royal bearing.

He pretended to support Qiu Qiushuang, and his indifferent voice carried a hint of coldness. “No need for formalities.” “I heard your brother is ill?”

Qiu Shuzhi spoke truthfully, “My cousin lost his voice due to a fright in his childhood. Please don’t mind, Your Highness.” Yue Guanyi’s eyes, hidden in the shadows, narrowed slightly, and his words were sincere, “How could I mind? But since it’s not a congenital deficiency, there should still be a chance of recovery. There are countless famous doctors in the palace. Perhaps they can cure your brother’s illness.” Qiu Qiushuang’s eyes instantly flashed with a fierce light, and his hand holding the umbrella tightly gripped the handle.

The corners of Yue Guanyi’s mouth curled into a cold smile.