After the Ostracized Beauty Lost Heart - Chapter 8

The night had grown dark, and among the swaying shadows of the trees, the surroundings were cloaked in pitch black.

Xiao Qi had fallen from a height and was seeing stars, his mind muddled for a long while. It was only through the dark chaos that he could vaguely trace the eyes of the person before him. Those increasingly handsome features merged with his memories; he recognized him as Yan Qushan.

Realizing he had made a fool of himself, he suddenly sprang off the other man. His face flushed a deep red as he belatedly tried to reclaim his dignity.

His slender brows arched in feigned fury. “You! How is it you! Seeing this Prince, why have you not yet offered your salutations!”

Yan Qushan knew the little Prince was simply embarrassed. To save his pride, Yan Qushan offered a formal bow and then %cleverly changed the subject with a smile. “It has been three years, Second Prince. I trust you have been well.”

He brushed off the previous blunder lightly, asking no further questions, which gave Xiao Qi a graceful way out. Sure enough, hearing this, Xiao Qi felt slightly more at ease. He cleared his throat twice and waved his hand. “Rise, rise.”

He stole a seemingly indifferent glance at Yan Qushan before speaking with forced nonchalance. “The Shanglin Garden is secluded. Instead of taking advantage of the flower banquet to acquaint yourself with nobles, what are you doing here?”

Yan Qushan presented his long prepared excuse. “Your Highness jokes. My status is lowly; how could I catch the eye of any noble? Besides,” He seemed to think of something and stopped mid-sentence, assuming a sorrowful expression.

Xiao Qi was drawn in, unable to stop himself from asking, “Besides what? Speak.”

Yan Qushan was waiting for that very question. While he marveled at how quickly Xiao Qi took the bait, he did not forget to keep him dangling, playing the part of a lonely, bullied soul. “I, I dare not say.”

The more he acted this way, the more Xiao Qi’s curiosity gnawed at him. Anxious, he gave Yan Qushan a shove. “What do you dare not say? Out with it!”

“What else could it be? I have simply offended someone’s eyes and no longer dare to show my face,” Yan Qushan said with a bitter laugh. “The grudge was settled the moment I was recorded under the name of the late Madam.”

He stopped there, but Xiao Qi was no fool. With a little thought, he knew exactly who was being discussed.

Xiao Qi had just turned thirteen, an age of impulse and mischief. Furthermore, the incident at Tianning Temple had given him a strange, inexplicable fondness for Yan Qushan. Now, hearing this, rage surged in his heart. “Unacceptable! He has gone too far! And you, are you really just going to let him bully you like this?”

Yan Qushan was certainly not the submissive type. While Xue Gongwen attacked openly, Yan Qushan tripped him from the shadows, making him suffer in silence several times until Xue Gongwen hated him to the bone.

However, in front of Xiao Qi, he continued his act. “Heir Xue is the study companion to the Third Prince. The Third Prince is in his prime and full of glory, while I,” He gave a bitter smile. “How would I dare?”

These words were a masterstroke, hitting two birds with one stone. Even Zhili, standing aside like a stone statue, could not help but steal a glance at him. Everyone knew the Second Prince harbored his own resentment; they were both Princes, so why was one treated like a star while the other walked on thin ice in the deep palace?

Sure enough, Xiao Qi was provoked, his heart burning with fury. He shot a harsh glare at Yan Qushan. “The Third Prince! What of the Third Prince? Does he truly think he is the guaranteed heir? Xue Gongwen is just a dog acting on his master’s power. Since that is the case, you!”

He pointed a finger at Yan Qushan. Though half a head shorter, he tilted his thin chin up with an arrogant gaze. “You shall be my study companion. From now on, we will fight them to the end. Let us go!”

Xiao Qi grabbed Yan Qushan’s sleeve and dragged him toward the exit of Shanglin Garden, fuming the entire way. “I am taking you now to request my Father’s decree.”

As they exited the garden, the sounds of laughter and the clinking of wine glasses could be heard nearby. The banquet had clearly begun. They moved toward the crowd, but as they walked, Yan Qushan was slammed heavily into someone’s shoulder. He turned to look; it was Xue Gongwen.

Xue Gongwen naturally noticed him as well. Upon seeing his face, he pinched his nose, clearly intending to escalate a small matter into a major scene to humiliate him. However, he failed to notice the person beside Yan Qushan, nor did he see the slight smirk on Yan Qushan’s lips. This fool had actually stumbled right into the trap.

With Xiao Qi right there, would bullying Yan Qushan not prove how wronged and pitiful he was? If he could use this chance to ruin Xue Gongwen’s image in Xiao Qi’s heart, it might even influence the Duke of Wu’s faction against the Marquis of Anding. Why not?

“How bloody unlucky, why is it you?” Xue Gongwen snorted. “I did not see you today and thought you had jumped into a river and died. I was quite happy about it. Dammit, when is a thing born of a prostitute like you going to find a place to hang himself?”

Yan Qushan glanced at him and took a cautious step back. “I, I did not expect to run into the Heir.”

Xue Gongwen’s eyes widened in shock.

Normally, Yan Qushan would have responded with sharp, hidden barbs and cold mockery. What was wrong with him today? Xue Gongwen gasped, “What the hell are you pretending for? Did you go to the Cold Palace and get possessed by the ghost of a discarded concubine?”

