After Pretending to be an Idiot, I Was Targeted by the Cold-Blooded Zhangyin - Chapter 10

Gu Feiyi lightly tapped the window frame twice more—tap, tap.

After a moment of thought, Xie Changsheng climbed out of bed and opened the window. Immediately, a gust of cold wind mixed with the fragrance of plum blossoms poured in.

Xie Changsheng saw Gu Feiyi. He was leaning casually against the exterior wall. Upon seeing Xie Changsheng, Gu Feiyi narrowed his eyes and greeted him in a soft, gentle voice that differed from his usual tone: “Little Highness.”

Xie Changsheng shuddered. He wasn’t sure if it was from the cold wind or the sight of Gu Feiyi. He blinked, asking with a dull yet curious expression, “Who are you? Why are you knocking on my window?”

Gu Feiyi arched an eyebrow but did not answer. He swept his gaze across the room and saw no serving maids. He recalled Feng Wang telling him that since Xie Changsheng became a fool, no one was allowed in the inner hall; the boy wouldn’t even let anyone near him during his baths.

Instead of answering, Gu Feiyi said, “Go. Put on a cloak before you come back.”

Xie Changsheng refused to obey. “I’m not cold.”

Gu Feiyi did not press the matter. He curled his lips into another smile, leaned against the window frame, and beckoned with a finger. Xie Changsheng watched him suspiciously, but in the end, his overwhelming curiosity won out. He moved toward Gu Feiyi cautiously, taking tiny steps.

Suddenly, an icy hand gripped his chin. Xie Changsheng tried to pull away, but Gu Feiyi’s strength was immense.

“Don’t move. Let me look at you closely,” Gu Feiyi said.

His cold gaze “licked” across Xie Changsheng’s features inch by inch.

“The brows are a bit fine.” “These drooping corners of the eyes… quite affectionate.” “The bridge of the nose is elegant and straight.” “The lips are red without rouge, of moderate thickness.” “The skin is white, smooth, and tender.”

It was as if Gu Feiyi was seeing Xie Changsheng for the first time, evaluating his features with novelty. Although his words were complimentary, there was no praise in his voice. Instead, it sounded like he was picking out a piece of merchandise.

…Like a serial killer, Xie Changsheng internally criticized, feeling his skin crawl.

Gu Feiyi released his grip on Xie Changsheng’s chin. He took out a snow-white handkerchief and wiped his fingers one by one. A trace of a smile lingered on his lips. Suddenly, he looked up, his narrow eyes staring at Xie Changsheng with a mocking glint. “Call me ‘Master’ and let me hear it.”

Xie Changsheng: “…?”

Xie Changsheng took a step back. He raised his fist high, slowly extended an index finger toward his temple, and twisted his wrist several times. Then, he looked at Gu Feiyi with a look of deep worry, concern, and confusion.

The gesture clearly meant: Are you sick in the head?

Gu Feiyi was almost angered into laughter. He took a few deep breaths to calm his emotions, leaned back against the window frame, and beckoned again.

“Do you want to eat the best pastries?” “Do you want to play with the most interesting toys?” “Do you want to read the most fascinating books?” “Do you want to see the most beautiful girls?” “As long as you want them,” Gu Feiyi lowered his voice with a smile, “this servant can give them all to you.” “As long as you are obedient.”

Xie Changsheng stared at him blankly, pretending to be in deep thought. In reality, his hand hidden behind his back was pinching his own waist hard. Otherwise, he was truly afraid he would burst out laughing.

Though he was just a “pure and stupid” college student, he understood what Gu Feiyi meant.

He wants to cover for me! This is what they call ‘sending charcoal in a snowstorm’! Brother, you are my eternal father!

Xie Changsheng pretended to think for a long time—so long that Gu Feiyi let out an impatient tsk—before finally looking up. He asked innocently, “Are you telling the truth or lying?”

Gu Feiyi: “The truth.”

“But…” Xie Changsheng looked conflicted. “But I can’t eat that many pastries, and I don’t like reading.”

Gu Feiyi seemed amused and let out a low, pleasant laugh. “As I said,” he repeated, “if the Little Highness wants it, I will give it to you.”

“Then… then…” Xie Changsheng looked at him hesitantly. “Then I want a little dog. Yang Luo won’t let me have one. Can you give me one?”

“A puppy?” Gu Feiyi hadn’t expected such an answer; his eyes widened slightly. Then he smiled. “Naturally.”

Xie Changsheng reached out joyfully and shook Gu Feiyi’s hand up and down. “That’s great! Thank you! You’re such a good person!”

Gu Feiyi turned his hand over to grip Xie Changsheng’s. His icy, cold hand rested on the back of Xie’s. “Is this worth calling me ‘Master’?”

Xie Changsheng immediately chirped, “Master!”

“Incorrect,” Gu Feiyi corrected him. “In the future, you are only allowed to call me ‘Master’ in your heart. You are not to mention this to anyone. Otherwise, your puppy will be gone.”

Xie Changsheng put on an expression of being completely confused. He pouted and complained, “What are you babbling about? My head is getting big!”

Gu Feiyi reached out and patted Xie Changsheng’s cheek, the contact making two distinct slapping sounds. He simply said, “Good boy.”

With that, he turned and walked along the palace wall toward his quarters, leaving only a slender silhouette for Xie Changsheng to watch.

Because of Gu Feiyi’s late-night visit and his promise to protect him, Xie Changsheng was so excited he couldn’t sleep for half the night. He only fell into a daze toward dawn. He had barely fallen asleep when he heard Yang Luo’s voice.

