After Pretending to be an Idiot, I Was Targeted by the Cold-Blooded Zhangyin - Chapter 16

Xie Changsheng was trying to find a comfortable position to lean against the water vat and watch the fish when Xie Hemiao grabbed his shoulders and spun him around, forcing him to face Xie Hemiao and Fang Ling once again.

Xie Changsheng grumbled, “What are you doing?!”

Xie Hemiao tapped Xie Changsheng’s head. “Little fool, you’re quite the diligent one. You’ve come to visit our Crown Prince brother two days in a row, yet I haven’t seen you come to visit me.”

Xie Changsheng asked, “Is Second Brother sick too?”

“No.”

Xie Changsheng pouted, making a very “done with this” face. “If you aren’t sick, why visit?”

“It’s not only when one is sick that people visit. It’s about sentiment.” Xie Hemiao tapped his fan against his palm, suddenly smiling cunningly. “Little fool, let me ask you: if Second Brother and Big Brother fell ill at the same time, who would you go see?”

Xie Changsheng: “…”

How wicked! How insidious!

How was this question any different from those relatives during New Year’s who ask, “Do you like Mommy or Daddy more?” or “Who do you like better, Grandma or Nana?”

Fortunately, Xie Changsheng was a “fool.” He had his own way of solving this dilemma of the century.

Xie Changsheng grinned. “Heh heh, if Big Brother and Second Brother got sick at the same time, I’d ask Yang Luo to cut me in half so I could go see both.”

After a pause, Xie Changsheng tossed the dilemma back at Xie Hemiao: “So, Second Brother, do you like the left half of me or the right half of me better?”

Xie Hemiao: “…”

Fang Ling had been silent since the beginning, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed and staring intently at Xie Changsheng with a heavy gaze. At this point, he finally couldn’t hold it in and let out a choked cough.

Xie Changsheng immediately turned to look at him.

Fang Ling kept a stiff face. “What? Don’t look at me.”

Xie Changsheng was obedient; since he wasn’t allowed to look, he didn’t. He turned his back again to lean over the vat and watch the fish.

Behind them, seeing that the conversation between the three had paused, someone eagerly approached to strike up a chat with Xie Hemiao. Xie Hemiao, dragging his bad foot, walked a few steps away with them.

But Fang Ling didn’t leave. He maintained his posture, staring at Xie Changsheng as the latter babbled to the koi. His gaze was curious and investigative, as if he were looking at a mermaid—the kind with a fish’s top and a human’s bottom.

Xie Changsheng ignored him, rambling on to the two koi in the tank. Only when his throat went dry did he straighten up. Acting as if he had just discovered Fang Ling was still there, he jumped back in fright, then laughed and asked, “Are you listening to my stories too?”

He challenged Fang Ling: “Let me test you. Can you tell me the author’s intent behind writing about ‘two date trees in front of the gate’? What emotion was the author trying to express, and what character traits does it highlight?”

Fang Ling: “…”

Fang Ling ignored Xie Changsheng’s nonsense. His eyes were like a wolf’s, dark and fierce, as he asked, “Do you really remember nothing at all?”

Xie Changsheng looked bewildered. “Remember… what?”

Fang Ling didn’t answer. Instead, he unfastened his bracer and pushed up his sleeve to show Xie Changsheng his arm. It was a firm, lean arm covered in smooth, coordinated muscle. Even just a section of it was quite aesthetically pleasing.

However, tragically, there were several crisscrossing scars on his forearm. They were slightly raised and had a purplish-red hue that clashed with the surrounding skin.

“You did this. You don’t remember?”

Xie Changsheng stared down at them for a long time. He stared so long that Fang Ling began to feel as if his arm were being burned through by the gaze. Just as he was about to uncomfortably withdraw his arm, Xie Changsheng moved.

Xie Changsheng suddenly reached out, covered the scars with his palm, and rubbed them.

Fang Ling jerked his arm back. “Don’t touch!”

“I don’t remember,” Xie Changsheng answered the previous question obediently. “Did I really do that? I don’t remember. Why? Did you bully me?”

Even without his memory, this guy is a pro at shifting blame. Fang Ling grew even more annoyed. He said coldly, “…How would I dare bully you? It was clearly you who, without any rhyme or reason, would hit and curse me whenever you saw me.”

Xie Changsheng’s face was full of shock. “I… I was that bad?” He rubbed his foot against the ground, scuffing back and forth. “Then… I’m sorry.”

Fang Ling’s whole body jolted. He looked at Xie Changsheng with a subtle, complicated expression. He couldn’t quite describe the feeling in his heart.

He had lived on the battlefield for a long time and viewed life and death lightly. He wasn’t naturally a vengeful person. In the army, he had plenty of conflicts with his subordinates. Soldiers didn’t hold grudges overnight; if you were truly mad at someone, you just fought them, and the anger would vanish.

But the old Xie Changsheng was different. Fang Ling had never met someone so disgusting—hitting him, cursing him, insulting him. If Fang Ling ignored him, it only invited more severe humiliation. He had thought about breaking the Prince’s arms and legs and dragging him behind a horse for two miles.

But those were just thoughts. He hadn’t expected Xie Changsheng to actually become a fool—a fool who forgot everything he had done. No longer arrogant, no longer malicious. No longer bullying others.

Even… when the Old Emperor tried to force the dancing girl in public, Xie Changsheng was the one who stepped forward.

Fang Ling didn’t know what face to show Xie Changsheng to begin with. Hearing an apology only made it harder. He was a soft-hearted man at his core; with one “I’m sorry,” his anger had mostly dissipated. No matter how wretched Xie Changsheng had been before, the current him was a blank sheet of paper.