Perfect. He had stepped ruthlessly on Xiao Qi’s sore spot. Sure enough, Xiao Qi, standing beside Yan Qushan, began to tremble with rage. His small face turned deathly pale as he strode forward, raised his hand, and delivered a sharp slap to Xue Gongwen’s face. “What did you just say!”

Xue Gongwen’s head was whipped to the side. In his own residence, even his father would not dare speak a harsh word to him. He had never suffered such an injustice. He was about to strike back, but the moment he saw it was Xiao Qi, he jerked his hand back.

In an instant, his expression shifted through a colorful array of emotions. “Qi, Second, Second Prince, no, I did not mean it like that.”

Xiao Qi was hopping mad. “I do not care what you meant! How dare you call the Prince by his name! I did not expect, I did not expect everything Yan Qushan told me to be true. You are even more of a scoundrel than he described. You are a,”

He struggled for a moment before shouting, “You dog acting on your master’s power!”

It was one thing to say such things in private, but Yan Qushan had not expected him to say it to the boy’s face.

Although Xiao Qi had the support of the Martial Faction, he was ultimately not favored by the Emperor. People showed him respect mainly because they knew he was arrogant. Saying this was perhaps going a bit too far.

Yan Qushan watched Xue Gongwen, expecting him to snap and turn on Xiao Qi immediately.

To his surprise, after being scolded so thoroughly, Xue Gongwen looked like a wronged young girl, staring up at Xiao Qi with deep grievance. He was a slow-witted boy who was poor with words; at this moment, he actually chose to stay silent.

Yan Qushan narrowed his eyes. With his sharp intuition, he immediately sensed something. Before he could catch any more clues, he was grabbed by the exhausted Xiao Qi and dragged toward the Emperor.

Emperor Jiande frowned with displeasure upon seeing Xiao Qi, wanting to dismiss the child. However, out of the corner of his eye, he saw the Duke of Wu, Shangguan Yi, watching intently. He did not dismiss them, but merely set down his teacup. “What is the matter?”

Xiao Qi rarely saw his father. He had been impulsive in his anger, but standing before the Dragon’s Countenance, he felt a bit of fear.

However, as a man, he could not retreat. He summoned his courage, performed a salute, and spoke: “Your son has heard that Master Yan is quite talented. Therefore, I wish to request my Imperial Father’s decree to appoint Yan Qushan as my study companion!”

The guests at the banquet looked at each other in surprise. Emperor Jiande had not expected such a commotion over such a minor matter. He simply waved his hand. “I understand. I shall issue the decree another day.”

Yan Qushan, standing at his side, was actually stunned.

He never expected everything to go so smoothly. Truly, before coming here, he had not expected to actually become Xiao Qi’s study companion; he only wanted to get closer and find opportunities for frequent interaction.

This was, he knelt beside Xiao Qi to accept the decree. The supreme ruler was so close to him, and his relationship with a major faction of the court had become so intimate. This was a god-sent opportunity!

This was but a tiny interlude in the banquet. After the feast ended, Yan Qushan found Xiao Qi to thank him sincerely. To his surprise, Xiao Qi’s face turned red, yet he still maintained his haughty air. “You should know this is a favor bestowed by this Prince. You had better behave yourself by my side, or else, or else I will make you pay!”

Yan Qushan smiled. “Yes. I would not dare to betray Your Highness’s kind intentions.”

Xiao Qi finally looked pleased. He tilted his head up like a cat and pointed a finger at him. “Be at my palace on time tomorrow for morning lessons. Do not be late!”

He gave a glare like a paper tiger, then walked away with his hands behind his back. Yan Qushan stood in place, gazing at the magnificent palaces with their carved railings and jade pillars, his heart burning with ambition.

It was then that a sudden rush of footsteps came from behind.

Before he could react, a fist swung toward his face. Yan Qushan’s eyes turned sharp. Refusing to show weakness, he began to brawl with the attacker. He was always a ruthless fighter, his punches hitting home. The other person was no match for him and was soon pinned down.

As the night grew darker, Yan Qushan observed his defeated opponent for a long while before recognizing him. It was none other than Xue Gongwen, whose face was swollen like a pig’s head, yet he did not forget to spit at Yan Qushan’s face.

Even though he had lost the fight, he refused to back down, appearing angrier than usual as he shouted filthy curses. “Damn you, Yan Qushan! You are just like your whore mother, a natural born actor! What the hell are you doing? You actually became a study companion? Just what kind of thing do you think you are?”

“Can you not come up with something fresh besides those words?” Yan Qushan said with disdain. “What? If a useless trash like you, who cannot even memorize a single poem in half a month, can be a study companion, why can I not?”

“To hell with you!” He spat at Yan Qushan, staring at him fiercely. “I really do not know what kind of spell you cast on Qi, on the Second Prince. For him to actually choose you as a companion, if he knew your true face, he would surely regret it.”

Yan Qushan found it laughable at first, but halfway through, his keen senses captured something.

Recalling how Xue Gongwen suppressed his temper in front of Xiao Qi, acting like a bashful girl in spring, enlightenment suddenly struck. His eyes lit up as he realized something incredible, and he burst into laughter.

“Now I see why you are so angry. So that is how it is, how truly unexpected. You actually have feelings for Xiao Qi!”

Sure enough, as soon as those words were spoken, Xue Gongwen’s face instantly changed.

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