“Little Highness, Little Highness… wake up…”

Xie Changsheng couldn’t even open his eyes. He grumbled from under the covers, “I’m not called ‘Little Highness,’ and I’m not called ‘Wake up’!”

Yang Luo let out a giggle but didn’t let him sleep. “Get up quickly, Little Highness. The Emperor wants you at the Hall of Mental Cultivation for an audience.”

Hearing this, Xie Changsheng was instantly wide awake. The Emperor wanted him? Why? Was it because he ruined the Emperor’s fun last night? Was he going to settle the score? But hearing Yang Luo laughing, he felt it might not be that serious.

Xie Changsheng pulled the covers over his head, sighing and praying to the heavens for a “second growth spurt” to add more IQ to his brain.

Thinking he was just being lazy, Yang Luo used her trump card: “Little Highness, if you don’t get up, I’m going to pull back your blankets.”

Xie Changsheng, the “Paragon of Male Virtue,” immediately scrambled out of bed. With the help of Yang Luo and other palace staff, he was quickly dressed and led to the palace entrance.

A eunuch was waiting outside. He was in his thirties with a humble and steady appearance. Xie Changsheng recognized him as Feng Wang, the man by Gu Feiyi’s side.

He gave Feng Wang a silly grin, suddenly reached into his sleeve, pulled out a shriveled mud figurine, and stuffed it into Feng Wang’s hand. “For you.”

Before Feng Wang could react, Yang Luo shrieked, “Where did that come from?! Little Highness, how could you hide a mud figurine on your person and take it to bed again?!”

Xie Changsheng continued to grin foolishly. Feng Wang didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He solemnly tucked the mud man into his sleeve and bowed to thank Xie Changsheng.

“Little Highness, please follow this servant. Do not keep His Majesty waiting.”

Xie Changsheng gave an “Oh” and followed. But after walking for a while, he realized this wasn’t the way to the Hall of Mental Cultivation. They had taken a side path.

In an instant, countless bad scenarios popped into his head: robbery, assault, or having his kidneys stolen. Or perhaps a classic period drama trope: being pushed into a lake to cause a miscarriage. Wait—he didn’t have the capacity for a miscarriage.

Xie Changsheng scared himself so much his legs went weak. He grabbed Feng Wang’s sleeve and shook it while pretending to be a fool. “Where are we going? This isn’t the way to see the Old Man. Do you think I’m stupid? Are you tricking me?”

Feng Wang explained, “Little Highness, we are going to see the Palm Print (Eunuch Director) first.”

Hearing they were going to Gu Feiyi, Xie Changsheng’s heart finally settled back into his chest. He gave a dull “Oh” but didn’t let go of Feng Wang’s sleeve. In fact, he gripped it tighter. Feng Wang tried to pull his sleeve away several times to no avail. He could only let Xie Changsheng lead him with a mix of helplessness and trepidation.

Watching Xie Changsheng’s childish and dazed actions, Feng Wang couldn’t help but compare him to his former arrogant self. No wonder some palace staff said, “It would be nice if the Little Highness stayed like this forever.” No wonder earlier, when the Palm Print told him to “Go fetch that brat,” there had even been a pleasant smile on his face.

When they reached Gu Feiyi’s small pavilion, Feng Wang was about to announce them, but Xie Changsheng pushed the door open and walked right in.

Gu Feiyi was practicing calligraphy. He held his brush and looked up. His gaze fell on the hand Xie Changsheng was using to grip Feng Wang’s sleeve. He watched quietly for a moment, then curled one side of his mouth.

He commanded, “Let go of Feng Wang.”

Xie Changsheng tilted his head, reacting as if it took him a while to understand. He let go of the sleeve, not forgetting to remind him, “Uncle Feng Wang, your sleeve is wrinkled.”

Feng Wang: “…” Wasn’t it because you were clutching it?!

Feng Wang retreated with a wry smile, not forgetting to take Yang Luo with him. Inside the room, only Gu Feiyi and Xie Changsheng remained.

Xie Changsheng asked, “You looking for me? Something up?”

Gu Feiyi didn’t speak. He simply lowered his head again, his brush moving across the soft rice paper to create sharp, aggressive characters.

Tsk. Xie Changsheng really wanted to give Gu Feiyi the same lecture his high school teacher used to give him: “I’m asking you a question, use your words!”

Of course, he only thought it. The Lord Palm Print was exquisitely clever, but his mouth was as stingy as gold. Even the Old Emperor couldn’t necessarily pry many words out of him, let alone a “fool.”

Since Gu Feiyi ignored him, Xie Changsheng decided to entertain himself. He wasn’t one to invade others’ space, but to maintain his fool persona, he had to pretend he wasn’t afraid of Gu Feiyi. He wandered around the room, looking at this and that.

Gu Feiyi’s attention was gradually drawn entirely to Xie Changsheng. A drop of ink fell from his brush onto the paper with a splat, but he didn’t notice. He watched with interest as Xie Changsheng dusted a cabinet one moment and pinched the flowers in a vase the next. He looked very busy, yet he was clearly doing nothing of substance.

That was until Xie Changsheng sneakily pulled two crumbly mud figurines from his sleeve and prepared to place them by Gu Feiyi’s pillow. A vein throbbed in Gu Feiyi’s forehead.

“Dare to put those down and you’re dead,” he said darkly.

The body with its back to him froze. Xie Changsheng slowly and awkwardly stuffed the mud figurines back into his sleeve.

Gu Feiyi gave a light “Heh” and commanded: “Go wash your hands. Then come here.”