Fang Ling felt that perhaps he shouldn’t treat Xie Changsheng with his former attitude. He lowered his head expressionlessly and began re-wrapping the bracer on his arm.

As he was thinking, Xie Changsheng stuffed a small package into his hand. Opening it, he saw pieces of candy wrapped inside.

Xie Changsheng said, “For you to eat.”

“How old do you think I am? Eating candy?”

“You won’t eat it?”

Fang Ling shook his head. Even though he had refused, Xie Changsheng stared at him blankly for a moment, then suddenly grabbed a piece of candy and tried to shove it into his mouth.

Fang Ling leaned back, trying desperately to dodge the hand, but since the wall was right behind him, he couldn’t go far. Helplessly, he could only allow the candy to be pressed into his mouth.

Streaks of sweetness melted across his tongue. But a second later, the sweetness turned into an intense, sharp sourness.

Fang Ling’s face puckered up from the acidity. He spat the candy into his hand with a “ptui,” only to realize the candy powder was coating a green plum.

Xie Changsheng clapped his hands and laughed loudly. “That’s the sourest plum Yang Luo could find! Hahaha, your face just wrinkled up! Hahaha!”

Seeing Xie Changsheng doubling over with laughter, Fang Ling realized he had been pranked. His face darkened as he reached out to grab the boy.

Seeing things were taking a turn for the worse, Xie Changsheng turned to run. But he couldn’t possibly be faster than Fang Ling. The moment he turned, his collar was snatched.

Fang Ling hoisted Xie Changsheng up like a little chick and brought him close. He opened the bag, took out a plum, and shoved it into Xie Changsheng’s mouth. He only let go once he saw the boy’s features squeezed together from the sourness.

Looking up, he realized the surrounding people were all watching. They were chuckling. “The Little Highness and the Young Marquis have such childlike hearts, so pure and sincere!”

It was impossible to tell if they were being sarcastic or genuinely complimentary.

Fang Ling’s gaze swept over the laughing dignitaries, then landed on Xie Changsheng, who had sat down on the ground from the sourness. The boy held his jaw, slurping and sucking on the plum, refusing to spit it out. He looked like he was eating something with great appetite.

If Fang Ling hadn’t tasted it himself, he would have thought Xie Changsheng was eating a delicacy.

Xie Changsheng squatted on the ground without any regard for his image. Then, thinking of something, he gave another silly laugh. Fang Ling suddenly felt the scars on his forearm, which Xie Changsheng had touched earlier, feeling a bit warm and itchy.

He bent his knees, half-squatting, and extended his right hand to Xie Changsheng. “Get up.”

“I won’t,” Xie Changsheng said mumble-mouthed. “Where one falls, one should take a nap. I haven’t napped yet.”

Fang Ling: “…”

He sighed, grabbed Xie Changsheng’s arm, and hauled him up directly. Xie Changsheng giggled.

So stupid. Facing a person like this, one really couldn’t stay angry.

Fang Ling pursed his lips and leaned close to him. “Xie Changsheng, you’d best stay this stupid for the rest of your life. If you ever regain your memory, I absolutely will not show you any mercy.”

Xie Changsheng blinked.

A person walked over with an uneven gait—it was Xie Hemiao, who had just finished talking to the others. His drunken eyes looked at Xie Changsheng, then at Fang Ling. “What are you two chatting about?”

Xie Changsheng replied, “Oh, he said he wants to ‘show me mercy’ (have feelings for me).”

Fang Ling: “…???! No, I didn’t!”

The dignitaries who were eavesdropping with perked ears: ?!

Fang Ling felt that if the plum earlier had soured his teeth, then right now he had swallowed bitter gall—he had a grievance he couldn’t voice!

After a short wait, several people left Xie Chengjing’s room. It was now Xie Hemiao and Xie Changsheng’s turn to visit.

Before entering the inner chamber, Xie Changsheng kept turning back to look at Fang Ling. “Aren’t you coming with us to see Big Brother?”

Fang Ling said, “It is a rare brotherly reunion for your two Highnesses and the Crown Prince. This humble official will not join the commotion.”

Xie Changsheng looked up at Xie Hemiao. “What’d he say? Is he saying we’re too loud?”

Fang Ling: “…”

Xie Hemiao burst out laughing, tapping the handle of his fan against Xie Changsheng’s head. “You, oh you!”

Upon entering the inner chamber, Xie Changsheng realized today was different from yesterday. First, the smell of medicine was much stronger. Next, the coughing was even more bone-shaking than before.

When Xie Changsheng saw Xie Chengjing, the Prince had just finished a round of coughing. The handkerchief he used to cover his mouth was dotted with spots of blood.

Xie Changsheng sat by the bed with familiar ease. “Big Brother, you’re bleeding.”

“The little fool doesn’t need to worry.”

The one who spoke was Xie Hemiao. He sat in a chair, stretching out his crippled right leg. He smiled and said, “Our Crown Prince Brother has a weak constitution. Whenever something happens, he’s prone to vomiting blood. Vomit enough, and it actually clears the toxins.”

At this, Xie Hemiao “snapped” his fan open, hiding the lower half of his face and leaving only his drunken eyes visible.

“I heard that the Crown Prince’s condition worsened because last night, the moment he opened his eyes, he saw two pitch-black, eerie mud figurines staring at him from either side, and he was frightened out of his wits?”

Huh?

Xie Changsheng recalled what he had done before leaving yesterday. He blinked, stunned. “…”